SINT MAARTEN (GREAT BAY) - The Unified Resilient St. Maarten Movement (URSM) expresses its profound gratitude to the people of St. Maarten for their unwavering patience and understanding throughout the coalition government formation process not withstanding a significant delay in receiving the screening reports. 

"In the face of attempts by opposition members to politicize the process, URSM emphasizes the importance of maintaining a focus on the collective well-being of our nation. The politicization of government formation efforts serves only to hinder progress and disrupt the stability essential for effective governance," URSM board stated.

Moreover, URSM condemns any unfounded criticism directed at the formateur, URSM Leader MP Dr. Luc Mercelina. Such actions demonstrate a lack of responsibility and political maturity, detracting from the constructive dialogue necessary for successful nation building. It is imperative that all stakeholders prioritize the dissemination of accurate, factual information and refrain from exploiting the situation for personal or political gain.

URSM acknowledges Dr. Luc Mercelina's exemplary dedication and commitment in fulfilling the role of formateur. His timely submission of the final report to the Governor reflects a steadfast commitment to upholding the principles of transparency and accountability in government. URSM anticipates that all aspects of the coalition agreement, inclusive of all nine candidate ministers as proposed in his final report to the Governor will be upheld.

"As St. Maarten prepares for the next phase of governance, URSM reaffirms its commitment to fostering unity, resilience, and progress for the betterment of our nation and its citizens," URSM board concluded.

SINT MAARTEN (DUTCH QUARTER) - On the evening of April 23rd, 2024, at approximately 11:00 pm, the Police Central Dispatch of Sint Maarten received a concerning call from the St. Maarten Medical Center (SMMC) regarding a young man who arrived at the facility with a gunshot wound to his abdomen.

Promptly responding to the call, police personnel and detectives were dispatched to the SMMC, where they were able to briefly interview the victim before he underwent urgent surgery.

Preliminary investigations suggest that the incident leading to the victim's injury occurred in Dutch Quarter. In response to this serious matter, the Police Force of Sint Maarten has deployed patrols, forensic specialists, and detectives to the location of the shooting.

At this time, the motive behind the shooting remains unclear, and the police are urging anyone with relevant information to come forward and assist in the investigation. We understand the importance of community cooperation in resolving such incidents and ensuring the safety of all residents.

The Police Force of Sint Maarten encourages anyone who may have witnessed the shooting or has information that could aid in the investigation to contact us immediately.

Detectives assigned to the Major Crimes Team urge anyone with knowledge or information concerning this incident to contact KPSM’s Major Crimes team at +1 721 542 2222, ext. 208, 223, or 214.Alternatively, individuals can provide anonymous tips by calling the anonymous tip line at 9300.

SINT MAARTEN (GREAT BAY, (DCOMM) – The Department of Communication (DCOMM) Documentalist Lee Williams recently returned from Aruba attending a National Digital Heritage Strategy Symposium under the banner, “Dutch Caribbean Digital Heritage Week” that was held by Coleccion Aruba.

The Prins Bernard Culture Funds section Caribbean is working in partnership with different stakeholders to keep the Dutch islands heritage alive.

The objective of the working visit is to develop a National Archives of Sint Maarten which entails digitalizing government historical records, videos and photo collections from the past which had to be salvaged from hurricane Irma and Maria. The aforementioned would be the nation’s first digital heritage archive of all materials created.

More than 150 heritage organizations work together in the Digital Heritage Network, with the aim of creating a network of digitally connected heritage that is easily findable and usable for various user groups and stakeholders.

The National Digital Heritage Strategy describes how heritage collections can be digitally connected in a sustainable manner. It is of great value that the collections in the Caribbean part of the Kingdom are also sustainably preserved, managed, and made accessible.

The key objectives for all participants are: Mapping existing connections between heritage organizations, individuals, and policy makers; Explore the power of an organizational network: how and where do people know where to find each other?

To map existing knowledge and resources; Identify knowledge and resource exchange; Identify needs regarding support for heritage organizations and heritage management persons; and the introduction to the Netwerk Digitaal Erfgoed and the National Strategy Digital Heritage.

The conference took place from April 8 – 12.

SINT MAARTEN (GREAT BAY) - With the Caribbean region as a prime target to invigorate St. Maarten's year-round tourism market share, the St. Maarten Tourism Bureau (STB), represented by its Caribbean Marketing Agent IMBRACE, embarked on a series of sales calls at the end of March. The focus included select islands in the South and Eastern Caribbean with initial partnership-building visits to Trinidad, Barbados, and Antigua.

These sales calls incorporated a series of productive meetings and presentations to travel agencies, the media, event promoters and airlines to explore cross-promotional partnerships, strategically forged towards driving increased awareness and appeal of St. Maarten as a key tourism destination. "The goal is to elevate the promotion of our island throughout the wider Caribbean region. We aim to redefine the narrative surrounding St. Maarten, shifting the focus from solely being a connecting hub to showcasing the diverse multi-cultural vacation experiences that we have to offer, including entertainment, culture, gastronomy, adventurous excursions, nature, nightlife, the outstanding accommodations available, high-quality hospitality services and more. These all form a vital component of the 'Sweet SXM Experience' that we are promoting," shared Jacqueline Louis, CEO IMBRACE.

"We are knocking on doors, breaking down walls and actively paving the way into the Caribbean region. These efforts are essential to keep the island top of mind for inbound tourism" shared Louis. "We were received with a warm welcome among our Caribbean brothers and sisters. Several travel agencies, including Amrals Travel Agencies in Trinidad, Going Places Travel Agencies in Barbados, and many others are among those who have agreed to develop promotional packages that include offers to our dual-nation island paradise."

Additionally, discussions were held to explore affordable rates, direct connections, and cooperative campaigns, particularly for major events such as the SMART conference, St. Maarten Carnival, St. Maarten culinary month and other local festivities.

During radio interviews and other media presentations, the enthusiasm was invigorating as IMBRACE promoted the destination with passion, while launching a Caribbean-wide campaign to enter and get a chance to 'Win an all-inclusive vacation to Sweet St. Maarten!'

"IMBRACE's Caribbean tourism marketing initiatives are focused on building collaborative bridges where there were once competitive barriers. Connecting our shared historical, regional and family bonds will help stimulate increased affinity, awareness and thereby, also grow the tourism appeal of our Sweet St. Maarten," shared Jacqueline Louis.

These efforts will be continuous as IMBRACE remains dedicated to strategically implementing various campaigns as part of the comprehensive Caribbean marketing program.

Local hospitality providers, including hotels, restaurants, car rentals, activity/tour companies and all stakeholders are encouraged to participate in STB's Caribbean marketing efforts by sharing their products and regional promotions for inclusion in the ongoing destination marketing efforts.

Jacqueline Louis, CEO IMBRACE