The 36e congress will focus on the relations between the countries Aruba, Curaçao and Sint Maarten and the Netherlands and the position of public bodies Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba in the Netherlands. On 10 October 2010, an important constitutional reform was implemented, which caused the country of the Netherlands Antilles to cease to exist. At that moment, Curacao and Sint Maarten became independent countries within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The islands of Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba became public bodies and have been part of the Netherlands ever since.

The constitutional change of 10 October 2010 has had major consequences for the independent countries and the public bodies. A new balance had to be found on all kinds of levels, including politics, but also social, economic and fiscal. An important question is whether this balance has been found and if so, whether it works satisfactorily or not.

During previous InterExpo congresses it has become clear that the relationship between the countries and public bodies in the Caribbean and the Netherlands must be solid and reliable. This particularly concerns mutual understanding of each other’s culture, history and background. Noise on the communication line can quickly lead to misunderstanding and mistrust. The congress “Fifteen years after 10/10/10” aims to arrive at an analysis of matters that are going well in the cooperation between the countries, public bodies and the Netherlands and matters that need improvement. Panel discussions will be held on the basis of a number of themes, to which the audience in the room can and may actively contribute.