Following a successful visit in 2024 where Aruba served as host, inter-institutional cooperation on crisis management within the Kingdom of the Netherlands continues to expand. While at that time the main focus was on mass migration issues and the regional geopolitical situation, the current landscape has been greatly influenced by geopolitical developments in Europe that could also affect Aruba. The Director of the Crisis Management Organization (CMO), Rino Hermans, elaborated extensively on the widening of this focus.
During the current working visit to the Netherlands, the Aruban delegation is actively debating the implications that an eventual structural conflict in Europe could have for the Caribbean islands within the Kingdom. “We are talking about what happens if Europe goes to war and what that means for us as part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands,” Hermans explained, indicating that this scenario requires fine-tuning and the finalization of the contingency plan every six months.
Structural cooperation between the countries is maintained through a strict schedule of meetings, both virtual and physical:
• Physical Meetings: Take place twice a year, once in the spring (voorjaar) and once in the autumn (najaar).
• Weekly Communication: Virtually, there is an agenda where they meet every week with partners in the Netherlands to synchronize all plans.
• Next Meeting: The next structural meeting of ‘Kingdom Crisis Management’ (Koninkrijk Crisisbeheersing) will take place in Sint Maarten.
When asked if Aruba is prepared, Director Hermans confirmed that the island is very advanced. A recent study, funded by the Netherlands, demonstrated that the resilience (weerbaarheid) and recovery capacity (veerkracht) of the people of Aruba are structurally good. However, Hermans emphasized that there is still a long way to go to reach the ideal level, especially regarding the pillar of awareness.
“The main goal of our information (voorlichting) plan is to raise awareness among the public to become self-sufficient. A citizen cannot depend solely on the government during a period of crisis. Each person must take care of themselves, prepare their family plan, and neighborhood plan. Only in this way can we all be safe,” Hermans directly declared.
The CMO delegation will conclude their intensive working visit to the Netherlands by formalizing the new agreements to guarantee Aruba’s safety in the future.
