St Kitts and Nevis makes impactful contribution to Ministerial meetings in advance of UNEP’s Meeting to Secure a Global Plastic Treaty

BASSETERRE, St Kitts, 23 April 2024 – In building momentum ahead of COP16, the Government of St Kitts and Nevis through the Ministry of Environment, Climate Action & Constituency Empowerment is participating in several Ministerial and bilateral events ahead of the United Nations Environment Program’s Fourth Session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-4). All being held in Ottawa, Canada from 21-29 April 2024.

INC-4 is aimed at furthering the historic 2022 resolution adopted at the UN Environment Assembly-5.2 to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, which includes the marine environment.

During a Ministerial Event dubbed, “Peace with Nature: Preparing for CBD’s COP16”, Hon Dr Joyelle Clarke, Minister of Environment, Climate Action and Constituency Empowerment, made an intervention in an open discussion titled, “What progress at the national level will you be able to demonstrate or announce at COP16?” Minister Clarke said St Kitts and Nevis is now receiving Early Action Support through UN Development Programme and will complete the following:

1. Begin the alignment of the National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAP) to the 23 Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) targets. During the next couple months from April-September 2024.

2. Develop and Submit National Targets for St Kitts and Nevis ahead of COP16.

The Minister when responding to, “What role do you intend to play towards ensuring COP16 success?”, said St Kitts and Nevis is very pleased with its progress and commitments towards regional cooperation for SIDS, towards a successful COP16.

She said, “We start by thanking the Government of Canada for its continued leadership and support in building serious momentum since COP15 and also to share our full commitment to Columbia ahead of COP16. St Kitts and Nevis last October came together to adopt a strategic partnership for a resilient future. We view the Nature Champions Network as a critical mechanism for giving life to our strategic bilateral partnership.”

Nature Champions Network, according to the Government of Canada, was launched at the Ministerial on Nature hosted by Canada on August 23, 2023, in British Columbia. It advocates for the rapid implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF), supports continued global ambition on biodiversity and nature and promotes ambitious action toward halting and reversing biodiversity loss both at home and abroad.

INC-4 is a combined effort between the governments of Colombia and Canada along with the Secretariat for the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) ahead of COP16 that will take place later this year in October 2024 in Columbia.

St. Kitts and Nevis also views its participation at the Canadian hosted event as part of efforts to breathe life into the strategic partnership for a resilient future as was agreed when Prime Minister, Hon Dr Terrance Drew and Foreign Minister, the Rt Hon Dr Denzil Douglas last joined Canadian Prime Minister, Rt Hon Justin Trudeau at the CARICOM-Canada Summit last October.