An international conference themed “Bonaire’s pathway from Baku through UN General Assembly to self-determination” organized by the Baku Initiative Group (BIG) in collaboration with the Bonaire Movement for Change got underway here on Thursday.

The conference is focused on the Island of Bonaire, suffering from the Dutch colonial oppression. Its main goal is to enlist the support of the international community regarding the draft resolution to be submitted to the UN General Assembly by a group of countries, seeking the island's inclusion on the list of non-self-governing territories.

The conference brought together members of the diverse group of countries fighting for freedom and against colonialism, including Bonaire, Belize, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Saint Lucia, and other countries, as well as the UN and other international organizations’ officials, heads of the non-governmental organizations (NGO), experts and researchers.

The event will see discussions on Bonaire's struggle for liberation from Dutch colonial rule and efforts to bring the issue to the attention of relevant international organizations, as well as the available international legal options.

The Baku Initiative Group was established by the participants of the conference dealing with elimination of colonialism held in Baku on July 6, 2023 as part of the ministerial meeting of the Coordinating Bureau of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) chaired by the Republic of Azerbaijan.

The Group supports the struggle for freedom of peoples in different parts of the world who are still suffering from colonialism in the 21st century.