External Policy Training for Government Officials of Aruba, Curaçao and Sint Maarten

In April, government officials from the islands Aruba, Curaçao and Sint Maarten participated in a Clingendael Academy developed and organised digital training programme on external policy. Over the course of two weeks, the group delved into key cross-cutting themes in diplomacy for the Caribbean part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

There were multiple learning objectives at the core of this diplomatic programme. One of the main objectives was to give this diverse group of government officials the opportunity to share experiences and reflections on working on foreign policy within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. In addition, the training enabled participants to explore opportunities for further collaboration on security, sustainability and multilateral cooperation.

To do so, the programme was didactically structured in the way that participants first worked on an individual overarching assignment, after which they discussed their findings with participating colleagues from the other Caribbean islands. The group built on the conclusions of the assignment during the meeting with the Foreign Relations Offices of the participating islands, as well as in the networking session with representatives of the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This not only allowed for collective reflection but also gave an opportunity to identify shared priorities and ways forward in collaborating with each other.

The programme also focussed on the European Union in the Caribbean context, with first an expert lecture on European Union Law and the EU Overseas Countries and Territories (OCTs). This lecture was followed by an expert meeting with former Member of European Parliament Samira Rafaela, who elaborated on her practical experience working within the EU and its relationship with the OCTs. She also shared her view on areas for cooperation between the EU and the Caribbean part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands Other sessions delved into the practical skills of effective influencing, intercultural communication, negotiation and scenario planning.

It is always a rewarding and special occasion to welcome and train officials from the Caribbean part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. We truly appreciate their active participation, insights and constructive reflections and look forward to following their continued work in diplomacy.