Curaçao, Dutch Caribbean:--- In the afternoon of Wednesday, 5 November 2025, the Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance (DCNA), in partnership with Caribbean Research and Management of Biodiversity (CARMABI) Foundation, will host the “Healthy Waters. Thriving Nature. Vibrant Communities” symposium on Curaçao. This event brings together scientists, decision-makers, community representatives, and conservation practitioners from across the Caribbean to spotlight the vital links between water quality, human health, and ecosystem resilience.
The symposium will also mark two significant milestones:
● The launch of DCNA’s Conservation and Restoration of Key Habitats Program, a multi-year initiative to strengthen habitat protection and restoration across the Dutch Caribbean.

● A celebration of 70 years of CARMABI’s contributions to research and conservation in the Dutch Caribbean.

Why this matters
Water is the lifeblood of coastal ecosystems and the communities that depend on them. In the Dutch Caribbean and beyond, changes in nutrient levels, chemical loads, microbial activity, wastewater inputs, and other stressors are increasingly affecting coral reefs, mangroves, fisheries, and human well-being. This symposium aims to raise awareness, share best practices, and influence the science-to-policy pipeline for water quality protection.
Key themes and presentations
Attendees will hear keynote presentations from leading experts such as:
● Mark Vermeij (University of Amsterdam - CARMABI) on the status of coral reefs in the Dutch Caribbean.
● Andreas Haas (NIOZ) on microbial and chemical perspectives of coastal water quality around Curaçao.

● Andy Estep (Waitt Institute) on moving from science to policy in water quality protection.

● Jos Hill (The Nature Conservancy) on wastewater solutions and climate resilience.

● Marko Tosic (IOC Caribe, UN Oceans Decade) on coastal pollution science and regional policy.

Additional talks will cover DCNA Key Habitats Program (Arno Verhoeven) and reflections on 70 years of CARMABI research (Manfred van Veghel).

Who should attend
This symposium is relevant for marine scientists, environmental managers, government policy makers, NGO staff, private sector actors with coastal interests, community groups, and anyone working in or caring about coastal water quality, ecosystem health and community resilience in the Caribbean and beyond.
Format & registration
The event will take place on 5 November 2025 in Curaçao, and will also be available online via Zoom. Online Registration is free and open to all.

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Minister of Public Health, Social Development and Labor (VSA), Richinel Brug, has expressed his support for the initiative taken by Minister of Finance, Hon. Marinka J. Gumbs, to commission the Government Audit Bureau (SOAB) to conduct a financial audit of the OZR Fund. This fund is managed by the Social and Health Insurances (SZV) on behalf of the Government of Sint Maarten.

“This is a another positive and necessary step toward improving transparency and accountability in the management of public funds. This audit will help bring clarity to the financial position of the OZR Fund and strengthen public confidence in how these important funds are managed. It is unfortunate that this audit was not conducted before considering the financial challenges of SZV.” stated Minister Brug.

The OZR Fund (“Overheidsziektekostenregeling”) provides health coverage for civil servants, teachers, and government-affiliated employees. Minister Brug noted that regular financial reviews are essential to ensure the fund remains sustainable and continues to meet its obligations to public sector workers and their families.

“This effort shows this government’s shared responsibility in promoting transparency and sound financial management,” Minister Brug continued. “By working together, we can ensure that SZV and the OZR Fund are managed effectively and with accountability to the people of Sint Maarten.This audit will also assist Government in the process of repaying the debt owed to SZV.”

The Ministry of VSA will continue to work along the Ministry of Finance and SZV in ensuring that the audit is completed and that its findings contribute to stronger governance practices going forward.

Willemstad:---  During a military ceremony on Monday morning, November 3, 2025, Company Rotation 49 handed over its tasks to the next unit, Rotation 50. The new commander, Captain Roderik Willems from Schaarsbergen, took over command from his predecessor, Major Marco Kamphorst, during a traditional handover ceremony.

After more than four intensive months in the Caribbean, Major Marco Kamphorst looks back with pride on the collaboration and training of the 43rd Brigade Reconnaissance Squadron (BVE) from Havelte. For this deployment, 43rd BVE was reinforced with an engineer reconnaissance platoon from Wezep and two medical evacuation groups from Havelte. “For the unit, it was a unique opportunity to train in this tropical climate and collaborate with CZMCARIB and local security partners. We learned a great deal about operating in the challenging conditions of the Caribbean as part of the CZMCARIB joint headquarters.
Curaçao, Bonaire, and Aruba provided the reconnaissance platoons with the opportunity to enhance their general military skills, as well as more specialized training such as tactical and technical reconnaissance and surveillance tasks, close quarters combat, and the deployment of unmanned systems and drones. Besides working on increasing our own operational readiness, we also collaborated and trained with the Curaçaoan military, CZMCARIB units, and local security partners. It was remarkable to see how, despite differences in background and working methods, we could jointly contribute to security and stability. Although we sometimes had to adjust our ambitions, this period not only increased our knowledge and skills, but also strengthened our situational awareness and ties with our partners in the Caribbean.”

The Charlie "Tiger" Company is beginning its fifth rotation in the Caribbean. Captain Roderik is looking forward to working and training with his unit in the region. As part of the 11th Infantry Battalion, the Grenadiers and Hunters Guards Regiment, they are normally deployed from helicopters or by parachute, within the three main missions of the armed forces. The company delivers high-quality combat power on the ground and from the air. As a company in the West, the emphasis is primarily on foot operations. Over the next four months, the unit will be reinforced with medical capacity from the 11th Medical Company and a UAS group with drones. In addition to being ready to carry out missions for CZMCARIB, the focus will be on its own training program. The climate and environment provide an excellent opportunity to work on physical and mental development, leadership, and determination within the unit. Captain Roderik is looking forward to collaborating with local security partners and expects this to be an enjoyable and productive period.
The Royal Netherlands Army has a permanent company in the Caribbean. This unit, commanded by CZMCARIB, can be deployed for a variety of tasks. Over the next four months, the company will be training in Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao.

PHILIPSBURG:--- The National Employment Services Center (NESC) and C’Z Exclusive Business Services have announced the successful conclusion of their joint Recruitment Drive, held yesterday, October 29th, at the Government Building. The event was a critical step in addressing local workforce needs, resulting in the pre-selection of numerous candidates for a variety of roles across multiple sectors.
The drive saw a significant turnout, with approximately 70 job seekers attending the four-hour event. Candidates were screened for over a dozen available vacancies, including critical positions such as IT Technician, Quality Officer, Bartender, Cooks, and various administrative and labor roles. The high level of engagement demonstrates the strong demand for employment and the community’s eagerness to connect with legitimate job opportunities.
“We are incredibly pleased with the response from the community,” said Lynroy Rey, Business Services Officer of the NESC. “The collaboration with C’Z Exclusive Business Services allowed us to efficiently match eager and qualified candidates with real-world vacancies. We have successfully pre-selected 34 candidates, representing a 48% success rate in connecting job seekers with the next step in their career,” as was further stated by Natasha Samuel, Employment Service Officer of the NESC.
Ms. Chavilly Hook, Managing Director of C’Z Exclusive Business Services added, "Our goal was to streamline the hiring process for our clients, and this partnership with NESC delivered exceptional results. The quality of candidates was high, and we anticipate that this drive will lead to 20-25 immediate hires in the coming weeks. This effort is a testament to our shared commitment to strengthening the local economy through employment.”
The partners confirmed that follow-up interviews and final placement processes are already underway for the pre-selected individuals. The NESC and C’Z Exclusive Business Services look forward to future collaborations to further address employment gaps and provide ongoing support to both businesses and job seekers in the region.