The archive agendas of Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba have recently been signed at the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science. This represents a major step forward for the public entities in the strengthening of the foundations of the archival infrastructure in the Caribbean Netherlands.
Archives constitute the memory of a society. This memory is necessary for various reasons, including the performance of the public duty, the relevant accountability, and as part of the cultural heritage.
The creation of an archive agenda for each public entity is one of the commitments set out in the Bonaire Cultural Agenda. The aim is to establish a robust and sustainable archival infrastructure that can accommodate the developments mentioned above. The strengthening of the archival infrastructure is also important in the light of the Archives Act BES, the policy response regarding colonial archives and the action plans concerning the slavery past as part of the “post-comma” process.
Investing in legislation and cooperation
In the coming years, the focus will be on drafting island-specific laws and regulations, equipping staff with the necessary knowledge, developing digital infrastructure and establishing archival storage facilities. There is a desire to learn from one another, and for that reason, greater mutual and regional cooperation will also be sought. A first step has now been taken by jointly signing all three archive agendas.
Adoption selection list
In September, the joint selection list for Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba was also finalised. This immediately addresses a first priority in the area of laws and regulations set out in all three archive agendas. Over the past four years, the three islands have worked together to draw up the Selection List BES, which was endorsed by the National Archivist. This completes the Selection List BES and marks the first successful result from the archive agendas.