July 03, 2026 No comments
World Bank Appoints Achim Fock as Division Director for the Caribbean
SINT MAARTEN/WASHINGTON, D.C. - The World Bank today announced the appointment of Achim Fock as Division Director for the Caribbean. In this role, Mr. Fock will lead the Bank's strategic engagement and the operational portfolio across Caribbean countries, overseeing lending, analytical and advisory work and trust funds aimed at advancing sustainable and resilient development across the region. Mr. Fock brings more than 25 years of World Bank experience to this role. He most recently served as Country Manager for Zambia, where he held responsibility for portfolio management and client engagement. Previously, he served as Operations Manager for Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Thailand, and before that as Operations Manager for Vietnam. He has also worked as Manager of the Development Effectiveness Unit for South Asia, and as a Senior Economist across multiple...
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July 03, 2026 No comments
Where Culture Lives Concludes: Caribbean Cultural Research & Artists Inspire Future Collaboration
SINT MAARTEN (GREAT BAY) - The Where Culture Lives research project, commissioned by the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science (OCW) and carried out by Lemonade & partners (Jorien Wuite, Ludmila Duncan, Gregory Richardson and Elton Villareal), concluded with a symposium on Caribbean cultural practices in The Hague. Organized by OCW, the event brought together policymakers, researchers, cultural organizations, knowledge institutions, artists and stakeholders from across the Kingdom. The project delivered the first baseline study on cultural practices in Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, Saba, Sint Eustatius and Sint Maarten, offering new insights into how culture is practiced, experienced, transmitted and sustained throughout the Caribbean parts of the Kingdom. More than 580 survey respondents, 131 key informants, over 100 validation participants and 32 artistic...
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July 02, 2026 No comments
Sint Maarten launches the 2026 Labour Force Survey
SINT MAARTEN (GREAT BAY) - The Department of Statistics (STAT) today announced the launch of its 2026 Labour Force Survey (LFS), the first full Labour Force Survey in Sint Maarten since 2018. Data collection runs from July to September 2026. The LFS is a household sample survey and the main source of the country's official unemployment rate, labour-force participation rate and employment figures. The Labour Force Survey is intended to be conducted every two years. It was last carried out in full in 2018, when the unemployment rate stood at 9.9 per cent (see chart below). The COVID-19 pandemic forced the cancellation of the 2020 round. Labour-market data were instead drawn from the 2022 Population and Housing Census, which put unemployment...
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July 02, 2026 No comments
ODM Calls on Business Community and Tourism Sector to Review Hurricane Contingency Plans
SINT MAARTEN (GREAT BAY, (DCOMM) – National Disaster Coordinator and Fire Chief Clive Richardson is calling on the country's business community, particularly those operating within the tourism and hospitality sector, to review and strengthen their hurricane contingency and business continuity plans as the 2026 Atlantic Hurricane Season progresses. The Office of Disaster Management (ODM) is once again appealing to residents and businesses not to become complacent simply because the season has had a relatively quiet start. Hurricane season extends through November 30, with the historical peak of activity occurring between mid-August and October. "Preparedness cannot begin when a storm is already approaching the island," Richardson said. "The time to prepare is now. Every business should already know what actions need to be...
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July 02, 2026 No comments
Minister Plenipotentiary Arrindell attends Netherlands Veterans Day Ceremony
THE NETHERLANDS (THE HAGUE) – Minister Plenipotentiary Drs. Gracita Arrindell recently attended the opening ceremony of Netherlands Veterans Day in the Hague, joining veterans, government representatives and invited guests in paying tribute to the men and women who have served the Kingdom of the Netherlands in times of war, peacekeeping missions and other international operations. Dutch Veterans Day is held annually to express the nation's gratitude and appreciation for veterans who have served the Kingdom under challenging and often dangerous circumstances in the interest of peace, security and international stability. Due to extreme heat and an orange weather warning issued by the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (KNMI), the National Parade and the public programme at the Malieveld were cancelled following the advice...
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