WILLEMSTAD – Drug trafficking, illegal firearms and organized crime will be among the major cross-border security issues confronting the justice ministers of Curaçao, Aruba, Sint Maarten and the Netherlands when they meet in Curaçao next week.
The Four-Country Justice Consultation (JVO), scheduled for September 1 through 3, comes as the countries continue efforts to strengthen cooperation against criminal networks operating between South America, the Caribbean and Europe.
Combating drug shipments along these routes has been a recurring subject at previous JVO meetings.
The countries previously agreed to assess existing cooperation between police, customs, the Coast Guard and other agencies involved in detecting and intercepting narcotics shipments and determine whether additional measures are necessary.
However, public reporting from the previous ministerial JVO, held on Sint Maarten on January 16, did not make clear what conclusions resulted from that assessment.
The upcoming meeting therefore raises questions about whether operational cooperation has since been expanded and, more importantly, whether it has produced measurable results.
The Netherlands has also made structural funding available for the joint fight against organized and undermining crime in the Caribbean part of the Kingdom.
Illegal firearms represent another important component of the security agenda.
The countries have sought to increase information sharing about weapons-smuggling routes and the criminal networks responsible for transporting and distributing illegal firearms.
Police, investigative services, customs authorities and the Coast Guard all have roles in that effort.
For Curaçao, one of the relevant questions is whether authorities have developed a clearer picture of the routes through which illegal weapons enter the island and whether greater cooperation within the Kingdom has resulted in additional seizures, criminal investigations or prosecutions.
The geographical position of the Dutch Caribbean makes cooperation particularly important. Criminal networks and contraband can cross national and jurisdictional boundaries, while individual law enforcement organizations remain subject to the legal and operational systems of their respective countries.
The JVO provides the four justice ministers with a forum to coordinate those efforts and establish common priorities.
Curaçao Justice Minister Shalten Hato will chair the meeting, which begins with discussions among senior officials on September 1.
A strategic session follows September 2, before Hato and his counterparts meet at ministerial level on September 3.
With drug trafficking, firearms and organized crime having appeared repeatedly on the Kingdom's justice agenda, the focus in Curaçao will be on what has actually changed since previous agreements were made.