Mercelina: EOC Project is a promise to safeguard St. Maarten’s future‍

GREAT BAY--The Honorable Prime Minister Dr. Luc Mercelina today reaffirmed his government’s commitment to the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) project during a High-Level Meeting chaired by the World Bank and led by Ms. Ayat Soliman, Director of Strategy and Operations for the Latin America and Caribbean region.

The meeting gathered senior representatives, including Mr. Stuart Johnson (Chief of Staff), the Honorable Patrice Gumbs (Minister of VROMI), the Honorable Melissa Gumbs (Minister of ECYS), Ronald Halman (Steering Committee Member of St. Maarten), Frans Weekers (Steering Committee of The Netherlands), Gerbert Kunst (Dutch Representative), Eugene Rhuggenaath (Executive Director of the World Bank for The Netherlands), Lilia Burunciuc (World Bank Country Director for the Caribbean), and Toyin Jagha, who heads the World Bank’s Sint Maarten Trust Fund portfolio.

At the center of discussions was St. Maarten’s ongoing effort to build resilience in the face of natural hazards. The Prime Minister emphasized that the EOC remains one of the government’s highest priorities, describing it as vital to protecting lives, coordinating disaster response, and strengthening national resilience.

“The people of Sint Maarten have endured some of the most severe climate-related shocks in the region. Ensuring that our Emergency Operations Center is completed and fully operational is not just a project—it is a promise to safeguard our country’s future,” Prime Minister Mercelina said. “We are grateful to the World Bank and our international partners for continuing to work with us to deliver on this crucial initiative.”

The EOC project is part of a broader resilience strategy. St. Maarten is frequently impacted by hurricanes and floods and faces risks from earthquakes and tsunamis. While crisis management has improved since Hurricane Irma, gaps remain in information management—the backbone of coordination among crisis teams. The EOC project aims to close these gaps by enhancing information sharing between government entities, embedding self-sustaining training and education, strengthening crisis management capacity through clear standard operating procedures, and fostering shared regional principles for crisis coordination.

The broader objective is to anchor the long-term resilience and self-sufficiency of the Government of St. Maarten in crisis management. Specifically, the project seeks to improve government capacity in information management, human resources, and technical preparedness to anticipate, adapt, and respond swiftly to future calamities. A key component will be the establishment of a knowledge center for crisis management training, ensuring lasting expertise and ownership within government institutions.

“These projects represent a comprehensive approach to building a stronger, more resilient Sint Maarten,” Prime Minister Mercelina added. “Our government will ensure that the momentum is sustained, and that resources are efficiently directed to benefit our people.”

The meeting concluded with an agreement to accelerate collaboration on the identified projects. The Emergency Operations Center will stand not only as a physical facility but also as a symbol of Sint Maarten’s determination to protect its citizens and secure its future through strengthened crisis management and self-reliance.

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