THE HAGUE - The motion introduced by Dutch Member of Parliament Michiel van Nispen (SP) aimed at enhancing oversight of Curacao's gambling sector to prevent money laundering and further entanglement between the criminal underworld and legitimate businesses was passed yesterday during voting sessions. The motion, which also included support from two co-signatories, Hanneke van der Werf (D66) and Ingrid Michon-Derkzen (VVD), has drawn significant attention both in the Netherlands and Curacao.
As reported by this newspaper last week, the motion has sparked a strong reaction from Curacao’s Finance Minister. Over the weekend, the minister took the step of contacting the President of the Island Council, urging discussions regarding the proposed amendments to the local Gambling Law, known as the Landsverordening op de Kansspelen (LOK). This legislation is still awaiting final approval from Curacao's parliament.
The LOK, which is being developed in close cooperation with the Dutch Temporary Work Organization (TWO), part of the Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations (BZK), has been the subject of several drafts and feedback sessions. According to TWO, “At various stages, versions of the draft legislation have been reviewed, and it was up to Curacao to incorporate this input.”
The motion passed by the Dutch parliament calls for the Dutch government to engage with Curacao to explore ways to strengthen the regulations and oversight of the gambling sector. The aim is to prevent money laundering, curb the links between the criminal underworld and legitimate sectors, and improve the integrity of public governance in Curacao. The Dutch government is also tasked with informing parliament about the progress of these efforts.
Van Nispen justified his motion by acknowledging that gambling regulation is primarily a responsibility of Curacao. However, he emphasized that severe criminal activity affecting the integrity of governance could undermine the Kingdom's interests. Curacao’s Finance Minister has highlighted the importance of the LOK in securing a favorable evaluation from the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF), an international body under the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), which assesses countries’ compliance with global standards for combating money laundering and terrorist financing (AML/CFT standards). The FATF expects countries to implement these standards in their national laws.
Motion on Drug Trafficking
In addition to the gambling sector motion, several others related to the Caribbean part of the Kingdom were also passed yesterday. One notable motion, introduced by MP Songül Mutluer (GroenLinks-PvdA), calls for collaboration with the Judicial Four-Party Consultation (JVO) to develop a concrete plan to combat drug trafficking, including the transportation of drugs and human trafficking through ports in the Caribbean Kingdom. Mutluer highlighted that many drug shipments, often destined for the Netherlands, are routed through these ports, but inadequate oversight and limited resources hinder effective control. The motion requests the government, in partnership with the JVO, to work on a plan to tackle this issue, improving judicial information exchange and aligning with the Netherlands' main port strategies. The government is expected to report back to parliament before the summer of 2025.