During his visit to Curaçao in connection with the Justice Four-Party Consultation (Justitieel Vierlandenoverleg), the Minister of Justice, Integration, Public Transport, and Energy, Mr. Drs. Arthur Dowers, held a meeting with Giuseppe Mancinelli, Deputy Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean of the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), regarding the project for a new prison in Aruba.
Meetings between Minister Dowers and UNOPS executives have been taking place for some time now to look into the possibilities for cooperation in the development of a new correctional institution for Aruba.
In early 2026, during his visit to Sint Maarten, Minister Dowers met with UNOPS executives. During this meeting, they discussed UNOPS’s experience in providing technical assistance, project management, and financial supervision of public projects.
Contact with UNOPS also arose given the organization’s experience in Sint Maarten, where UNOPS provides assistance in the development of the new correctional institution in Point Blanche. The project includes technical assistance for the design and supervision of infrastructure implementation, with a focus on resilience, security, and dignified conditions for detainees.
For Aruba, UNOPS’s experience with the project in Sint Maarten is relevant in the process of exploring the possibility of a new prison. The current situation at KIA makes the development of a modern correctional institution no longer an option, but a necessity, and it has the full attention of the Minister of Justice.
The meeting in Curaçao is part of the ongoing contact between Aruba and UNOPS, as they continue to explore the possibilities for cooperation and technical assistance for the new prison project for Aruba.