Dependence and autonomy in sub-national island jurisdictions: The case of the Kingdom of the Netherlands

Abstract

Full sovereignty has long seemed the logical if not inevitable outcome of any decolonization process, but alternative options have gradually become both more acceptable and more likely. The option of integration in, or some form of permanent association with, the former colonizer is now considered perfectly legitimate. This applies particularly to small islands. The trajectory of post-World War II decolonization in the Caribbean is an obvious case in point. This article discusses costs and benefits in Caribbean decolonization in general, analyses the past decolonization process of the Dutch Caribbean—initially comprising Suriname and the six-island Netherlands Antilles—and considers the recent developments in the relationship between the Kingdom of the Netherlands and its remaining Caribbean territories. Strong commonalities exist both in the challenges facing the remaining British and Dutch sub-national island jurisdictions in the Caribbean and in the metropolitan responses to these.