PHILIPSBURG--The Declaration of Intent between the Governments of the French Republic, Dutch St. Maarten and Collectivit� of St. Martin, was officially signed in Claude Wathey Legislative Hall, Wednesday, paving the way for joint cooperation to reach the next level.
The signing marks the culmination of almost two years of discussions between Government officials and meetings between technocrats to define areas and parameters of cooperation among the three parties.
The tripartite agreement was deemed necessary and important, because of the shared competences between the three entities, and also because Dutch St. Maarten and French St. Martin had changed their constitutional statuses.
The first tripartite discussions by the Cooperation Committee took place on December 2, 2011, at which time the first draft of a Letter of Intent was approved.
Signing the Declaration on Wednesday were Prime Minister of Dutch St. Maarten Sarah Wescot-Williams, Pr�fet D�l�gu� Philippe Chopin and President of the Collectivit� of St. Martin Frantz Gumbs.
Governor Eugene Holiday and President of Parliament Gracita Arrindell were among the witnesses to the signature. Also in attendance was Gilles Huberson, Diplomatic Advisor to French Minister of Overseas Territories Marie-Luce Penchard.
Joining the Dutch side's Council of Ministers was a delegation from the Collectivit�'s Territorial Council, while numerous officials from State and Collectivit� services, as well as Gendarmerie and Police aux Fronti�res (PAF) were in the audience.
In her opening remarks, Sarah Wescot-Williams thanked all the people who had worked on the declaration and given input to make the signing of the cooperation agreement possible.
"Clearly since the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in 2006, one link was missing and that was the cooperation and formal agreement by the representative from the French State to solidify the cooperation between the two sides," said Wescot-Williams. "This afternoon therefore marks another leap forward, where these three entities agree to work on areas of mutual interest for the entire island."
President Gumbs injected a touch of humour into his address, using the sentiments of love on St. Valentine's Day to describe Dutch and French sides as an "inseparable couple."
"There's no real need for a Letter of Intent to convince me that we need each other," he told his fellow signatories. "But we live in an open society and what we take for granted as important areas for cooperation needs to be formalised and structured, so that all legalities are respected by our governments.
"It's important, because we are tied to larger entities, and because our efforts must improve the lives of citizens. We cannot afford to take chances by living off what we take for granted. I hope this document will be a stepping stone to smoother operations."
Pr�fet Chopin noted that cooperation must be based on "strong political will" and even though it's a first step, "it holds promise for the future."
He talked of advances in security and control of illegal immigration, following meetings between the Immigration Department of Dutch St. Maarten and PAF, and the priorities set for joint actions to be carried out in the fight against illegal immigration.
"I'm happy to report considerable progress has been made with regard to joint controls at Princess Juliana International Airport," he disclosed." In matters regarding Customs, both sides have agreed to establish a working group before the end of 2012, to ensure proper implementation of the 2002 agreement that came into force in 2010."
He continued: "This signature binds all services under my authority to hold regular meetings, which will be formalised in a report, regarding objectives, concrete proposals, and in the areas of environment and risk prevention."
"Our institutional framework is different, but our determination to succeed is the same. The road will be difficult, but we have a duty to succeed for our citizens. I am happy to state here, on behalf of the French Government, that France encourages the idea of a local joint committee that lays the groundwork for cooperation."
The declarations of the "co-signers" on the agreed topics were then read out in English and French. These topics included Security; Health Care; Social Welfare and Labour; Education and Professional Training; Transportation of Goods and Persons; Urban Planning and Environmental Protection; Economic Development; Disaster Management and Civil Protection; and Structure for Cooperation.
The ceremony ended with an official toast of Guavaberry.
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