Curaçao, Aruba, Sint Maarten and the Netherlands work together to protect the rule of law and good governance

Undermining is a form of organized crime where the legal and illegal spheres, the upper world and underworld, intermingle. The location near Latin and North America and the trade routes to Europe make the Caribbean part of the Kingdom particularly vulnerable to undermining crime, such as drug and arms smuggling, human trafficking, and smuggling. The small scale of the islands also brings a greater risk of unintended conflicts of interest.

Cross-border and undermining crime, combating corruption and fraud, and promoting integrity are autonomous matters of Aruba, Curaçao, and Sint Maarten. The countries have increased vulnerability due to limited capacity in personnel and resources. Therefore, the Netherlands collaborates with Aruba, Curaçao, and Sint Maarten to provide additional capacity, expertise, and resources for combating undermining crime.

State Secretary of BZK Eddie van Marum emphasizes the importance of the approach for residents:

“The governments within the Kingdom share a joint responsibility to combat these forms of undermining. Undermining damages the functioning of public administration and the trust of citizens in an honest, integral government. Citizens throughout the Kingdom must be able to rely on a solid, resilient rule of law.”

The cooperation between the Netherlands and the three Caribbean countries in the field of undermining takes place in both criminal and administrative areas. Additionally, there is cooperation in the field of good governance and integrity.

Since 2017, the Netherlands has supported three chain partners in the countries with the criminal approach to undermining: through the Investigation Cooperation Team, the Public Prosecutors in the countries, and the Joint Court of Justice. In the coming years, efforts will be made to increase capacity and expertise for conducting criminal investigations into financial-economic crime. There is also a need for better visibility of criminal money flows. For an efficient approach, targeted information, people, and resources will be deployed. An annual budget of 24 million euros is reserved for the criminal approach.

Moreover, a protocol has been established for the administrative approach to undermining. The Ministry of BZK allocates 1 million euros annually for this. The three Caribbean countries have launched the campaign Not On Our Island aimed at raising awareness about undermining in society. The countries also aim to establish a platform by the end of 2026, based on the Regional Information and Expertise Centers (RIEC) in the Netherlands.

In recent years, the Caribbean countries have taken various steps in the field of good governance and integrity. Sint Maarten has had an Integrity Chamber since 2019, and Aruba has the Integrity Bureau Aruba since 2021. Curaçao is also working on establishing an integrity bureau. Furthermore, the Caribbean countries have introduced rules for financing political parties and screening new officials, and civil servants receive integrity training. From 2023, the Integrity Summit Dutch Caribbean will be held annually to promote the expertise of integrity officials. The goal is to establish a Caribbean Knowledge Center for Integrity Promotion by 2026, which can support both the countries and the Public Bodies. Finally, in consultation with the countries, it is being examined how the progress of projects in the field of good governance and integrity can be best monitored, for example through the National Integrity System Assessments that have already been conducted in the countries. Discussions are ongoing with Transparency International about possible monitoring instruments, given their knowledge and experience in tracking trends and corruption worldwide.