A Noble Mission
Once you catch the Caribbean bug, it is hard to let it go
An unexpected journey through the Kingdom
Following the 2023 elections, I unexpectedly found myself taking a seat in the House of Representatives.
Before I knew it, I was assigned the portfolio for Kingdom Relations on behalf of my party.
This portfolio covered the relationship between European Netherlands and the six islands in the Caribbean part of the Kingdom.
To be completely honest, I knew very little about the topic at the time.
In the months that followed, I immersed myself deeper into the world of the Kingdom. The more I learned, the more surprised, and at times slightly ashamed, I felt about how little we in the European Netherlands actually know about the other half of our Kingdom. To prepare myself thoroughly, I began reading back through historical parliamentary debates. Very soon, I encountered references to something called "the Charter" (het Statuut). I had never heard of it before. Looking into what it actually was, I discovered that I had sworn an oath on it when I became an MP, right alongside the Constitution. That turned out to be true for almost all my colleagues: hardly anyone truly understood what the Charter contained. Yet it forms the foundation of how the Netherlands, Aruba, Curaçao, and Sint Maarten cooperate within the Kingdom.
In 2024, the Charter celebrated its 70th anniversary, bringing it briefly back into the spotlight, though mostly among people who were already familiar with it. It remains striking that such a crucial document has never received a permanent place in our educational curriculum.
During an official visit to Curaçao in 2024, I met Mrs. Lucille George-Wout, who was then Governor of the island. She spoke with great pride and warmth about the Charter as it approached its 70th anniversary. I asked her how she felt about it being so unfamiliar in the Netherlands.
She smiled and said: "Mr. Van Haasen, yours is the noble task to change that."
Those words stayed with me, and wherever possible, I strive to carry out this mission. In my capacity as chairman of the Art Committee of the House of Representatives, I helped organize an exhibition in the parliament building to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Charter.
As a next step, I decided to create this website, giving more people the opportunity to learn about the Charter and the Caribbean part of our Kingdom. Only when we truly get to know each other can we achieve better mutual understanding.
Following the 2025 elections, I stepped down from the House of Representatives. This now allows me the opportunity to share my experiences, including guest lectures and presentations for educational and cultural institutions, focusing on the Charter, the Caribbean islands, and my time as spokesperson for Kingdom Relations.
