PHILIPSBURG:--- The community of Sint Maarten is being called upon to rally behind the 37ers as the back-to-back Little League Champions prepare to represent the island at the Baseball in Paradise Tournament in Aruba, commencing October 10, 2026.

The young athletes, who play under the Destined for Greatness Foundation, will receive support through the Friendly Island Softball Classic, a community event that brings residents and visitors together for a Locals vs. Tourists softball matchup.

Admission is free, and donations are welcome. Organizers are inviting families, businesses, sports fans, community organizations, residents, and visitors to attend and support the young athletes before they leave Sint Maarten for international competition.

Funds raised through the Friendly Island Softball Classic will directly support the 37ers' trip to Aruba, including travel, accommodations, and tournament-related expenses. The event will also serve as a community send-off for the team.

Organizers are encouraging supporters to fill the ballpark, bring their children, wear Sint Maarten colors, meet the 37ers, and cheer on the team.

The Friendly Island Softball Classic will be held at Jose Lake Ball Park on Gladiola Road, Sint Maarten. The matchup will feature Locals vs. Tourists, with free admission and donations welcomed.

The 37ers earned the opportunity to compete internationally after becoming back-to-back Little League Champions. The Destined for Greatness Foundation said the Classic will directly assist with the team's travel, accommodations, and tournament costs.

The event is supported by a number of sponsors, including The Setai St. Maarten, Native Nations SXM, Princess Juliana International Airport, Dock Maarten, Republic Bank, Bethlehem Real Estate Development N.V., Port St. Maarten Group of Companies, The Cliff SXM, Central Bank of Curaçao and Sint Maarten, Versant Accountants and Consultants, Motorworld St. Maarten, IGY Marinas, Nagico Insurances, Sunline Technical Maintenance, Sage Consulting B.V., Hoeve & Rogers Attorneys & Consultants, Divi Little Bay Beach Resort, Windward Roads and Oyster Bay Beach Resort.

For additional event information, sponsorship opportunities, donations, and updates, visit the Friendly Island Softball Classic website. Media and community inquiries can be directed to the Destined for Greatness Foundation at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

NEW YORK:--- Minister of Public Health, Social Development and Labor (VSA), the Honorable Claret Connor, delivered remarks during the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly at the UN Global Compact High-Level Forum on the Coalition for Sustainable Procurement.

Connor attended the high-level engagements on behalf of Prime Minister Dr. Luc F.E. Mercelina, who was originally scheduled to participate but remained in Sint Maarten to address pressing local matters.

Addressing ministers, heads of delegation, United Nations representatives, development partners and private-sector leaders, Connor described sustainable procurement as a powerful instrument for development, particularly for small island states such as Sint Maarten.

“Procurement is not simply an administrative tool; it is a development tool,” Connor said. “It is one of the principal means through which governments convert public resources into meaningful and measurable outcomes for the people we serve.”

A central feature of the morning’s programme was the official launch of the Sustainable Procurement Implementation Framework. The framework was presented as a global public good for governments to endorse and as a practical mechanism to help companies incorporate sustainability into their procurement decisions and operations.

Representing the Government of Sint Maarten as part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands delegation, Connor commended the UN Global Compact and its partners for launching the Coalition for Sustainable Procurement.

He also welcomed the Sustainable Procurement Implementation Framework, saying it could provide practical guidance to governments seeking to maximize the impact of public resources and development assistance.

“Every procurement dollar spent represents an opportunity—an opportunity to deliver better services, strengthen our economy, build institutional capacity, enhance resilience and advance sustainable development,” Connor said.

“We must consider not only what we purchase and at what cost, but also the economic, social, environmental and institutional value that our purchasing decisions can create.”

The programme included presentations and recommendations from private-sector members of the coalition, including Schneider Electric, Outokumpu, Intrepid Travel, BBVA and Renew. Their contributions focused on the policy measures and public-sector support needed to advance sustainable procurement throughout the private sector.

The high-level deliberations brought public- and private-sector decision-makers together to examine critical procurement challenges, identify partnership opportunities and advance practical solutions that use procurement to support the objectives of the Pact for the Future.

Connor also underscored the connection between sustainable procurement and good governance. He said effective frameworks could strengthen the ways governments plan, purchase, contract and monitor public expenditure while promoting transparency, accountability, fairness, efficiency and effective oversight.

“These principles are especially important for small island economies, where resources are limited, vulnerabilities are significant and every public investment must deliver the greatest possible value,” the minister stated.

Connor highlighted Sint Maarten’s unique circumstances as an island shared by Dutch Sint Maarten and French Saint-Martin—two territories with different constitutional structures that exist harmoniously alongside one another.

Despite those differences, both sides face similar challenges as small, open economies that depend heavily on imports and remain vulnerable to external shocks and severe tropical weather.

The minister also pointed to Sint Maarten’s strategic geographical position at the heart of air and maritime connectivity in the northeastern Caribbean. He noted that the country serves as an important hub for neighboring islands, including Anguilla, Saint Barthélemy, Saint Kitts and Nevis, and the British Virgin Islands.

According to Connor, this position creates opportunities to strengthen regional partnerships, diversify suppliers, reduce costs and increase resilience. Achieving these objectives, however, will require inclusive and robust procurement practices that properly consider the realities confronting small island states.

“In closing, let us view sustainable procurement not simply as a change in how governments buy, but as a transformation in how governments deliver development,” Connor said. “For Sint Maarten and small island economies more broadly, this is not merely an ambition—it is a practical necessity.”

