Baku hosts international conference on Bonaire's decolonization

An international conference dedicated to the island of Bonaire, which is under Dutch colonial rule, is being held in Baku, Azernews reports.

The conference is organized jointly by the Baku Initiative Group (BIG) and the Movement for Human Rights and Change in Bonaire.

Representatives of the Bonaire people, who are fighting against colonialism and striving for independence, as well as officials and representatives from Belize, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Saint Lucia, the UK, Mexico, the Netherlands, the UN, and other international and regional organizations, human rights defenders, NGO leaders, decolonization experts, and researchers are participating in the conference titled “Bonaire Island’s Path to Self-Determination through the UN General Assembly via Baku.”

High-level participants include the special representative of the Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, the permanent representative of Belize to the UN (New York), the UNICEF advocate for youth engagement, the ambassador for youth engagement of the international organization “Association of Caribbean States,” and the chair of the UN Permanent Forum on People of African Descent.

It is noted that the event is taking place at a very significant moment for the future history of the people of Bonaire. A few weeks after the event, it is planned that several states will submit a draft resolution to the UN General Assembly for the re-inclusion of Bonaire Island in the list of territories to be decolonized by the UN. One of the main objectives of the current conference is to gain international support for this resolution.