WILLEMSTAD – Curaçaoan parliamentarians Ruisandro Cijntje (PNP) and Juniël Carolina (MFK) represented the island at the historic First Gathering of the ParlAmericas Parliamentary Network on Security, held on 27 and 28 November 2025 in Panama City. The event brought together delegates from 35 countries across the Americas and the Caribbean, with between 60 and 70 participants in attendance.
The meeting took place in the National Assembly of Panama and was fully funded by the Government of Canada. During the official opening ceremony, welcome remarks were delivered by Carlos Alvarado, Secretary-General of the National Assembly of Panama; Canadian Ambassador to Panama Patricia Atkinson; ParlAmericas President Senator Iván Flores of Chile; and Jorge Herrera, President of the National Assembly of Panama.
Throughout the two-day gathering, the Curaçao delegation took part in high-level discussions focusing on regional violence, security challenges, and emerging threats in the Americas and the Caribbean. Parliamentary panels explored geopolitical dynamics, new criminal trends, transnational crime, and the growing impact of climate change on food security and migration.
The program consisted of five thematic sessions featuring expert speakers from organizations including UNDP, the OAS, International IDEA, UN Women, the World Bank, and academic institutions such as King’s College London. Topics included organized crime, coordinated legislative responses, human security, gender-based violence, climate-driven migration, community protection and social vulnerability, and the human security approach as a long-term vision for peace and development.
Participants were encouraged to share experiences, raise questions, and highlight country-specific concerns. Issues that drew particular attention included the disproportionate impact of international crime on small island states, the urgent need for deeper cooperation within the Caribbean and the Americas, and the importance of investing in youth, prevention programs and social development.
At the close of the event, delegates reviewed and formally adopted the Declaration of the Parliamentary Gathering on Security, committing all participating parliamentarians and senators to advancing a comprehensive human-security approach in the region. The first executive committee of the new network was also elected, with Curaçao among the countries offering its support.
The closing session included remarks of gratitude from ParlAmericas President Iván Flores and Director-General Arthur Potts, who emphasized the success of the gathering and acknowledged Canada’s full financial support.
In a message to the people of Curaçao, Cijntje and Carolina stressed that the trip was not merely ceremonial, but an opportunity to bring knowledge, partnerships and concrete commitments back to the island. They underscored that security is not limited to policing and enforcement, but also involves education, sports, culture, employment, public health, climate resilience and safeguarding the future of Curaçao’s youth.
The parliamentarians concluded by reaffirming their intention to work closely with fellow lawmakers at home to strengthen Curaçao’s security framework and ensure that the commitments made in Panama translate into meaningful action on the island.