SINT MAARTEN:---  Fourteen social organizations from Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, and Sint Maarten have commenced the second year of the ‘Strengthening Families Together’ program with renewed focus and shared commitment. During a two-day regional conference on Sint Maarten in November 2025, participants engaged in keynote sessions, technical workshops, and field visits to enhance organizational capacity and strengthen their collective contribution to improving the well-being of families living in vulnerable circumstances.

For Strengthening Families Together, Netherlands-based funders ‘Kinderpostzegels’ and ‘Oranje Fonds’, in collaboration with local advisors, selected 14 organizations committed to promoting equal opportunities for children and young people, supporting parents and caregivers in vulnerable situations, and addressing the urgent issue of poverty across the islands. Alongside project implementation, participants take part in inter-island learning activities and receive tailored capacity-building support from three local capacity-strengtheners. The annual gathering provides a structured moment for reflection, peer exchange, and joint development.

Frontline experience is a superpower

In the opening speech of the conference, Suzette Moses-Burton emphasized the power of frontline experience. Organizations working directly with families gain access to insights that are often absent from formal systems, and these observations play a vital role in identifying gaps, risks, and opportunities. Moses-Burton, chief of staff of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Youth and Sports, highlighted five considerations for strengthening organizational effectiveness: clarity about one’s role within complex social issues; deliberate team and leadership development; working both with the system and on the system; recognition of families as partners; and the importance of maintaining motivation and joy in the work. These principles frame the program's broader objective of reinforcing organizational resilience and strategic capacity.

Breaking the silence

A second keynote by Carla Vlaun, managing director of Tackling Law, highlighted the silences that must be broken to create lasting change for the people the organizations work with, and to influence policy. These silences touch on themes such as sexual health, mental resilience, financial shame, documentation, and the cultural norms that shape gender-based violence. The keynote sparked a shared realization that true impact often begins with daring to ask difficult questions, giving participants rich material to reflect on together through the lens of their own frontline experiences.

Sharing stories and building on impact

In the photo exhibition Sharing Stories, participants shared powerful portraits and stories of people who, despite vulnerable circumstances, feel seen and can show their resilience when given access to the opportunities these organizations provide. Through careful attention to consent and dignity, the personal stories on display made the organization’s impact tangible. Workshops further enabled participants to articulate their outputs, outcomes, and intended impact, and to reflect on internal and external factors that shape resilience within people and communities.

Inspirational site visits

During the conference, participants gained a better understanding of the work of three Sint Maarten-based organizations engaged in the program:

• 721 Kids Foundation hosted the group for a site visit, showing them the limited space in which they provide care and after-school support to children, including those with special needs, with unlimited flexibility and passion, as well as hosted a buddy activity whereby collaboration was key;

• Kids at Sea, creating access to maritime training and skills development for young people, taught the group through a hands-on communication exercise how essential clear communication is, both at sea and in daily life.

• At Freegan Food Foundation, participants joined a cooking workshop and dinner, met volunteers, and sorted clothing and toys for families affected by the hurricane in Jamaica together.

Starting year 2 with renewed focus

In the coming year, capacity-strengtheners on each island will continue to offer tailored support to participating organizations. An accompanying study will assess the effectiveness of both the organizations’ interventions and the program as a whole.

The group will reconvene in November 2026 on Curaçao for the next regional meeting. By then, participating organizations are expected to have further advanced their internal capacity, strengthened their local networks, and contributed more robustly to the shared objective: Strengthening Families Together.

PHILIPSBURG:---  The House of Parliament will sit in an urgent Public meeting on January 9, 2026.

The Public meeting was adjourned on January 8, 2026, and will be reconvened today at 13.30 hrs. in the Legislative Hall at Wilhelminastraat #1 in Philipsburg. The Minister of Finance will be in attendance.

The agenda point is:
Deliberations on the issues surrounding the Central Bank of Curacao and Sint Maarten
a. The recent nomination of the Chairman of the CBCS by the Council of Ministers
b. An update on the ENNIA situation
c. Developments concerning Mullet Bay (IS/092/2025-2026 dated September 22, 2025)

This meeting was requested by MP E.J. Doran, MP A.M.R. Irion, MP D.T.J. York, MP O.E.C. Ottley and MP F.A. Lacroes.

Members of the public are invited to the House of Parliament to attend parliamentary deliberations. All persons visiting the House of Parliament must adhere to the house rules.

The House of Parliament is located across from the Court House in Philipsburg.

The parliamentary sessions will be carried live on TV 15, Soualiga Headlines, via SXM GOV radio FM 107.9, via Pearl Radio FM 98.1, the audio via the internet www.youtube.com/c/SintMaartenParliament and www.pearlfmradio.sx

MARIGOT:--- The safety of our citizens is an absolute priority for the gendarmerie. The recent arrest of an individual in possession of a firearm once again highlights our unwavering commitment to combating the illegal possession of weapons and dangerous behavior.
On Friday, January 2, in the Quartier d’Orléans, our gendarmes demonstrated quick action and professionalism in response to a refusal to comply. The driver of a scooter, attempting to evade a control, was swiftly apprehended and arrested. During this intervention, a Glock handgun was seized, thereby preventing a potential threat to public safety.
This individual was brought before the Saint-Martin criminal court for immediate trial on January 5. The court handed down a firm sentence of two years in prison with a detention order, underscoring the seriousness of the offense. This procedure was conducted under the direction of the Basse-Terre prosecutor’s office, whom we thank for their effective collaboration.
This operation is part of a broader strategy to enhance security across our territory. The illegal possession of firearms poses a direct threat to public peace, and we remain fully mobilized to address it. Every intervention, every seizure, and every conviction is another step toward a safer environment for all.
I would like to commend the courage and dedication of the gendarmes who, day after day, put their lives on the line to protect the population. Their commitment reflects our mission: to ensure the safety of everyone, tirelessly.
We also call on citizens to remain vigilant and to cooperate with law enforcement. Together, we can push back against insecurity and build a community where everyone can live in peace.
The Saint-Martin gendarmerie will continue to act with firmness and determination. Safety is everyone’s responsibility, and we are resolute in fulfilling our duty with honor and efficiency.

Commandant of the Gendarmerie of Saint-Martin

 WILLEMSTAD, CURACAO:--- The Public Prosecutor's Office has officially dissolved the "Kaso Melkar" case, which will no longer proceed to criminal court, and no suspects have been identified in the investigation.
The case began on August 1, 2023, when RST officials, supported by financial investigators, raided the Melkar office on Jan Noorduynweg.
Despite nearly two years of administrative reviews, no significant findings were uncovered. Investigators also visited other locations, including one in Sunset Heights, with the intent to confiscate documents. However, the financial investigation, overseen by Commissioner Van Vuren, yielded limited results.

The Public Prosecutor's Office initially suspected Melkar of facilitating money laundering activities for its clients. The company, established in 2020 with a MasterCard International license, introduced innovative payment solutions, including a prepaid card system that allowed users to make purchases via QR codes. Despite its promising start, Melkar ceased operations shortly after its launch.
The case has now been closed, with no further actions or updates from the company's director or the authorities.