PHILIPSBURG - The Child Protection Agencies of the Dutch Caribbean and Judges of the Joint Court of Justice of Aruba, Curaçao, St. Maarten, Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba held a one-day conference in St. Maarten entitled “The Child as Focus of Attention in the Caribbean, Together, We are Stronger.”

 

  The conference was initiated and hosted by Dutch public entities Bonaire, St. Eustatius, and Saba (the BES islands) and attended by representatives of the BES islands and St. Maarten. The related entities – Court of Guardianship, Child Protection Services, Centre of Youth and Family and the Court officials – came together to discuss the legal framework of protective measures, matters related to alimony requests/collection and other matters of interest.

 

  Paramount also was seeking ways these organisations can work better with each other in a more efficient and effective manner to provide assistance to each other in the service of protecting the children in their respective countries.

 

  At the opening of the conference, there was a welcome address by Minister of Justice Rafael Boasman, who welcomed participants and encouraged a productive meeting, seeing the critical importance of the topic and the real-life situations of the countries and islands.

 

  Other opening remarks were given by St. Maarten Court of Guardianship Director Richelda Rodriguez-Emmanuel and BES islands Centre of Youth and Family substitute Director Ingrid Sealy.

 

  Short lectures were given by Judge Mauritsz de Kort (St. Maarten), Judge Gerardus van den Dungen (Bonaire), Ingrid Sealy and BES islands Court of Guardianship Director Curvin George. George also chaired the panel discussion and the debate on the different elements of child protection.

 

  The attendees were committed in their efforts to offer the same quality of protection and care to minors living on the respective islands of the Dutch Caribbean.