News item | 18-01-2024 | 2:00 PM
On January 17, 2024, the six-monthly Judicial Four-Party Consultation (JVO) took place between the Dutch Minister for Legal Protection (Weerwind) and the Minister of Justice and Social Affairs of Aruba (Tjon), the Minister of Justice of Curaçao (Hato) and the Minister of Justice of Sint Maarten (Richardson). The consultation took place in Curaçao, under the chairmanship of that country.
The countries within the Kingdom work intensively together on various themes, including tackling organized subversive crime, migration, criminal investigation and police cooperation and improving the law enforcement chain. The JVO contributes to effective cooperation in these areas and is of great importance for the justice chain in the Caribbean Netherlands. Due to the small scale of the various islands, regional cooperation is essential.
The ministers discussed the functioning and budgets of various (joint) institutions, such as the Criminal Investigation Cooperation Team (RST), the ICT Law Enforcement Management Foundation (SBIR) and the Public Prosecution Service. The implementation of the Mutual Regulation on the Alien Chain, the progress regarding the administrative approach to undermining and the establishment of the Caribbean Subversion Platform were discussed.
During the consultation, the theme of forensic care was also discussed. The JVO Forensic Care working group has provided an update on its activities. This working group is tasked to advise on forensic care for young people and adults in the Caribbean part of the Kingdom. Since mental health care and forensic care have a large overlap, the JVO working group has sought cooperation with the Mental Health Care working group of the four-country consultation of the health care ministers of the Kingdom. During the JVO, the ministers called on the working group to work with the Mental Health Working Group on a proposal for forensic care and secure care during a joint conference (spring 2024).
Furthermore, the imbalance in the law enforcement chain in the Caribbean part of the Kingdom was on the agenda. During previous JVOs, Aruba, Curaçao and Sint Maarten have noted uneven growth, with priorities and capacities not properly aligned. The JVO imbalance working group has recently analyzed the imbalance and identified a number of possible solutions. The ministers have asked the working group to explore these solutions and to provide advice next JVO.
The next JVO will be organized by the Netherlands and will take place in June 2024.