SER Curaçao proposes paradigm shift in 2022 annual report 

From GDP to inclusive broad prosperity 

WILLEMSTAD, October 18, 2023 – The Social and Economic Council (SER) of Curaçao today, Wednesday, October 18, 2023, presented its 2022 annual report to the full Council of Ministers of the Leeward Island. 

At a time when many countries and institutions use Gross Domestic Product (GDP) as the primary indicator of prosperity, the SER’s 2022 Annual Report offers an innovative alternative in the specific Curaçao context. The report highlights the acute need for a more comprehensive, inclusive concept of prosperity that goes beyond mere economic parameters. 

According to the foreword of the annual report, the concept of “prosperity” needs to be recalibrated. Beyond a one-dimensional economic indicator, the concept should be broadened to incorporate elements such as social welfare, social equity, and environmental sustainability. “This vision is deeply anchored in the legal and constitutional mandates that form our policy framework,” says the foreword to the tripartite advisory body’s 2022 annual report. 

The rich cultural diversity and social resilience of Curaçao society are not mere preconditions; they are integral aspects of the SER’s institutional strategy. The published advisory reports are rigorously drafted and seek democratic access to education, health care and employment within Curaçao’s complex social context. 

Ecological sustainability is not considered an ethical option, but an inescapable legal obligation. This is consistent with both the Constitution of Curaçao and international treaties in which Curaçao participates, according to the preface. 

A crucial component in this comprehensive approach is the Central Organized Civil Service Consultation (CGOA). This mechanism ensures an equitable working environment and serves as a forum for institutional synergy within the administrative landscape. 

“Achieving inclusive broad prosperity, especially within a small-scale and insular context such as that of Curaçao, is a complex but crucial undertaking. It requires solid cooperation between government agencies, private entities, civil society, and society at large,” the foreword to the annual report goes on to say. The report calls on all relevant stakeholders to actively engage in this joint mission, with the goal of cultivating a Curaçao society in which prosperity and well-being are recognized and valued to their full extent. 

Click here for the full 2022 Annual Report.