At UNOC25, Minister Clarke Positions SISA as Model for Global Plastics Treaty

Nice, France, June 11, 2025 (PMO) — St. Kitts and Nevis joined 94 other nations in a landmark declaration unveiled at the 3rd United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC), endorsing The Nice Wake Up Call for an Ambitious Plastics Treaty. Representing the Federation, Hon. Dr. Joyelle Clarke, Minister of Sustainable Development, Environment and Climate Action, was personally selected to deliver remarks at the global event, amplifying the voice of Caribbean Small Island Developing States (SIDS) in the global plastics negotiation process.

In her address before global ministers and delegates, Minister Clarke made a compelling case for the treaty that recognizes the intersecting crises of plastic pollution, climate change, and biodiversity loss, especially for vulnerable nations like St. Kitts and Nevis. “We’re not only dealing with plastic pollution, we’re dealing with climate crisis and biodiversity loss,” Clarke stated. “We have small economies. We’re extremely vulnerable, and our ability to respond is limited, and we need partnership and support to do so.”

Dr. Clarke outlined three key priorities for Caribbean SIDS in the negotiation process, beginning with the regulation and management of single-use plastics, a policy St. Kitts and Nevis has already enforced under its Sustainable Island State Agenda (SISA). “This is not just an ambitious environmental action, it’s a political action, and it’s an action for survival,” she emphasized.

The Minister further called for a treaty that addresses the full life cycle of plastics, from production and consumption to waste management, as enshrined in UNEA Resolution 5/14. “We want to see a full commitment to addressing full life cycle plastics and waste management,” she said, reinforcing the call for a binding global framework.

Crucially, she stressed the necessity of special financing mechanisms tailored to the unique vulnerabilities of SIDS. “Our very small, exposed economies cannot respond to plastic pollution, especially plastic pollution that is not of our own creation,” Clarke stated. “There must be remediation. We must pay, but it must not be paid by the small, hard-hit states alone.”

The Nice Wake Up Call outlines five pillars for the treaty: reduction in production and consumption of primary plastic polymers, phasing out problematic plastic products, improved product design, robust implementation and financing, and a dynamic, enforceable structure that can evolve with new evidence. These elements are expected to guide final negotiations set to conclude at INC-5.2 in Geneva this August.

Notably, the SISA framework of St. Kitts and Nevis is already being looked at as a potential model by other signatory countries. The Federation’s early action and policy leadership position it at the forefront of shaping a historic treaty that seeks to end plastic pollution globally, protect ecosystems, and secure a livable planet for future generations.