Ottawa, Canada – The Hon. Sarah A. Wescot-Williams, President of Parliament, was welcomed to the Council Meeting of ParlAmericas on Tuesday, May 19, 2026, following the unanimous approval to establish a new category of membership —Associate Member— and to invite the Parliament of Sint Maarten to officially join ParlAmericas as an Associate Member.
ParlAmericas is an international organization that brings together the national parliaments of countries across North, Central, and South America, as well as the Caribbean. It serves as a platform for parliamentarians to cooperate, share ideas, and engage in political dialogue on regional issues. Its primary objective is to strengthen democracy, governance, and human rights by promoting collaboration, exchanging best legislative practices, and supporting legislators in their work within their respective parliaments and countries.
As ParlAmericas marks its 25th anniversary, the introduction of an Associate Membership category demonstrates the organization’s commitment to fostering inclusive parliamentary dialogue, cooperation, and democratic participation across the hemisphere. While ParlAmericas’ membership has historically aligned with the Organization of American States (OAS), particularly regarding sovereign state representation, the Council of ParlAmericas recognized the unique constitutional status of Sint Maarten. As a constituent country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Sint Maarten possesses its own constitution and an independent national parliament, exercising full internal self-governance in domestic legislative matters. The Kingdom of the Netherlands currently holds Permanent Observer status within the OAS, reflecting its recognized presence in hemispheric multilateral systems.
The Parliament of Sint Maarten began actively participating in ParlAmericas activities in 2023, following a 2022 parliamentary decision to intensify regional cooperation at the parliamentary level and to engage more actively with regional parliamentary bodies. Since then, the Parliament of Sint Maarten has participated in several plenary assemblies, network (committee) meetings, workshops, and study visits. Commenting on this milestone, President Wescot-Williams stated: “This formal recognition strengthens the resolve of the Sint Maarten Parliament for more openness and transparency, community outreach and involvement.”
Associate Membership provides the Parliament of Sint Maarten with the opportunity to participate in ParlAmericas activities, meetings, and networks; attend Council meetings with a (no-voting) voice; access knowledge-sharing and capacity-building initiatives; and engage in parliamentary dialogue across the region. It also allows participation in the Executive Committee of any ParlAmericas network, limited to a Vice-President position for the Caribbean.
This milestone follows discussions initiated in March 2024 between the President of Parliament, the Secretary General of Parliament, and the Director and staff of ParlAmericas, building upon the Parliament’s 2022 decision. The President further noted, “I see wider learning opportunities for MPs and my hope is that this type of networking expands our horizons to more effectively represent our people amidst the huge global challenges confronting countries, near and far.”
A delegation of the Parliament of Sint Maarten, comprising the Hon. Sarah A. Wescot-Williams, President of Parliament, and Members of Parliament the Hon. Egbert J. Doran, the Hon. Lyndon C.J. Lewis, the Hon. Ludmila N.L. de Weever, and the Hon. Viren V. Kotai, is currently in Ottawa, Canada, participating in the 22nd ParlAmericas Plenary Assembly and the 10th Gathering of the Open Parliament Network, held under the theme: “Parliamentary Leadership for Shared Prosperity: Advancing Trade, Innovation, and Security in a Changing World.”
Upon their return, the decision of the Council of ParlAmericas to officially invite the Parliament of Sint Maarten to join as an Associate Member will be tabled in a Public meeting of Parliament for ratification, thereby formally concluding this strategic trajectory pursued by Parliament in recent years.
