ORANJESTAD - Minister Van der Wal for Nature and Nitrogen, during her working visit to the Caribbean part of the Kingdom, signed a cooperation agreement on nature conservation and food security with Aruba.
The four countries of the Kingdom (Netherlands, Aruba, Curaçao, and Sint Maarten) have expressed their interest in enhancing collaboration in these areas. The Memorandum of Understanding pertains to voluntary cooperation in the protection, management, and use of natural resources, strengthening food security, knowledge exchange, research and monitoring, and international treaties and organizations. Aruba and the Netherlands are the first countries to sign this cooperation agreement.
This agreement contributes to the implementation of the Nature and Environmental Policy Plan Caribbean Netherlands 2020-2030 and to fulfilling international obligations.
Netherlands and the countries aim to potentially expand the Yarari nature reserve for marine mammals, sharks, and rays around the Caribbean Netherlands to include Aruba, Curaçao, and Sint Maarten. They also intend to fulfill the commitments made during the COP15 Biodiversity conference in Montréal in December 2022. Furthermore, Netherlands and the Caribbean countries seek to strengthen the joint management of marine biodiversity and fisheries in the Caribbean part of the Kingdom.
The signing took place during the international conference in Aruba on biodiversity protection in the Caribbean region. Sint Maarten and Curaçao are likely to join this cooperation agreement at a later time.
Minister Van der Wal is on a working visit to the Caribbean part of the Kingdom from October 3 to 8. The visit focuses on the Nature and Environmental Policy Plan Caribbean Netherlands 2020-2030 and enhancing cooperation among the Kingdom's countries.