“We Have the Power to Lead” Minister Clarke Opens UNOC25 Side Event with Strong Call for Ocean Action
Nice, France, June 11, 2025 (PMO) — Minister of Environment and Climate Action, Hon. Dr. Joyelle Clarke, delivered the opening remarks at a high-level side event during the 3rd United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC25) in Nice, France. The event, titled “Actioning Blue: Unlocking Sustainable Ocean Financing and Enhanced Ocean Coordination for Caribbean SIDS,” centered on the launch of two landmark regional initiatives: the Ocean Coordination Mechanism and the Actioning Blue: 30×30 Vision.
In her address, Minister Clarke emphasized the power of intentional collaboration and multilateralism in confronting the existential ocean and climate crises facing Small Island Developing States (SIDS).
Minister Clarke used the opportunity to speak to the Federation’s ambitious commitment of becoming a Sustainable Island State by 2040, noting that this bold transformation requires strategic investment, regional cooperation, and international partnerships. “This meant that we had to take into full account the means required to make this vision a possibility, and unsurprisingly, multilateralism and enhanced cooperation remain at the top of the list,” she said.
Highlighting Saint Kitts and Nevis’ immediate support for the Ocean Coordination Mechanism, Clarke affirmed the Federation’s alignment with regional efforts under the OECS and its commitment to implementing the Kunming-Montreal Biodiversity Framework.
“Multilateralism is our enduring tool for progress. Let us not underrate or take for granted our time in these plenary spaces. Here, in this room, we have the power to lead, we have the power to deconstruct our challenges and find within them even the tiniest portions of opportunity,” she declared.
Echoing the theme of the event, Clarke urged that Actioning Blue must be more than a phrase. “We are here to leave no stone unturned in our quest to action blue – not as a slogan but as our survival strategy,” she said, as she called on international partners to respond with urgency to the financing, capacity-building, and governance needs of SIDS.
The side event solidified Caribbean SIDS’ shared commitment to sustainable ocean governance and reinforced Saint Kitts and Nevis’ position as a thought leader and active driver in the global blue economy and ocean diplomacy agenda.
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