Connor concluded by urging governments and development partners to make procurement decisions wisely, transparently and purposefully. He said every public investment should contribute to stronger institutions, more resilient communities and a sustainable future for present and future generations.

PHILIPSBURG (DCOMM):--- The parking lot across the street from the Central Bank Building, between Walter A. Nisbeth Road and the Salt Pond, will be temporarily closed to motorized traffic.

The parking lot will close on Thursday evening, September 24, at 7:00 PM and remain closed until Friday evening, September 25, at 11:59 PM.

The closure is for the Sustainable Development Goals Expo, which takes place on Friday, September 25, from 7:00 PM to 11:00 PM.

We greatly appreciate motorists' cooperation.

PHILIPSBURG:---  Volunteers, students, community organizations and businesses came together across Sint Maarten and Saint-Martin for the 2026 International Coastal Cleanup (ICC), removing waste from beaches, coastlines, waterways and surrounding areas. Over three days of activities, approximately 400 volunteers and students participated in the 2026 International Coastal Cleanup, collecting a combined 1554 kilograms of waste from Sint Maarten and Saint-Martin, not including larger debris that could not easily be weighed. The most prevalent items recorded were single-use plastics and foam litter.

The activities kicked off on Friday in Philipsburg, where 96 students from Oranje School, Leonard Conner School and Charlotte Brookson Academy cleaned the beach and boardwalk. In just one hour, the students collected 123 kilograms of trash.

On Saturday morning, an estimated 200 volunteers spread out across Little Bay Beach & Pond, cleaning the beach, pond and roadside. Together, volunteers collected 691 kilograms of litter, excluding heavier debris such as pallets, furniture, vehicle and vessel parts, etc, that were also removed from the beach and waterways. The amount of waste collected was so substantial that it filled the large metal garbage container provided by Meadowlands, and a second one was needed.

Beyond the litter collected, organizers also noted the exacerbation of the larger environmental concerns in the Little Bay area. Construction debris dumped toward the beach has increased significantly. Volunteers also questioned the large amount of filling and debris obstructing parts of the public beach near Little Bay Pond. Considering the decrease of public accessibility to various local beaches, this is highly concerning, it a Caribbean-wide occurrence which has led to the demise of local accessibility throughout the region, all in the name of development. Several vehicle wrecks were also spotted among the mangroves.

The ICC weekend continued on Sunday at Anse des Sables / La Belle Creole on the French side, where over 90 motivated volunteers, including underwater teams, cleaned the coastline and surrounding area, collecting 119 bags of waste weighing 740 kilograms.

Teams and representatives from the Police Department, Teen Times, Learning Unlimited School, Grant Thornton, the Dutch Representative Office, the National Recovery Program Bureau, the World Bank, the St. Maarten Development Foundation, Belair Community, IGY Marinas, the Carib Swim Team, and more were spotted. Member of Parliament Ludmila de Weever and the  Minister of Education, Culture, Youth & Sport Melissa Gumbs also took part.

The International Coastal Cleanup is a worldwide initiative led by Ocean Conservancy. Each year, volunteers in more than 120 countries come together to remove trash from beaches, oceans and waterways while collecting valuable data on marine debris. Throughout the weekend, participants used Ocean Conservancy’s Clean Swell app and data cards to record the types of waste collected. This data helps identify the types and possible sources of debris found along coastlines and can support waste management, anti-littering, education, recycling, and marine conservation efforts. The Clean Swell app can be used year-round to collect data.

At Little Bay, the most commonly recorded items included glass beverage bottles, plastic beverage bottles, bottle caps, plastic grocery bags, cigarette butts and beverage cans. Nearly half (47%) of all recorded items at Little Bay were identifiable single-use plastic or foam products, including plastic bottles, bags, cups, food containers, wrappers, straws and utensils. On the French side, plastic waste also dominated the items recorded, with plastic bags, plastic beverage bottles, and plastic grocery bags among the most common items. Emphasizing the importance of moving away from harmful single-use items to more sustainable alternatives.

The 2026 International Coastal Cleanup was a collaborative effort involving Sint Maarten Pride Foundation, Clean St. Martin Association, Environmental Protection in the Caribbean (EPIC), Sint Maarten Nature Foundation, St. Maarten Development Fund, Saint Martin Trails and Les Sauveteurs en Mer (SNSM). The Foundations also commend several schools and other organizations who have organized their own community cleanups, such as the Sint Maarten Academy.

A special thank you goes to Tim Roosens for leading this year’s ICC and bringing the different organizations, volunteers, and activities together. Roosens is also actively involved in keeping the island clean throughout the year and organizes monthly cleanups on French Saint-Martin through the Clean St. Martin Association.

The organizers also extend their sincere thanks to the businesses and organizations that supported this year’s ICC through refreshments, supplies, and prizes for participating volunteers. Support was provided by LVMO Sarl, Meadowlands, Domino’s Pizza, Gelateria Milano, Perpetual Plastics/EPIC, the Scuba Shop, Tri-Sport, Rainforest Adventures, Ocean Explorers, Nature Foundation, Heavenly Water, Grant Thornton, Top 1 Toys, Martijn Trading, Carrefour and Super U. Their contributions helped make the weekend possible and provided some well-deserved rewards and refreshments for the volunteers. A special thank you also goes out to the volunteers who supported multiple cleanups throughout the weekend.

The organizers thank everyone who volunteered, donated, coordinated, or otherwise supported this year’s activities and contributed to cleaner coastlines and a healthier Sint Maarten and Saint-Martin.