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Governance of Bonaire, St Eustatius and Saba

Bonaire, St Eustatius and Saba are each governed by an island authority and by Dutch central government.

The islands are public bodies of the Netherlands, similar to the municipalities in the European part of the Netherlands. Unlike those municipalities, however, the Caribbean islands are not part of a Dutch province.

Each island has an executive council that is responsible for that island’s day-to-day governance. The executive council implements the decisions of the island council, but can also take decisions itself. For example, it can grant building permits and award contracts. The executive council is supported in these tasks by a team of civil servants. The island secretary is the head of this civil service organisation.

The executive council governs the island, and is subject to scrutiny by the island council. The civil servants are responsible for carrying out the work of government and implementing the decisions that are made. The island council is the representative assembly of the people.

For more information about the governance of the islands, please visit the websites of Bonaire, St Eustatius and Saba:

The National Office for the Caribbean Netherlands performs central government tasks on the 3 islands.

Administrative intervention on St Eustatius

In February 2018 the Netherlands replaced the administrative authorities of St Eustatius with a government commissioner. This was done because the island council, the executive council and the governor were not performing their tasks effectively. The government commissioner governed the island until the administration of St Eustatius was put back in order. These arrangements were laid down in the St Eustatius Administrative Provisions (Restoration) Act. 

The island’s administrative arrangements were restored in several steps. In 2020 a new island council was established. Since October 2022 the council has been authorised to appoint members of the executive council. Since 2023, the island council has been authorised to take organisational decisions and been in charge of its own budget again.

The final step in restoring the island’s administrative arrangements was the appointment of a governor. On 10 April 2024 Alida Francis became the new governor. From 2020 she had served as the island’s deputy government commissioner, and later as government commissioner.

As of 1 September 2024 the St Eustatius Administrative Provisions (Restoration) Act is no longer in force. Since that point the island’s administration has been back in order.

Kingdom Representative

The Kingdom Representative for Bonaire, St Eustatius and Saba serves as the link between Dutch central government in The Hague and the 3 public bodies in the Caribbean Netherlands.

The Kingdom Representative is the ‘eyes and ears’ of the various government ministers based in the Netherlands. The Representative also keeps the Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations informed about developments on the islands. The Representative’s office is located on Bonaire.

Travel advisories for Bonaire, St Eustatius and Saba

If you are travelling to Bonaire, St Eustatius or Saba from the Netherlands, check the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ travel advisories (in Dutch) for details of risks and other information.