GREAT BAY--From June 8 to 12, 2026, members of the No Mas No More (NMNM) working group gathered in Sint Maarten and St. Eustatius for their annual work conference.
The conference brought together representatives from Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, Saba, St. Eustatius, Sint Maarten, and the Dutch ministries of Health, Welfare and Sport (VWS), Education, Culture and Science (OCW), and Justice and Security (JenV). The goal was to strengthen cooperation in combating domestic violence and child abuse.
During the week, participants worked on topics such as the future ratification and implementation of the Istanbul
Convention, temporary barring orders, inter-island cooperation for victim support and early detection of risk factors related to gender-based violence. In addition, participants worked on agreements for a common system to better collect data across all islands.
The participants visited various organizations in Sint Maarten and St. Eustatius. They visited local organizations such as Women’s Shelters, Victim Support Services, and the Court of Guardianship, to learn about local initiatives. There was also a special exchange between the NMNM working group and the Multidisciplinary Consultation (MDO) of St. Eustatius, where they gained insight into how local organizations collaborate and coordinate cases.
For Carmen Grefte (NMNM Chairwoman) and Ereina Hunt-Gorden (St. Eustatius representative), the conference
highlighted the value of uniting professionals to create a Kingdom-wide approach against domestic violence and child abuse.
No Mas No More is a Kingdom working group that promotes cooperation between the six Caribbean islands and the
Netherlands to prevent and address domestic violence and child abuse.
