What agreements signed at JVO means for St. Maarten

GREAT BAY--On Thursday, September 11, 2025, the Ministers of Justice of Aruba, Curaçao, the Netherlands, and St. Maarten convened in The Hague for the Judicial Four-Party Consultation (JVO). What might seem like another routine round of Kingdom discussions actually touched on some of the most pressing justice issues facing St. Maarten today: prisons bursting at the seams, rising violent crime, unequal treatment of minors, and a wave of firearms flooding into the region.

This feature takes a closer look at the outcomes of the JVO, the background behind them, and why Sint Maarten’s leadership in these talks matters more than ever.

𝐀𝐫𝐮𝐛𝐚’𝐬 𝐒𝐮𝐫𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐎𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐧 𝐃𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧

The issue of detention dominated discussions. Point Blanche Prison, St. Maarten’s main correctional facility, has faced years of strain: overcrowding, structural damage from Hurricane Irma, and a chronic shortage of staff. Every audit since 2017 has warned of unsustainable conditions.

Against this backdrop, Aruba made an unexpected gesture: offering to explore ways of hosting detainees from St. Maarten. For observers, the move was striking because Aruba itself has struggled with capacity and human rights compliance in its own facilities. Yet solidarity, not rivalry, took center stage.

The offer builds on a moment of practical cooperation earlier this year when a fire broke out at Point Blanche and Aruba immediately dispatched officers to assist. Minister of Justice for St. Maarten Nathalie Tackling publicly thanked her counterpart, Minister Rocco Dowers, for that quick support and said she welcomed Aruba’s willingness to go further.

Still, much work remains before detainees could ever be transferred. Aruba’s Council of Ministers must review feasibility, capacity, and cost. Both sides also need to decide on categories of detainees that could be considered. But even without a concrete plan yet, Tackling stressed that exploring the offer itself was progress.

𝐓𝐚𝐬𝐤𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐧 𝐃𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: 𝐌𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐒𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐓𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞

The JVO reaffirmed the importance of the Kingdom-wide Taskforce on Detention, an advisory and coordination body that includes prison directors and justice officials from all four partners. Historically, the taskforce has met sporadically, producing useful reports but with limited follow-up. That is about to change.

The Ministers agreed the taskforce should meet more frequently and deliver practical recommendations on issues ranging from staff training to facility maintenance. For Sint Maarten, Tackling announced she will appoint a second representative in addition to the current prison director. The logic is simple: one person cannot carry the weight of Sint Maarten’s complex detention challenges alone.

𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐜 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐞: 𝐅𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐃𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐆𝐚𝐩

One of the most underreported justice issues in the Dutch Caribbean is the absence of forensic care facilities. Offenders suffering from psychiatric disorders or juveniles with developmental problems are often held in prisons unsuited for treatment, with little prospect of rehabilitation.

The JVO marked a step toward change with agreement on a multi-annual program for forensic care. A Kingdom-wide working group has designed a governance structure to coordinate long-term attention to this issue, including Dutch measures such as TBS (terbeschikkingstelling, detention under hospital orders for psychiatric offenders) and PIJ (placement in an institution for juvenile offenders).

At present, no Caribbean institution offers these specialized treatments. The result is a cycle where offenders are punished but not rehabilitated, increasing the risk of reoffending. The Ministers agreed to explore the establishment of a shared facility to serve the Dutch Caribbean.

In the meantime, a program of continuing education for healthcare and prison staff is already underway. It trains professionals to better manage offenders with psychiatric needs in secure environments. Supported by the Netherlands, and with strong backing from Curaçao and Aruba, Sint Maarten pledged to fully engage in this effort.

𝐆𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐑𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦: 𝐄𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐔𝐧𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐓𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭

Justice systems are also about fairness, and here the JVO produced a quiet but meaningful breakthrough. For years, unaccompanied minors from the Caribbean parts of the Kingdom were treated differently than those arriving from other regions when they entered the Netherlands. This arrangement was originally designed to ensure Caribbean minors received tailored care, but over time it became outdated and discriminatory.

