News item | 06-10-2023 | 13:16
Minister van der Wal for Nature and Nitrogen signed a cooperation agreement on nature management and food security with Aruba during her working visit to the Caribbean part of the Kingdom.
The four countries of the Kingdom (the Netherlands, Aruba, Curaçao and Sint Maarten) have indicated that they want to cooperate more in these areas. The Memorandum of Understanding covers voluntary cooperation in the areas of 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 the cooperation agreement.
The cooperation agreement thus contributes to the implementation of the Nature and Environmental Policy Plan for the Caribbean Netherlands 2020-2030 and to compliance with our international obligations.
For example, the Netherlands and the countries want to expand the Yarari nature reserve for marine mammals, sharks and rays around the Caribbean Netherlands to Aruba, Curaçao and Sint Maarten if possible. And the four countries will implement the agreements made during the COP15 Biodiversity in Montreal in December 2022. The Netherlands and the Caribbean countries also want 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 the protection of biodiversity in the Caribbean region. Sint Maarten and Curaçao will probably join this cooperation agreement later.
Minister Van der Wal will pay 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 for the Caribbean Netherlands 2020-2030 and strengthening cooperation between the countries of the Kingdom.