St Kitts and Nevis ratify Cartagena Convention Protocols
Kingston, Jamaica January 24. The Federation of St Kitts and Nevis has ratified two of
the three protocols of The Cartagena Convention, the regional legal agreement which
governs the Protection and Development of the Marine Environment of the Wider
Caribbean Region (WCR). The protocols are the Specially Protected Areas and Wildlife
(SPAW) and Land Based Sources of Marine Pollution (LBS). The ratifications took effect
on September 26, 2024, and bring to 19 and 16 respectively the number of countries
that have signed on to those two Protocols of the Convention.
Welcoming the announcement Chris Corbin, Coordinator of the Cartagena Convention
Secretariat of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) said “the ratification
of both Protocols on Marine Biodiversity and Marine Pollution by the Government of St.
Kitts and Nevis demonstrates the continued importance of the Cartagena Convention
and its Protocols and the role that it can play to support Governments of the WCR to
respond to environmental challenges while taking advantage of new green and blue
economy opportunities.”
Dr. Joyelle Clarke, Minister of Sustainable Development, Environment and Climate
Action, and Constituency Empowerment in St Kitts and Nevis, stated: “The Government
of St Kitts and Nevis has prioritized development with sustainability, environmental
stewardship, and biodiversity protection at its core. This is a significant step towards
our transition to a Sustainable Island State where legislation and policy must support
our ambitions for a protected, pollution-free environment. We must thank Christopher
Corbin and the entire UNEP regional team for their support in moving us forward with
the ratification of both protocols.”
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The Honourable Samal Duggins, Minister of Agriculture and Marine Resources, added:
“The ratification of these protocols underscores our commitment to safeguarding our
marine ecosystems, which are vital to our food security, livelihoods, and resilience
against climate change. These actions reflect our dedication to creating a sustainable
balance between development and the protection of our natural resources for
generations to come.”
Susana Perera Valderrama Programme Management Officer, of the SPAW Sub-
Programme at the Secretariat noted that “the ratification of the SPAW Protocol by Saint
Kitts and Nevis is a significant step for protecting the country’s unique marine
biodiversity and supporting conservation across the WCR and globally. This milestone
highlights the importance of regional cooperation, and we encourage the nine remaining
countries that are still not contracting parties to join the SPAW Protocol to strengthen
collective efforts for safeguarding our Caribbean marine shared natural heritage.”
Laverne Walker, Programme Management Officer for the Marine Pollution Programme
at the Secretariat stated that “the Government of St. Kitts and Nevis ratification of the
LBS Protocol signifies the priority placed on mitigating the impacts of land-based
sources of pollution on the marine and coastal resources of the Wider Caribbean
Region. The Cartagena Convention Secretariat has recognized the efforts taken by St
Kitts and Nevis to reduce the impacts of pollutants and it is in this regard that the
Secretariat has supported the country’s participation in three regional projects focusing
on reducing the impacts of pollution into the Convention area. The Secretariat looks
forward to continued engagement with the Government in its efforts to reduce the
negative impacts of pollutants on the marine environment.”
The Cartagena Convention Secretariat is currently engaged in several projects that are
geared towards the protection of the Caribbean Sea. They include the Global
Environment Facility (GEF) funded Caribbean Regional Fund for Wastewater
Management + Project which seeks to implement innovative, technical small-scale
solutions using an integrated water and wastewater management approach; and
PROMAR which contributes to the reduction of plastic pollution and litter entering the
marine environment in the British Virgin Islands, Guyana, Suriname, St. Kitts and Nevis,
and Trinidad and Tobago. There is also the GEF funded Integrating Water, Land and
Ecosystems Management in Caribbean Small Island Developing States (IWECo) project
which supported Caribbean Small Island Developing States over the last 5 years to
address biodiversity resource management, land degradation, and climate change.
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About the Cartagena Convention
The Convention for the Protection and Development of the Marine Environment of the
Wider Caribbean Region (WCR) or Cartagena Convention is a regional legal agreement
for the protection of the Caribbean Sea. Adopted in Cartagena, Colombia in 1983 it
entered into force in 1986. It is supported by three technical agreements or Protocols on
Oil Spills, Specially Protected Areas and Wildlife (SPAW) and Land Based Sources of
Marine Pollution (LBS). Currently 26 United Nations Member States in the Wider
Caribbean Region have ratified the Convention.
About the UN Environment Programme (UNEP)
UNEP is the leading global voice on the environment. It provides leadership and
encourages partnership in caring for the environment by inspiring, informing and
enabling nations and peoples to improve their quality of life without compromising that
of future generations.
-end-
For more information, please contact:
Christopher Corbin
Coordinator, Cartagena Convention Secretariat
Ecosystems Division
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
14-20 Port Royal Street, Kingston, JAMAICA
E mail: Christopher.Corbin@un.org; Tel. # 1 876 922 9267-69; Fax # 1 876 922 9292
Mobile # 1876 881 9320
URL: http://www.unep.org/cep
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