State Secretary Struycken: “Access to justice starts with a place where you can go with a legal question or problem. Such a place does not yet exist in Caribbean Netherlands. The establishment of this foundation literally opens the door for the residents of Caribbean Netherlands for help, advice, and support with legal issues. This ensures that the law is available for everyone, even in Caribbean Netherlands.”
Minister Uitermark: “The prohibition of discrimination is a fundamental right, also for the residents of Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, and Saba. And when they encounter discrimination, they must also be able to receive accessible help, just like the residents of European Netherlands. This means: free, physical, accessible, and aligned with the language and the living environment of the people on the islands. The establishment of this foundation, with an anti-discrimination provision, is an important step towards this.”
Access to justice and assistance with discrimination
In Caribbean Netherlands, such an accessible provision for legal assistance does not yet exist. The goal of the foundation is to improve the legal protection of citizens in Caribbean Netherlands. Residents can go to the foundation for free with legal questions or problems and complaints about unequal treatment. An anti-discrimination provision will also be housed within the foundation. Here, people can report discrimination and receive help and assistance. This is one of the steps the cabinet is taking to ensure that the equal treatment laws also apply in Caribbean Netherlands. Thus, the foundation forms a comparable counter to the Legal Aid Office in European Netherlands, but including the handling of complaints about unequal treatment.
At physical locations, consultants will provide residents with appropriate support in seeking a solution to their problem or an answer to their question. In the coming time, recruitment will begin for a director-manager and members of a Supervisory Board. After the establishment, recruitment of consultants and the search for suitable locations will commence.