High on the agenda during the visit was INTERPOL's role in supporting and connecting police in Sint Maarten with the Organization's global tools and services, including to its Stolen and Lost Travel Document database containing almost 33 million items from more than 160 countries.
In this respect, with Sint Maarten a key holiday destination for close to two million visitors a year, the country's President of the Parliament hailed INTERPOL's work in connecting Sint Maarten's airport and seaport to its databases, via mobile or fixed access provided by INTERPOL's MIND/FIND technology.
"Screening cruise ship manifests and air arrivals against INTERPOL's Stolen and Lost Travel Document database will keep citizens and visitors in Sint Maarten safer than they would otherwise be and will therefore strengthen the country's reputation for being a safe and secure tourist destination," said President of the Parliament Drs. Gracita R. Arrindell.
With existing and emerging threats such as human and drug trafficking, the illicit trade in firearms, money laundering, corruption and cyber-crime also topping the agenda during the visit, Minister Duncan underlined the need for INTERPOL and Sint Maarten to further extend INTERPOL's resources to all law enforcement components in the country.
"It is absolutely essential that all of Sint Maarten's law enforcement authorities gain access to INTERPOL's global tools and services so as to establish seamless coordination and cooperation between them and with INTERPOL's global network. This will enhance information exchange and the capacity of our law enforcement officers to address crime," said Mr Duncan.
Secretary General Noble said Sint Maarten had much to contribute to the global policing community and lauded the country's commitment to international law enforcement cooperation.
"I have seen firsthand how Sint Maarten's leadership is committed to its police receiving the necessary support, training and resources to confront existing and emerging crime threats worldwide," said the Head of INTERPOL who visited Sint Maarten in April of this year.
"Sint Maarten is a holiday destination for people from all over the world every year, and INTERPOL looks forward to continuing to work closely with its national authorities to ensure that it remains safe for both citizens and visitors alike," concluded Mr Noble.
Sint Maarten was admitted as an INTERPOL member country during the world police body's 80th General Assembly held in Hanoi, Vietnam, in October 2011.