Dutch organizations in Europe pool knowledge and strength for the Caribbean

On 22 September 2025, the Netherlands Court of Audit organized an expert meeting for organizations from the European Netherlands. These organizations are active in the Caribbean and together form a knowledge network. During the meeting, they got to know each other and discussed connection, strengthening and pooling resources to better support the islands.

While the Netherlands Court of Audit normally checks whether the central government has spent its money wisely, economically and carefully, the organization took on a different role during the expert meeting. It organized the meeting and is itself also part of the knowledge network. Burhan Gün, Director at the Netherlands Court of Audit, explains: “We also investigate the funds allocated by the central government to the Caribbean part of the Kingdom. In recent years, we have conducted several studies in the Caribbean. In addition, we work closely with other audit offices in the Caribbean. We maintain contact and exchange knowledge. In this way, we are one of the organizations in the broad field of work that conduct research in the Caribbean.”

The knowledge network

In addition to the Netherlands Court of Audit, many more institutions from the European Netherlands are active in the Caribbean Netherlands, consisting of Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba, and in the autonomous countries of Aruba, Sint Maarten and Curaçao. “This is precisely why it is so important for organizations to work together and learn from each other,” says Gün. “The expert meeting on Kingdom relations was primarily intended for Dutch knowledge holders who, with varying objectives (advising, monitoring and researching), gather knowledge for or about the Caribbean part of the Kingdom. Together, they form the knowledge network. We see that more knowledge exchange and cooperation on this side of the ocean can help the people on the other side.” Beforehand, Gün and his colleagues also spoke to a number of knowledge partners in the Caribbean. This helped determine the starting points for the meeting.

Two components

Démi van ’t Wout, account manager and senior researcher at the Netherlands Court of Audit, was involved in organizing the expert meeting. The meeting consisted of two parts: mapping the knowledge landscape and identifying challenges. “Some organizations have so much knowledge in certain areas. If knowledge holders find each other, they can exchange that knowledge. This gives them better insight into what other organizations are doing and they can provide more structure for the islands.

On a large map on the wall, participants stuck post-its with the names of the organizations on the six islands with which they have contact. The network map showed that most contact is with Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba, with Bonaire standing out in particular. “Participants mainly work with local governments, other public service providers and similar institutions, such as audit offices among themselves. They find it harder to locate foundations, non-profit organizations, NGOs and the business community. This presents opportunities to build new collaborations and relationships.” In the second part of the expert meeting, participants discussed the bottlenecks they encounter in their work. “The shortage of capacity on the islands was addressed. In addition, cultural differences and differences in legislation and regulations and norms play a role. These factors sometimes make cooperation complicated,” says Van ’t Wout.

Possible follow-up actions

The participants then discussed possible follow-up actions. “Due to the shortage of capacity, we could, for example, better coordinate work visits or temporarily deploy Dutch colleagues in the Caribbean,” says Van ’t Wout. Another solution is bridging cultural differences. This requires co-creation, rather than a top-down approach. “This calls for mutual understanding, recognizing differences and looking for similarities. It is important to invest in relationships, build trust, communicate openly and respect each other's values and knowledge.” Another key focus is making better use of existing knowledge. To do this, knowledge and data must be more easily accessible. “During the expert meeting, participants shared the idea of a portal where knowledge, expertise and experts can be easily found.”

Positive

Van ’t Wout looks back positively on the expert meeting. “I found it incredibly interesting. All participants are deeply committed to the islands. At the same time, they often face the most basic issues, such as inequality. Life on the islands is different: compared to the European Netherlands, there is a more limited social safety net, wages are lower and the cost of living is higher. These differences reinforce the feeling of inequality. Then the question arises whether people on the islands are considered as important as people in the European Netherlands. That touches me. At the same time, I see a lot of passion and motivation. Everyone really wants to get to work on this, and that feels good.”

Next expert meeting?

A next expert meeting has not yet been planned, but Van ’t Wout hopes that Burhan Gün’s call will be heeded: “Let us, as part of the knowledge network, find each other to create a lasting, positive impact for the benefit of citizens and businesses on the islands. This expert meeting has yielded useful and sometimes surprising insights. Let this be the inspiration for the next meeting!” Van ’t Wout adds: “The then (deputy) Director-General of Kingdom Relations, Gea van Craaikamp, indicated during the meeting that she would like to follow up on the meeting. I am curious whether Barbera Wolfensberger, the new Director-General of Kingdom Relations, will take over this enthusiasm.”