PHILIPSBURG:--- St. Maarten and Kadaster Netherlands, also representing the BES Islands Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba, have taken another step toward strengthening regional cooperation in land administration and geospatial development with the signing of a Letter of Intent (LOI) in Philipsburg.
The agreement, signed by Kadaster St. Maarten Managing Director Benjamin Ortega and Cora Smelik, Member of the Executive Board of the Netherlands’ Cadastre, Land Registry and Mapping Agency (Kadaster Netherlands), reinforces the commitment to further investigate while executing various collaborative actions toward the establishment of the Caribbean Cadaster Association (CCA).
The intended establishment of the CCA is understood to be a structured regional network to strengthen collaboration among Caribbean land registry and cadastral institutions. Through this partnership, participating territories seek to modernise land administration, support legal and policy development, improve geospatial data interoperability, and strengthen professional training and institutional capacity. The initiative also advances sustainable development, economic resilience, and responsible land management.
The LOI signing builds on momentum from November 28, 2025, when a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was tabled at the Geospatial Knowledge Infrastructure (GKI) Caribbean Summit, hosted in St. Maarten. That agreement brought together the cadastral authorities of St. Maarten, Aruba, Bonaire, St. Eustatius, and Saba, Antigua and Barbuda, alongside Kadaster Netherlands, to formally launch the initiative to establish the CCA as a platform for cooperation, innovation, and professional advancement in cadastral and geospatial management.
As Kadaster St. Maarten introduced this initiative, St. Maarten was selected as the inaugural Chair, leading the investigation and the next steps toward transitioning the CCA from a collaborative network to a formally incorporated regional association.
The recently signed LOI further reinforces the shared commitment among participating institutions by outlining voluntary cooperation, knowledge exchange, training support, and continued institutional dialogue. While maintaining flexibility for each participating territory, the agreement enables partners to develop the CCA in a phased, collaborative manner, ensuring cooperation reflects both regional priorities and national capacities.
Highlighting the importance of professional collaboration, Smelik said the value of knowledge exchange across institutions and jurisdictions, “Knowledge exchange between professional organisations is crucial. This also applies to our field of land administration and geoinformation. We look forward to contributing to knowledge development in the Caribbean region, together with our colleagues on Saba, St. Eustatius, and Bonaire, and to learning a great deal from professionals in the region. I congratulate the Kadaster of St. Maarten, and Mr. Benjamin Ortega in particular, on this important initiative and look forward to concrete results.”
Smelik brings extensive experience in international cooperation, spatial policy, and public sector leadership. In addition to serving on the Executive Board of Kadaster Netherlands, she is a former diplomat and a former Regional Minister for the Province of Flevoland. She also serves as a board member of EuroGeographics and the National Benchmark Association, organisations that focus on strengthening cooperation and knowledge sharing among mapping, cadastral, and land registry authorities across Europe.
Ortega underscored the strategic importance of regional alignment as cadastral services continue to evolve through digital transformation. “Digital transformation in land governance cannot happen in isolation. As Kadaster advances toward smarter systems, modern tools, and higher service standards, regional collaboration remains a critical foundation. The intended CCA creates a structured environment for aligning standards, sharing expertise, and collectively building capacity. By working together, we strengthen not only our institutions, but the resilience, transparency, and economic stability of the region.” Ortega further highlighted that more Caribbean Countries are scheduled to participate in similar signings of LOIs within the near future, and this will be communicated to the greater public accordingly.
Also present at the signing were Jonathon Charles, Operations Manager, and Austin Philips, Front Office Manager, who are both mortgage Custodians of Kadaster St. Maarten; Mathilde Molendijk, Program Manager Caribbean Netherlands at Kadaster Netherlands, who oversees Kadaster operations on Sint Eustatius, Saba, and Bonaire and has extensive experience in international GIS education and land administration initiatives.
With the guiding principles of the CCA and the LOI reinforcing active engagement, Kadaster St. Maarten continues to play a leading role in advancing regional collaboration and modernising land governance for the benefit of current and future generations.
