The Recovery, Reconstruction and Resilience Trust Fund (SXM TF) was set up to respond to the devastation caused by Hurricane Irma in Sint Maarten on September 6, 2017.
The SXM TF is a tripartite partnership of the Sint Maarten and Netherlands governments and the World Bank. The partners have put agencies in charge of the efforts: the Sint Maarten National Recovery Program Bureau, the Netherlands Ministry of Interior and Kingdom Affairs, and the World Bank’s Caribbean Management Unit of the Latin America and the Caribbean Region.
The SXM TF collaborates on projects with local partners including the Sint Maarten Training Foundation (SMTF), the Sint Maarten Medical Center (SMMC), the Sint Maarten National Institute for Professional Advancement (NIPA), the NV GEBE water and power utility, the Sint Maarten Housing Development Foundation (SMHDF), and the Sint Maarten police and fire departments.
Trust Fund Financing
The SXM TF is financed by the government of the Netherlands for up to 470 million euros, and the funds are provided in tranches. Two tranches for a total of US$305.7M were received in April and November 2018.
The SXM TF is established for the benefit of the government and people of Sint Maarten. The Trust Fund is administered by the World Bank and the projects it finances are implemented by the Sint Maarten government in accordance with the World Bank’s Policies and Procedures.
Governance
The Trust Fund is governed by a steering committee composed of one representative from each of the three parties: the Sint Maarten and Netherlands governments, and the World Bank. The steering committee decides by consensus on the allocation of funds to short-, medium-, and long-term recovery projects, capacity building activities, and analytical work. The steering committee meets twice a year and on an ad-hoc basis to approve projects and monitor the progress of the activities financed by the fund.
The steering committee is supported in its work by a technical working group (TWG). The TWG prepares the biannual steering committee meetings and carries out the tasks the steering committee delegates it to meet the Trust Fund’s objectives.