One SXM Challenges Colonial Powers at UN Conference: Bougival Accord is Recolonization, Not Decolonization

UNITED NATIONS, New York City--The One St. Martin Association (One SXM) delivered a direct address to the world at the Baku Initiative Group (BIG) Conference at UN Headquarters, forcefully challenging the continued colonial domination of St. Martin and condemning the recently signed Bougival Accord as a tool of recolonization. Arrindell also stood with Bonaire and others at a peaceful demonstration at the United Nations facilities.

Speaking on behalf of who she termed "the colonized people of the island", Dr. Rhoda Arrindell of One SXM framed the conference theme, “After Bougival Agreement: Recolonization or Decolonization?”, in direct relation to St. Martin’s reality as a 37-square-mile island divided between France (Saint Martin) and the Netherlands (Sint Maarten). She thanked the BIG for providing a platform for voices from colonized territories, stressing that St. Martin’s struggle is inseparable from global efforts to eradicate colonialism in all its forms.

“The Bougival Accord is not progress,” Dr. Arrindell stated. “It is another instrument by which colonizers preserve their dominance, directly undermining the UN’s own commitment to unconditionally end colonialism in all its forms and manifestations.”

One SXM denounced the colonial rhetoric of a so-called “shared future,” describing it as a psychological and political trap. For St. Martiners—predominantly of African descent—the demand to imagine a shared future with their colonizers is nothing less than a form of Stockholm Syndrome. The association contrasted this with the reality that France and the Netherlands, who are far closer to each other culturally and historically than to the Caribbean peoples they colonize, pursue their own national interests as sovereign members of the European Union without any call to compromise their independence.

“Our people long for freedom and the full right to determine our destiny,” said Dr. Arrindell. “We reject the colonial illusion that our future can only be realized by remaining tethered to those who once enslaved us and who continue to exploit us today.”

𝐕𝐢𝐨𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐔𝐍 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐬

The statement recalled the UN’s founding principles of equal rights, self-determination, and fundamental freedoms, noting that continued colonial rule directly violates these commitments. One SXM underscored that the UN itself has recognized that colonialism obstructs international cooperation, impedes social, cultural, and economic development, and undermines the ideal of universal peace.

One SXM also drew attention to how colonial structures weaken democratic institutions on the island. Local leaders, the group argued, are discouraged from speaking openly about the injustices of colonialism, eroding both public trust and the functioning of veritable democracy. This, it warned, has left St. Martiners trapped in a cycle of dependency where political, financial, and military control remains in the hands of France and the Netherlands.

𝐑𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐉𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞

Central to the statement was the demand for reparations. France and the Netherlands, One SXM said, designed and enforced the legal, financial, and fiscal systems that enabled the enslavement and trafficking of Africans. The descendants of those enslaved remain under colonial rule today, their rights curtailed by the same powers.

“Reparatory justice is not optional—it is a moral and historical necessity,” Dr. Arrindell declared. “The crimes committed against our ancestors cannot be ignored, nor can the colonial systems that continue to profit from their suffering.”

𝐂𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐔𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬

One SXM issued a comprehensive appeal to the UN and its member states. It called for:

• Updating the list of non-self-governing territories to reflect the reality that both French Saint Martin and Dutch Sint Maarten remain colonies.

• Refining the language of Resolution 1541 on self-determination to remove ambiguities that colonial powers exploit.

• Intensifying efforts during the Fourth International Decade for the Eradication of Colonialism, building on the unfinished commitments of the Second Decade.

• Assisting with the drafting, monitoring, and implementation of free and fair referendums on independence within a reasonable timeframe.

International Comparisons

The association drew parallels with other ongoing struggles. It criticized the refusal of international institutions to properly recognize the genocide of Palestinians, arguing that this mirrors the reluctance to acknowledge colonialism in the Caribbean. Such omissions, it warned, provide legal and political cover for colonial powers to continue their crimes.

One SXM highlighted the ways in which colonized peoples are dragged into the political and military actions of their colonizers. St. Martiners, it argued, remain involuntarily implicated in wars and atrocities carried out by France and the Netherlands on the global stage. This not only violates their right to self-determination but also undermines world peace.

The statement further warned that formal independence alone does not guarantee the end of colonial exploitation. France, it noted, continues to use colonial structures to dominate African nations even after granting them independence. The Bougival Accord, according to One SXM, must be understood in this context—as another framework designed to preserve colonial interests under the guise of reform.

“The Bougival Accord is not a pathway to freedom,” Dr. Arrindell said. “It is a tool for continued domination, just as the Dutch Kingdom Charter sustains colonization on our island by preserving colonial structures, maintaining military presence, and controlling our maritime space.”

𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐦 𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐏𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐞

In its conclusion, One SXM framed the eradication of colonialism as essential to achieving lasting global peace. Failure to recognize and dismantle colonialism, it argued, signals that the humanity of colonized peoples is considered less valuable than that of their colonizers.

“The continuation of colonialism is anti-humanity,” Dr. Arrindell said. “Until the notion of Western and European supremacy is utterly destroyed, peace will remain a fleeting illusion.”

One SXM closed by urging the UN, the Baku Initiative Group, and all freedom-loving peoples to ensure that the current International Decade for the Eradication of Colonialism is the final one. The group called on the global community to stand firmly with colonized nations and peoples, to recognize the inalienable right of the people of St. Martin to independence, and to reject once and for all the colonial systems that continue to oppress them.

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