PHILIPSBURG:--- Human trafficking and human smuggling are serious crimes of a global nature. Among other things, numerous international conventions have been entered into to prevent and combat this. The subject of a prostitution policy and its enforcement is also linked to this, for example through the form of sexual exploitation.

The Law Enforcement Council (the Council) has published another report today on its inspection into the follow-up of previous recommendations on the approach to human trafficking and human smuggling and the prostitution policy and its enforcement. This report concerns Sint Maarten. Based on this inspection, the Council concludes that the approach to human trafficking and human smuggling is (still) inadequate. The Council also concludes that insubstantial progress has been made in the area of updating the prostitution policy and its enforcement.

Follow-up inspection
Earlier in 2019, the Council published a report on the approach to human trafficking and human smuggling, in which it made nine recommendations to the Minister of Justice. In 2016, the Council published a report on the prostitution policy and its enforcement, in which it made six recommendations to the Minister of Justice. In 2023, the Minister of Justice requested that the Council conduct a follow-up inspection into the state of affairs regarding the follow-up to the aforementioned recommendations. In 2023, the Council reviewed the state of affairs in the follow-up to a total of fifteen recommendations.

Results
According to the Council, the results of the follow-up inspection show the importance of urgently (re)prioritizing the integrated approach to human trafficking and human smuggling. Furthermore, according to the reports of the U.S. Department of State, Sint Maarten has not met the minimum standards on this subject for three consecutive years and is not making any significant efforts to do so (Tier 3 status). The Council also notes that no substantial progress has been made in updating and enforcing the prostitution policy for the past seven years. Based on these findings, the Council stresses the urgent need for action.

Prioritizing an integrated approach
It is now up to the minister(s) involved to prioritize the integrated approach to human trafficking and human smuggling, to take the necessary decisions and to facilitate those involved as much as possible in the joint fight against this. This includes the subject of the prostitution policy and its enforcement.

Prosecution, Protection, Prevention and Partnership
The approach to human trafficking and smuggling is based on four main pillars, namely: 'Prosecution’, ‘Protection’, ‘Prevention' and 'Partnership'. These 4Ps form a framework for an effective integrated approach using barrier models. The research shows that there is some development in the field of 'Partnership', but that there is still a lot of room for improvement when it comes to the other three pillars.

Recommendations
In view of the current state of affairs, the Council has formulated two new recommendations in the report now published with regard to elements in the approach to human trafficking and human smuggling. In addition, the Council urgently recommends that the Minister give priority to the implementation of the recommendations that have not yet been followed.

The full inspection report and all other publications of the Council are available digitally in Dutch and English on the website: www.raadrechtshandhaving.com.

PHILIPSBURG:--- St. Maarten’s President of Parliament, Sarah Wescot, recently returned to the island from Oslo, Norway, where she attended an IPCI conference, a gathering of more than 200 MPs, Ministers, VIPs, journalists, and observers.
Explaining the importance of the meeting in Oslo from April 8 -13th, MP Wescot stated that the last IPCI/ICPD was held six years ago in Ottawa, Canada. “As a member of the Steering Committee for preparing the conference in Oslo, I had traveled to Geneva in September of last year”, MP Wescot further explained.
In 2019, a high-level conference commemorated the 25th anniversary of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD), which was held in Cairo in 1994.
The watershed 1994 ICPD in Cairo brought the global community together and reflected on a new consensus about the response to population growth. Delegates also reached a consensus on the inclusion of several issues in the Cairo document, including the relationship between population, environment, sustained economic growth and development; the empowerment of women, population aging; health and mortality, population distribution, urbanization, and internal migration; international migration; reproductive health and family planning; and partnership between Governments and NGOs.
The Oslo conference reviewed the past 30 years of ICPD implementation and resulted in a Statement of Commitment that will be distributed by UNFPA. UNFPA, along with the European Parliamentary Forum for Sexual and Reproductive Rights, is a key partner of the IPCI/ICPD.
The aim of the IPCI is to mobilize and equip parliamentarians worldwide to actively participate in their country and region in promoting the SDGs as the path to sustainable development and universal human rights as the anchor of lasting development.
The Oslo conference review centered on the comprehensive health areas of the SDGs and on target 3.7 in particular, “Ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive healthcare services, including the fundamental human rights related to sexuality and reproduction (SRHR)”.
“As a member of the Global Parliamentary Alliance for Health, Rights, and Development, I attended this conference personally as a parliamentarian and funded by the host organizations, however, it is good to note that the country Sint Maarten as a developing country is featured as a participant in these global conferences along with other small island developing states as well as large countries on all continents”, MP Wescot concluded.

PHILIPSBURG:--- On Saturday, April 20, 2024, at approximately 02:00 PM, the Police Force of Sint Maarten responded to a report of a suspected hit-and-run incident. A police patrol was dispatched to Front Street, where they discovered a male individual sitting on the sidewalk, exhibiting signs of injury, including a bleeding mouth and a swollen forehead. The man appeared to be heavily intoxicated and was barely able to communicate.

Information provided by bystanders indicates that the unknown male victim, under the influence of alcohol, was staggering and collided with one of the benches located on the sidewalk. This caused him to stumble onto the road, where he fell in front of a white taxi, striking the vehicle's front bumper.

The victim was disoriented and unable to provide his name verbally. Additionally, he did not possess any form of identification. Subsequently, he was transported to the Sint Maarten Medical Center (SMMC) by ambulance for further treatment. It was observed that the victim's injuries were not severe, but his level of intoxication was notable.

Later, the taxi driver, identified as R. J. G., was located, and a statement regarding the incident was taken from him.

The Traffic Department of the Police Force of Sint Maarten is investigating this incident thoroughly to determine the circumstances surrounding the Hit and Run.

KPSM Press Release.

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Police Force of Sint Maarten (KPSM) responded to reports of an explosion at a gray apartment complex in the Pointe Blanche area on Friday afternoon, April 19th, 2024, around 5:00 PM. Upon receiving multiple calls regarding the incident, several patrols, ambulances, and the Fire Department were swiftly dispatched to the scene.

Preliminary investigations suggest that the explosion occurred when one of the victims attempted to turn on the stove, resulting in a sudden and powerful blast. This unfortunate incident resulted in severe injuries to both individuals present in the dwelling. Immediate first aid was administered before the victims were transported to the medical center for further treatment.

As of the latest update, both victims were air-evacuated for further medical treatment.

The Police Force of Sint Maarten and the Fire Department are diligently working to investigate the cause of this accident.

KPSM Press Release.