THE NETHERLANDS (THE HAGUE) – Recently, Minister Plenipotentiary Drs. Gracita R.
Arrindell attended a table discussion on Kingdom relations at the invitation of the Dutch
Safety Board.
The minister was joined by, among others, the Minister Plenipotentiary of Curaçao, Carlson
Manuel and the representatives of the emergency services from Aruba and Curaçao.
The meeting was organized as part of the Dutch Safety Board’s ambition to contribute to
improved safety across the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The Board now aims to better
engage with the authorities of the Caribbean countries and increase awareness of its role
and potential.
The session included introductory exchanges, a brief presentation on the work of the Dutch
Safety Board, and a discussion on how independent safety investigations can enhance
safety.
The conversation also offered space to share experiences and reflect on specific safety
needs in Sint Maarten.
The Dutch Safety Board is independent from the Dutch government and other parties. It is
an independent administrative body. The Board has a legal obligation to conduct
investigations after aviation, shipping, chemical, petrochemical industry and railway
occurrences.
In other cases, the Board can decide which occurrences and topics to investigate.
Investigations of the Dutch Safety Board must contribute to offering certainty about the
cause of an incident or raising safety issues that do not receive sufficient attention, or
improving learning capacities, or resolving deadlocks.
In 2024 the Board expressed to initiate voluntary investigations in the areas of digital
security, ecological safety and social safety.
The Dutch Safety Board does not conduct investigations on culpability or liability.
