Statia joins seven islands in E8 push for equal investment, stronger capacity and climate action

ST. EUSTATIUS--Representatives from Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba joined the five Dutch Wadden Islands for a two-day working program on Texel aimed at strengthening cooperation among eight island communities and advancing a common agenda with the Dutch Government and Parliament.

The October 1 and 2 gathering brought together the Caribbean islands with Texel, Vlieland, Terschelling, Ameland and Schiermonnikoog under the E8 partnership, which gives the eight islands a collective platform to raise shared concerns, exchange knowledge and develop joint approaches to challenges associated with island governance.

A central moment came when St. Eustatius Governor Alida Francis presented three priorities emerging from the E8 discussions: equal investment, stronger local implementation capacity and greater climate action.

Francis stressed that equal treatment should not simply mean applying mainland policies in the same manner across all eight islands. Instead, she argued that policies should produce equitable outcomes that take account of the islands’ smaller scale, logistical challenges and higher cost structures.

She also highlighted the pressure on small island administrations caused by limited human resources and access to specialized expertise, emphasizing that local capacity must be strengthened if policies developed for the islands are to be implemented effectively.

On climate resilience, Francis called for greater emphasis on implementation, arguing that islands need to move beyond strategies and “turn paper into practice.”

The three priorities were formally presented to the Dutch Second Chamber when Francis and Texel Mayor Mark Pol handed Member of Parliament Heera Dijk a board outlining the E8's core messages. Dijk received the document on behalf of the parliamentary delegation attending the meeting.

The E8 partnership brings together Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba with the five Wadden Islands and has increasingly been used to ensure that the concerns of Dutch island communities are heard by national political leaders.

During the Texel program, representatives reviewed the partnership and identified areas on which the eight islands will cooperate during the coming year.

Members of the Dutch Parliament, including representatives from the standing committees for Infrastructure and Water Management and Kingdom Relations, later joined the discussions.

The program began in Den Helder, where participants were welcomed by King's Commissioner for Noord-Holland Arthur van Dijk before travelling to Texel. Mayor of Texel Mark Pol received the delegation upon arrival.

Participants visited De Zoete Toekomst, an initiative focused on freshwater storage for agriculture, where they discussed the challenges islands face in securing and managing freshwater supplies.

A separate session focused on integrity and good island governance.

Officials from the Caribbean and Wadden islands exchanged experiences on administrative resilience, activities that can undermine government, transparent electoral processes and the governance of foundations and semi-public organizations.

Saba Island Governor Jocelyn Levenston gave a presentation on the upcoming 2027 elections and proxy voting, while Bonaire Island Governor John Soliano addressed governance within government-owned and semi-public organizations.

Soliano discussed the environment in which these entities operate, Government’s responsibilities as a shareholder and the roles of the different parties involved in their governance.

The second day also included discussions on nature management and coastal protection.

Participants visited De Slufter to learn about Texel’s management of vulnerable coastal environments before later discussing water safety and the role of natural systems in protecting islands.

The discussions drew connections between salt marshes used in coastal protection around the Wadden Islands and the role coral reefs play in protecting Caribbean coastlines.

The E8 gathering concluded with a visit to De Schorren before the delegations departed Texel.

The partnership is expected to continue focusing on how the eight islands can use their shared experiences and collective voice to influence national policy while developing solutions suited to the realities of island communities.

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