SMCC: Dutch Racial Discrimination now also challenged by Parliament? | SOUALIGA NEWSDAY

SINT MAARTEN (PHILIPSBURG) - Last year May 19^th, 2020 as co-coordinators of the Sint Maarten Consumers Coalition (SMCC) we denounced the cost cutting measures imposed by State Secretary Knops and the Dutch government on the workers in St Maarten Aruba and Curacao as racial discrimination based on article 1 of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, SMCC said in a statement.

Article 1

1. In this Convention, the term "racial discrimination" shall mean any distinction, exclusion, restriction or preference based on race, colour, descent, or national or ethnic origin which has the purpose or effect of nullifying or impairing the recognition, enjoyment or exercise, on an equal footing, of human rights and fundamental freedoms in the political, economic, social, cultural or any other field of public life.

Article 2

1. States Parties condemn racial discrimination and undertake to pursue by all appropriate means and without delay a policy of eliminating racial discrimination in all its forms and promoting understanding among all races, and, to this end: (a) Each State Party undertakes to engage in no act or practice of racial discrimination against persons, groups of persons or institutions and to ensure that all public authorities and public institutions, national and local, shall act in conformity with this obligation;

“The Corona measures conditions imposed on the Curacao Aruba and St Maarten workers in the Kingdom fall under this definition of racial discrimination.

“In the news yesterday and in the newspaper of this morning we were informed that parliament has petitioned the Special Rapporteur on Contemporary Forms of Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance, and the Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent on March 9, 2021 to investigate whether Kingdom and international laws are upheld.

According to the International Covenant on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination

Art 2.2 (c) Each State Party shall take effective measures to review governmental, national and local policies, and to amend, rescind or nullify any laws and regulations which have the effect of creating or perpetuating racial discrimination wherever it exists;

“Until now we have not heard any parliamentarian speaking in parliament based on our human rights. The law firm contracted by Parliament which obviously is knowledgeable about the various international legislations with human rights, has concluded to request the Special Rapporteur on Contemporary Forms of Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance, and the Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent to research these human rights violations in the Kingdom relations.

“We therefore welcome the investigation of the independent expert and the working group of Experts on People of African descent! The outcome will result in recommendations such as indicated in the following article of the International Convention on the Elimination of All forms of Racial Discrimination:

Art 2.(d) Each State Party shall prohibit and bring to an end, by all appropriate means, including legislation as required by circumstances, racial discrimination by any persons, group or organization;

2. States Parties shall, when the circumstances so warrant, take, in the social, economic, cultural and other fields, special and concrete measures to ensure the adequate development and protection of certain racial groups or individuals belonging to them, for the purpose of guaranteeing them the full and equal enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms. These measures shall in no case entail as a consequence the maintenance of unequal or separate rights for different racial groups after the objectives for which they were taken have been achieved.

“We are looking forward to read the petition ourselves and will update you in a subsequent press release,” the SMCC said in its statement.