the maritime conference held in Sint Maarten concluded. Minister of Tourism, Transport, and Labor, Mr. Wendrick Cicilia, was in attendance. This Kingdom-level conference featured the presence of Minister Wendrick Cicilia, Minister Grisha Heyliger, representatives for Minister Charles Cooper and Minister Roderick Middelhof, as well as executives from various Dutch departments.
Two important protocols regarding maritime affairs were signed. The first protocol is a continuation of the Kingdom Maritime Organization, a platform where all maritime affairs departments come together to exchange information, expertise, and knowledge, while also providing mutual support on maritime themes. This agreement is extremely important for Aruba, considering our economy depends on maritime connections—such as cruises and imports—and therefore must comply with all regulations of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the IMSAS Audit. It is necessary to exchange expertise to strengthen our knowledge.
The second protocol signed is a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between various countries within the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the Dutch Safety Board (Onderzoeksraad voor Veiligheid). This concerns maritime accidents that may occur in our territorial waters and grants us the opportunity to request that the Dutch Safety Board conduct an investigation in conjunction with local experts.
Additionally, several important topics were addressed, such as Aruba’s preparations for the IMSAS Audit, the ratification of international treaties, and local legislation regarding maritime issues like safety at sea. There is a need for significant legislation; the Ministry of Transport is committed to ensuring these laws reach the Parliament of Aruba to comply with international regulations and guarantee safety within our territorial waters.
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