On October 10, 2010, Sint Maarten was granted the status of a country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Since that year, Sint Maarten has had a Governor and an Acting Governor.

The Governor and the Acting Governor are appointed by Royal Decree for a period of six years. After this term, they may be reappointed once more for six years.

History

Before 1954, Sint Maarten, Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, Saba, and Sint Eustatius were colonies of the Netherlands. At that time, governors were appointed by the King, without input from the colonies.

Sint Maarten has had its own local government since 1869. However, this government had limited powers. After the Second World War, in 1951, the Islands Regulation for the Netherlands Antilles (ERNA) was introduced by Royal Decree. This regulation granted all six islands a local government with more autonomous powers.

In 1954, the Statute for the Kingdom of the Netherlands was introduced. As a result, the Netherlands Antilles became an autonomous country within the Kingdom. There was one Governor for the six islands of the Netherlands Antilles. That Governor was based in Willemstad, Curaçao.

The introduction of the Statute changed the role of the Governor. Since then, he has not only been a representative of The Hague, but is mainly in charge of the local law. This new role also involves a different way of handling the duties. Nicolaas (Cola) Debrot was the first (Bonairean) native to hold the office of Governor of the Netherlands Antilles.

On January 1, 1986, Aruba was granted a "status aparte" and its own Governor. On October 10, 2010, the Netherlands Antilles were dissolved. Sint Maarten and Curaçao became autonomous countries within the Kingdom. Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, and Saba became public entities of the Netherlands. This marked the end of the office of Governor of the Netherlands Antilles.