New Governor Selection Process

The Island Council and Executive Council worked with the Acting Kingdom Representative (aKR) to create a profile for the new Governor. The aKR manages the process, and the final appointment is made, after approval by the Council of Ministers, by royal decree of the King.

1. The Island Council and Executive Council creates and approves the profile sketch (vacancy text/job description) with the Acting Kingdom Representative (aKR), and the Executive Council provides input.
2. The vacancy is open from October 31^st to November 30^th, 2025.
3. aKR selects candidates and refers them to the Confidentiality Committee (see below what the Confidentiality Committee is).
   1. The Confidentiality Committee is made up of Island Council members, supported by the Island Registrar’s Office, and one commissioner as advisor. The committee interviews candidates and provides a confidentiality advisory report to the aKR.
   2. During this process, the Committee is prohibited by law  to give any information or answer any questions regarding the candidates or details about the process other that what is published here.
4. The Confidentiality Committee interviews candidates and sends its advice to the aKR.
   1. The role of the Confidentiality Committee ends here.
   2. The Confidentiality Committee will not receive any information about the candidates after this point in the process.
5. aKR recommends, based on the recommendation of the confidentiality committee at least two candidates to the State Secretary of BZK.
6. BZK screens and nominates one candidate.
7. The candidate is presented to the Council of Ministers for approval.
8. The last step is for the King to sign the appointment.
9. The new Governor is sworn in on July 1^st, 2026.

The new Governor will take office on July 1^st, 2026.

The vacancy will be widely advertised in Dutch and Caribbean media, both online and in print, and posted on official websites. This ensures that qualified and interested candidates from different backgrounds are aware of the position.

From preparation meetings to creating the profile sketch to the swearing in will take almost one year.

All applications must be submitted to the Acting Kingdom Representative (aKR) via a dedicated email address. 

Details on how to apply will be included in the vacancy notice, which will be published on the Public Entity website, the RCN website, the Staatscourant (Formal Dutch Publication Channel), and in Dutch and Caribbean media, both online and in print.

The prerequisites for the position will be publicly available through the profile sketch, which is part of the vacancy that will be posted on www.sabagov.nl and https://english.rijksdienstcn.com/working-at-the-rijksdienst-caribisch-nederland/vacancies.

Yes, anyone can apply, but only those who meet the criteria in the vacancy will be considered.

Yes. The vacancy will be published on the Public Entity website, the RCN website, the Staatscourant (Formal Dutch Publication Channel), and in Dutch and Caribbean media, both online and in print.

In line with the processes in the Netherlands, mayors and governors are not elected but appointed by the King and the council of ministers on the advice of the Minister of BZK, after consultation with the Island Council of Saba.

The community’s interests are represented by the publicly elected Island Council and Executive Council, who then include those interests in the profile sketch created by the Island Council.

The selection process itself will be completely confidential, in order to protect candidates’ privacy. The announcement of the chosen candidate will be made on July 1st, 2026 and the new Governor will be appointed on the same day by the Council of Ministers.

The Governor is appointed for a six year term.

If you have questions or would like more information, contact the office of the acting Kingdom Representative: rijksvertegenwoordiger@rijksdienstCN.com

By law, the Confidentiality Committee cannot answer questions or share any details about the process. This strict confidentiality applies both during and after the Governor selection process, under both national legislation and the island ordinance.