SINT MAARTEN (GREAT BAY) - On the 27th and 28th of February, the conference "Towards a solid foundation for an effective approach" took place on Bonaire on the theme of administrative approach to undermining.
The participants indicated that it is good that within the Caribbean part of the Kingdom, the autonomous countries and the Caribbean Netherlands seek cooperation with each other. Crime does not stop at the island’s borders and relocation of criminal activities between the islands must be prevented.
Learning from one another
The autonomous countries and the Caribbean Netherlands both encounter similar trends in criminality and are trying to develop similar administrative instruments for tackling subversive criminality.
That is also why they recognise the need for cooperation. This will allow them to learn a lot from one another. In addition, lasting administrative commitment is needed from all governments. In June, progress will be evaluated during the Judicial Four-party Consultation.
Regional Information and Expertise Centre Caribbean Netherlands (RIEC CN)
The conference follows on from the Administrative approach Working group, which operates under the Judicial Four-Party Consultation that is attended by Aruba, Curaçao, St. Maarten, BZK and JenV.
The Regional Information and Expertise Centre Caribbean Netherlands (RIEC CN) started on Bonaire last year (see: Public Entity of Bonaire: Covenant RIEC CN ratified (bonairegov.com) and involves security partners that want to gain a better insight into the various guises of organised and subversive criminality in the Caribbean Netherlands.
The Caribbean Countries would like to expand their network and are examining how cooperation with RIEC CN can be realised and how knowledge and expertise can be exchanged. That is why Bonaire was selected as the location for the conference.
1 million for administrative approach
The administrative approach to undermining involves examining how – besides a penal approach – administrative measures can also be implemented to prevent, identify and address potential subversive criminality.
When doing so, possible options could include refusing or revoking exploitation licences, screening during purchases and tenders, shutting down premises and modifying zoning plans.
Since 2022, BZK has allotted 1 million euros to the Caribbean countries Aruba, Curaçao and St. Maarten for initiatives relating to the administrative approach. In order to effectively arrange this, a protocol was established and published in the Government Gazette in 2023: Government Gazette 2023, 33574 | Overheid.nl > Official announcements (officielebekendmakingen.nl).
Review conference programme
Here are some of the topics that were discussed during the conference:
- The history of the administrative approach in the European Netherlands and best practices with administrative instruments.
- Projects that the Caribbean countries are currently carrying out to foster the administrative approach.
- The approach of the RIEC CN.
- The plan for the Dutch commitment to tackle organized undermining crime in the Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) region.
- The Bibob Act, which is an instrument that allows e.g. permits and real estate transactions to be screened by the government.
- Utilising best practices from the cooperation between Financial Intelligence Units in the Kingdom.
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