Now, with digital communication systems in place, Curaçao, Sint Maarten, and the Netherlands (including Saba, Statia and Bonaire) agreed to abolish the arrangement and ensure equal treatment. In practice, this means that Caribbean minors entering the Netherlands will be placed under the same guardianship framework as any other child.

𝐀 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧-𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐲 𝐚𝐭 𝐇𝐨𝐦𝐞

For Sint Maarten itself, Tackling used the JVO to highlight her “prevention-first” strategy. Rising gun violence and robberies in Philipsburg and Simpson Bay have alarmed businesses and citizens alike. Tackling emphasized that policing alone cannot fix the problem.

Her approach combines more visible patrols with partnerships involving business owners, community organizations, and ministries beyond Justice. Funding from the Crime Fund is being directed toward prevention projects, including at least one initiative being designed with the Ministry of Education for rollout in 2026.

She also plans to convene an inter-ministerial consultation on youth crime, bringing in Education, Public Health (VSA), and Labor.

𝐇𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐨𝐫: 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐚 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐓𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐬 𝐚 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲

The JVO also reviewed sobering data on homicide. Research led by Professor Marieke Liem, who developed the Dutch Caribbean Homicide Monitor, shows that Sint Maarten has disproportionately high homicide rates compared to Kingdom partners. The leading categories are relational disputes and drug-related conflicts.

The Monitor is unique in the region, combining police reports, court data, and forensic information to paint a full picture of patterns. It is one of the few tools that allows policymakers to go beyond anecdote and actually measure causes.

𝐒𝐮𝐛𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐂𝐫𝐢𝐦𝐞: 𝐁𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐞𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧

Another theme was subversive crime, usually defined in the European Netherlands as drug trafficking, money laundering, and corruption. Tackling argued that for Sint Maarten, the concept must be broader. “For us, armed robberies and violent offenses are subversive too,” she said.

By pushing this perspective at the Kingdom level, she hopes to align law enforcement strategies with local realities. The discussion will continue at the January 2026 JVO, where concrete measures are expected.

𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐁𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬: 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬

Illegal firearms continue to drive violent crime in Sint Maarten. Tackling outlined ongoing efforts to secure borders through the Immigration and Border Protection Services (IBPS), guided by the ORVK and VGT agreements.

At Princess Juliana International Airport, passenger flow is being redesigned to improve both efficiency and security. Plans are also in place to extend these improvements to Port Sint Maarten, Bobby’s Marina, and the Marine Trades Association. Stricter document checks are already in force, and intelligence sharing with neighboring islands has increased.

Sint Maarten is also participating in CARICOM’s regional initiative on gun crime, recognizing that firearms trafficking is a transnational problem requiring collective action.

𝐇𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐍𝐞𝐱𝐭 𝐉𝐕𝐎: 𝐀 𝐒𝐲𝐦𝐛𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐜 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐩

The next JVO will take place in January 2026 in Sint Maarten. For Tackling, hosting is more than a logistical duty — it is a chance to set the agenda. She has already outlined three top priorities: detention reform, youth crime prevention, and illegal firearms.

On detention, she hopes to align Kingdom partners on humane and sustainable systems. On youth crime, she wants to move from punishment toward prevention, linking education, health, and social support. On firearms, she will push for stronger joint intelligence and consistent prosecution.

𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐋𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐂𝐚𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐲: 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐓𝐨𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐰’𝐬 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬

Finally, the JVO confirmed continuation of a pilot program to train new prosecutors. Sint Maarten’s Royanna Baly, along with another participant, is already in the program. Ministers encouraged more qualified locals to apply, and Tackling pledged to work with the Public Prosecutor’s Office to make the process accessible.

The outcomes of the September JVO reflect both progress and the sheer scale of Sint Maarten’s justice challenges. From overcrowded prisons to rising crime, the problems are daunting. Yet by anchoring reforms in Kingdom-wide cooperation, Minister Tackling has positioned St. Maarten to secure real gains.

The January 2026 JVO in Philipsburg will be the next test.

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