The Commission Supervision Personal Data Protection BES (CBP BES) organized a successful symposium on digital data and privacy within the Kingdom of the Netherlands on Wednesday, 28 January 2026. The symposium took place on Bonaire.
During the symposium, administrators, supervisors, policymakers, and professionals from various parts of the Kingdom came together. They engaged in discussions on digitalization and the protection of personal data. Among the attendees were the Governor of Curaçao, his excellency Mauritsz de Kort, representatives of the Parliament of Curaçao, and Aleid Wolfsen, Chair of the Dutch Data Protection Authority.
The meeting was opened by the Governor of Bonaire, John Soliano. In his opening remarks, he emphasized the importance of proper protection of personal data and a secure digital government for Caribbean Netherlands. He stated that residents must be able to trust that their personal data are handled carefully and securely.
Following this, Femke Becht, on behalf of the Ministry of Justice and Safety, addressed the topic and highlighted the importance of cooperation within the Kingdom in protecting digital data and privacy.
Subsequently, Aleid Wolfsen, Chair of the Dutch Data Protection Authority, Friederike van der Jagt, privacy lawyer at Hunter Legal BV, Rik Bergman, President of the Integrity Chamber of Sint Maarten, Juri Nicolaas, Director of the Security Service of Aruba, Curt Belfor, Director of the Regulatory Authority Curaçao, and Glenn Thodé, Chair of CBP BES, delivered substantive contributions. From legal, administrative, and practical perspectives, they discussed the opportunities and risks of digitalization, as well as the responsibilities of governments and organizations in the use of personal data.
The symposium also marked the farewell of Mr. Jacques van Eck, quartermaster and member of the commission. Appreciation was expressed for his commitment, expertise, and significant contribution to the development and positioning of CBP BES.
On Thursday, 29 January 2026, in-depth workshops were held. During these workshops, participants were given practical tools, based on real-life examples, to apply privacy legislation in their daily work. The workshops were conducted as follows:
Workshop 1: Data breach: what now? – Friederike van der Jagt
Workshop 2: Privacy by design in small enterprises – Paul Korremans
Workshop 3: Cyber resilience in practice: People, Technology, and Behavior – Carmen Graauwmans
Workshop 4: The privacy statement as a calling card – Ruud Hamers
The workshops were attended with great enthusiasm. The interactive format and practical examples ensured recognition and immediate applicability in daily practice.
During the symposium, it became clear that the protection of personal data within the Kingdom requires improvement. It was shared that:
- the protection of personal data in Caribbean Netherlands is currently insufficient;
- differences in legislation and supervision within the Kingdom can hinder cooperation and service delivery;
- further delays in modernizing legislation and supervision pose risks for citizens and organizations.
In practice, this may result in personal data not being protected in the same way across all parts of the Kingdom. These issues affect not only legislation, but also governance, service delivery, and citizens’ trust in government.
The central question that emerged prominently during the symposium was: how do we ensure that personal data are properly protected in all parts of the Kingdom and that citizens can rely on a safe and trustworthy digital government?
CBP BES looks back on a substantive and valuable meeting and emphasizes the importance of continued cooperation within the Kingdom. Only by working together can the protection of personal data be strengthened and citizens’ trust in digital services be sustainably maintained.