Proposal for the formation of a foundation for legal aid and to tackle discrimination in the Caribbean Netherlands submitted to parliament
On Friday 6 June, the cabinet approved the proposal by the outgoing State Secretary for Legal Protection and the outgoing Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations for a foundation to be formed to help people deal with legal problems and discrimination free of charge.
This proposal is now going to be submitted to the Senate and House of Representatives for a period of 30 days so that members of both houses can familiarise themselves with the proposal and ask questions, after which the foundation can be officially formed on Bonaire.
In the run-up to that, efforts to recruit members of the Supervisory Board and the executive director are already underway, with additional employees being recruited once the foundation has been formed. Various places on the three islands are also being assessed as possible locations for the foundation's premises.
The setting up of the foundation is an important step towards improving legal protection for people in the Caribbean Netherlands. Residents on all three islands will soon be able to contact the foundation free of charge with legal questions or problems on a variety of topics, including complaints about unequal treatment. The Senate is currently debating the bill that will make the equal treatment legislation applicable in the Caribbean Netherlands. Foundation staff will provide appropriate support aimed at solving any problems residents might have.
Bonaire’s island council also recently decided to establish a Civil Rights Bureau to provide legal support to island residents, with a specific focus on disputes between them and the government. Close contact is being maintained with the Public Entity of Bonaire to ensure that both foundations on Bonaire soon work in a manner which is properly aligned and complementary.