The Council of Ministers has approved the nomination for the appointment of Mr. Jonathan Johnson as Acting Kingdom Representative of the public entities Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba. Mr. Johnson hereby succeeds Jan Helmond, who had held this position since November 2017. The appointment takes effect on the 1st of January 2027 and will be formalized by Royal Decree.
Mr. Johnson (50) was born in Saba and was the Island Governor of Saba between 2008 and 2026. In this, he was responsible for, among other things, public order and safety, crisis management, the quality of public administration and representing Saba. In addition, Mr. Johnson held various positions in civil society.
Mr. Johnson is being appointed as Acting Kingdom Representative because the ‘Wet openbare lichamen Bonaire, Sint Eustatius en Saba (WolBES)’ is currently under revision. The proposed legislation for the ‘Herzieningswet WolBES’ states that the office of Kingdom Representative will be retained but will be structured differently. The appointment of an Acting Kingdom Representative ensures the continuity of the office during this period.
The (Acting) Kingdom Representative serves as a link between the Kingdom and the public entities and has responsibilities including good governance and intergovernmental supervision.