SAINT KITTS AND NEVIS ADVANCES SIDS BIODIVERSITY PRIORITIES AT COP17

Basseterre, St. Kitts, 29 October 2026 – Saint Kitts and Nevis is advancing the priorities of Small Island Developing States (SIDS) at the United Nations Biodiversity Conference (COP17), advocating for accessible and predictable financing, stronger biodiversity monitoring systems, and enhanced regional cooperation to translate global commitments into meaningful national action. Representing the Federation are Mr. Eavin Parry, Head of Delegation and National Focal Point for the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), and Mr. Deora Pemberton, Director of the Department of Physical Planning and Environment in the Nevis Island Administration. Held in Yerevan, Armenia, from 19 to 30 October 2026, COP17 brings together governments and international partners to advance global biodiversity conservation efforts.

This year’s conference marks an important milestone as countries undertake the first global review of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, adopted in 2022. The Framework establishes 23 targets aimed at halting and reversing biodiversity loss by 2030. The review provides an opportunity to assess progress, identify implementation gaps, and determine the support needed to accelerate global conservation efforts. For Small Island Developing States such as Saint Kitts and Nevis, predictable financing, technical capacity and international cooperation are essential to managing protected areas, restoring vulnerable ecosystems and strengthening biodiversity monitoring. The Federation is also emphasising the importance of fair and equitable benefit-sharing from genetic resources, particularly digital sequence information, to ensure that countries and communities safeguarding biodiversity benefit from its value. During the High-Level Segment on 28 October, Mr.…