The committee planned to keep its function and name after the
dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles as a regional indication of the five islands as it would be impossible for Curaçao or
Sint Maarten to form their own recognized National Olympic Committee. On 13 January 2011, the IOC however indicated that no legal basis existed for membership of the IOC and confirmed that none of the individual islands could apply for membership following a 1995 decision that future membership is only open to
sovereign countries. The executive board of the IOC proposed the withdrawal of the membership at the IOC session of July 2011 and took steps to allow athletes to compete at the
2011 Pan American Games (under the
PASO flag) as well as the
2012 Olympic Games under the Olympic flag as
Independent Olympic Athletes. After 2012, Netherlands Antilles athletes can choose to represent either the
Netherlands or
Aruba. ==See also==