KRALENDIJK - Children and young people on Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba give the Public Entity a 5.4 out of 10 and the Dutch government a 5.0 for listening to their views. Nearly half have little to no confidence in local government. These are the findings of the UNICEF Youth Advisory Report 2026.
Trust levels vary by island. Bonaire scores highest, while Saba shows the greatest degree of distrust. Young people feel that their opinions are sought — through surveys, for example — but that little changes afterwards. They believe that many decisions about their future are made without them and that adults are considered more important.
National Youth Strategy
The National Youth Council (NJR) and UNICEF Netherlands already consulted with young people on the BES islands in 2025 as part of the National Youth Strategy. Their message at the time was clear: give us equal opportunities and greater influence over decisions that affect us. According to the NJR, the government has so far failed to put that strategy into practice.
UNICEF Netherlands points to Article 12 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child: children and young people have the right to be heard and to have influence over decisions that concern them. The Dutch central government is responsible for the legislative frameworks, while the Public Entity handles local implementation.
The Youth Advisory Report is being shared with policymakers across the islands and will be incorporated into the Child Friendly Cities programme.
Read the report UNICEF Youth Advisory Report 2026 here.
