PHILIPSBURG–Minister of Justice Raphael Boasman travelled to Aruba this weekend to participate in the Justitiële Vierpartij Overleg (JVO) Judicial Four-Party Consultation set to take place on January 10. The consultation is held twice a year in one of the countries of the Kingdom (St. Maarten, Aruba, Curaçao and the Netherlands).
Boasman said the meeting was crucial for continued strengthening of the maintenance of law enforcement and evaluation of kingdom laws as they relate to the Justice sector. Topics up for discussion are the police organisation in general, regulation pertaining to the protection and privacy of DNA profiles, evaluation of regulation of migrants, the penitentiary system and combating human trafficking, among others.
To see improvement in any of these areas, Boasman stressed, proper cooperation among the four countries is vital. These discussions are not always easy, he said, “but they are important in realising where we want to be in terms of the Justice system.”
As for what is important for St. Maarten at the consultation, he said all topics are important and St. Maarten will make its contribution, but one thing must be clear: “All of us want to address the crime situation in St. Maarten and prevent any escalation. But in doing so we have to be careful not to label St. Maarten as a haven for criminals or criminal activities.
“This hurts our country and discourages the people who want to come here. On top of that, it may encourage people whom we don’t want, to come here as well. We must assist each other when and, where needed, we must avoid getting into squabbles about who is in control. We should be able to help each other, not fight each other,” Boasman stated in a press release on Sunday.
Source: The Daily Herald https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/62777-boasman-in-aruba-to-meet-justice-ministers
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