October 24, 2025
The Bonaire Human Rights Organization (BHRO) has taken a decisive step at the international level by appointing Dr. Maxton Scotland, United Nations Global SDG & Civil Society Expert based in UK, to represent Bonaire, Saba, and Sint Eustatius before the United Nations and the international community.
A formal letter of complaint was sent to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, to the Human Rights Council, Universal Periodic Review Secretariat and Netherlands Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Dr. Scotland and BHRO demanded correction of the terminology used by UN bodies and the government of the Netherlands that inaccurately refer to the islands as “special municipalities” of the Netherlands. The letter stresses that the legally correct term under Dutch law is “public bodies” (openbare lichamen) entities non-equivalent to European Dutch municipalities.
The communication highlights that this misclassification is “inaccurate in law, misleading in practice, and detrimental to human rights analysis. The 2010 incorporation of the islands into the Dutch constitutional order under the WolBES and FinBES Acts was imposed without the free and genuine consent of the peoples concerned, in breach of Article 1 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which guarantees the right of all peoples to self-determination.
The letter recalls that in 2015 referendum, 66% of Bonaire’s voters rejected the imposed constitutional status, a historic result that was subsequently ignored by the Netherlands. This, Dr. Scotland argues, constitutes a violation of international law and undermines democratic legitimacy within the Kingdom.
The submission outlines several human rights consequences of this misclassification:
*It creates a false equivalence with European Dutch municipalities, falsely portraying the governance structure Bonaire, Saba and Sint Eustatius.
*It distorts UN and international human rights assessments related to poverty, representation, and cultural identity.
*According to the Dutch National Ombudsman, 40% of Bonaire residents live below the poverty line, a condition worsened by the absence of equal financing mechanisms and effective remedies.
*Cultural and linguistic protections for Papiamentu and other local languages are diminished by imposed policy extensions from the European Netherlands.
Dr. Scotland urged the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) to issue style guidance directing all UN entities to use “public body of the Caribbean Netherlands (openbaar lichaam)” in place of “special municipality.” He also requested that future Universal Periodic Review (UPR) reports integrate this correction and that the Netherlands be asked to demonstrate compliance with ICCPR Articles 1 and 2(3).
The BHRO met with Dutch representatives of the Netherlands’ Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs during the 78th Session of the CESCR in Geneva, where BHRO presented its complaint and accompanying letter calling for accurate international reporting and the protection of Bonaire under Article 73 of the UN Charter on Non-Self-Governing Territories.
“This is not merely a question of semantics,” said James Finies of BHRO. “Terminology determines recognition. The people of Bonaire, Saba, and Sint Eustatius deserve to be represented truthfully and fairly in all international forums.”
BHRO, accredited with the United Nations and holding Associate Membership in the CARICOM Reparations Commission, reaffirmed its commitment to defending the rights, dignity, and self-determination of the people of Bonaire.