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.”
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.
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.
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