Commonwealth of States (Twilight of a New Era)

Commonwealth of States (Dutch: Gemenebest van Staten) refers to the association of the territories of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Its membership are the states and territories of:
 * Netherlands
 * Federation of the East Indies
 * Netherlands Antilles (formerly know Dutch West Indies)
 * Suriname (formerly know has Netherlands Guyana, Netherlands Guiana or Dutch Guiana)

After the establishment of the Federation of the East Indies in 1928, it came to consideration of the dutch political parties and business circles to draw a possible new relationship with the rest of the colonies in the Caribbean and the Americas. Has a founding member of the League of Nations, the Netherlands had proclaimed the need to end colonial system or at least reform it so the inhabitants could be consulted in their internal affairs. However this contradicted the need of resources and markets in benefit of the homeland and transnational companies. The tariff barrier the American Republic had built made economic expansion a necessity.

The constitutional framework of the East Indies could not be transplanted to the rest of the territories. The immediate independence was discarded due to fragility of the future new nations and ethnic clashes. However the colonies of the Caribbean and the Americas where to too small, too dependent economically on the metropolis and defenceless.

The experience of the East Indies marked the way for negotiations. A governmental commission was formed to analyze and recommend steps of action in 1930. Its conclusion where forwarded in 1931 to the Staten-Generalen. After the crisis of the Statuut for the East Indies, even the most conservative political groups had agreed on the need of a new relationship. The old days of colonial administration, at least in the Netherlands where over and the need to consider the former colonies has partners gave in. Rapidly in 1933 it was approved the Charter of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the Commonwealth of the Nations (Statuut voor het Koninkrijk der Nederlanden en het Gemenebest van Staten). The Charter was signed the 15 December of 1933, by Queen Wilhelmina. This date was afterwards declared has Koninkrijksdag. After its approval by the Federal Assembly of the East Indies (1933) and the decrees granting the Basic Laws to Netherlands Antilles (1934) and Suriname (1934) it came into force.

The sovereign and Head of State of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the Commonwealth of Nations resides in the House of Orange-Nassau. It establishes the Netherlands, has senior partner that is responsible for the defense, foreign affairs, common customs and economic regulations, citizenship, constitutional revision of the member states and other matters that may be declared to be Commonwealth affairs in consultation. The Charter does not specify its duration nor the right to leave it unilaterally. It its assumed that the Charter creates a perpetual union. Each state has autonomy in administering its internal affairs as prescribed in their individual charters (Statuut) or basic laws (Staatsregeling). It establishes the freedom of movement to all inhabitants of the Commonwealth, The right of appeal to the State Council that is elevated to status of supreme court of the Commonwealth. East Indies, Suriname and the Netherlands Antilles each got a Minister Plenipotentiary based in the Netherlands, who had the right to participate in Dutch cabinet meetings when it discussed affairs that applied to the Kingdom as a whole, when these affairs pertained directly to East Indies, Suriname and / or the Netherlands Antilles. The Netherlands, East Indies, Netherlands Antilles and Suriname, participate in the common Commonwealth structures. The common affairs are Economic and cultural relations and monetary policy. A Secretariat of the Commonwealth will be in charge of coordinating the relations and the common structures. Once a year there will be a Summit of the chiefs of government of the 4 states to coordinate, plan and discuss common subjects.

Associated institution
 * Nederlandse Taalunie (Dutch Language Union) research institution and linguistic authority of the Standard Dutch (Standaardnederlands or Algemeen Nederlands, often abbreviated to AN)