High level officials from the Resilience, Sustainable Energy and Marine Biodiversity (RESEMBID) Programme’s lead donor agency, the European Union, visited St. Maarten in January to meet implementing partners and discuss the progress on their project’s implementation. In that context, the delegation visited VNG International’s office on St Maarten.

Primary visiting delegate, Ambassador Rene Van Nes, Head of Delegation, EUD was accompanied by Layla El Khadraoui, EU Commission Programme and Policy Manager. The delegation visited VNG International in the context of the Fostering Resilient Crisis Management (FRCM) project. The FRCM project aims to improve capacities of government entities in St Maarten in the fields of crisis management, information management and human resources and capacities in order to anticipate and adapt to crises, provide for a swift response in future calamities; and to work towards self-sufficiency in the field of crisis management training by setting up a knowledge centre.

Sr. Project Manager, Mr. Elger Vermeer, presented the work of VNG International and FRCM on St. Maarten, the results achieved so far and the planning for the upcoming period.