PHILIPSBURG:--- Ministers from Aruba, Curaçao, Sint Maarten and the Netherlands will meet on November 17th and 18th, 2026, in Sint Maarten for the Ministerial Four-Country Consultation (M4LO). The consultation brings together Ministers responsible for Education, Culture, and Science from Aruba, Curaçao, Sint Maarten, and the Netherlands to discuss shared priorities and strengthen cooperation.
The 4 Ministers include Aruba's Minister of Education, Science and Sustainable Development, Gerlien Croes. Curaçao will be represented by Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport, Sithree van Heydoorn. Minister of Education, Culture and Science, Rianne Letschert, will represent the Netherlands, while Sint Maarten's Minister of Education, Culture, Youth and Sport, Melissa Gumbs, will act as Host and Chair of the M4LO consultation meeting.
Aruba's Prime Minister Mike Eman, who also holds responsibility for Culture, Environment and Nature, will also attend. Other participants include the Island Commissioners and representatives from the BES, Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, and Saba.
“Sint Maarten is honored to host and chair this year’s consultation. The M4LO is an important opportunity for our four countries to learn from one another and to turn shared priorities in education, culture and science into concrete cooperation that benefits our children, our teachers and our heritage,” said Minister of Education, Culture, Youth and Sport, Melissa Gumbs.
Topics during the consultation include pooled procurement for the education sector in the Dutch Caribbean with UNOPS, multilingualism, policy on student use of smartphones and personal digital devices, and education reports from the Netherlands. They also include brain gain and brain circulation, which seek to address the loss of skilled workers and strengthen the availability of qualified professionals in the Caribbean countries. Additional topics for discussion include intangible cultural heritage, culture education, culture funds, colonial collections and underwater archaeology.
The M4LO consultation closes on November 18th with the signing of the final conclusions on the Strategic Education Alliance (SEA), Education and Culture, followed by a live press conference at 3:15 pm.
