PHILIPSBURG:---The Government of St. Maarten, represented by Head of Delegation Stuart Johnson, Chief of Staff to the Honorable Prime Minister Dr. Luc Mercelina, and Cameron Wathey, Head of the Directorate of Foreign Relations, actively participated in the three-day 30th session of the Caribbean Development and Cooperation Committee (CDCC) and the Caribbean Development Roundtable (CDR). The event, hosted by the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), took place from September 9–11, 2024, in Trinidad and Tobago.
The St. Maarten delegation's key objectives included re-engaging with ECLAC after years of non-participation, optimizing membership benefits, and advocating for greater support from the UN system for St. Maarten through expertise, resources, and data. Also, the delegation learned best practices in the region from fellow Small Island Developing States (SIDS) such as strategies toward economic diversification.
Johnson and Wathey also advocated for greater inclusion of associate members of ECLAC, which are not independent islands, in global climate finance mechanisms. They stressed that associate members of ECLAC must be granted the same access to critical global climate financing as full members to address disaster risk reduction.
"Every island, regardless of its constitution, must build its disaster resilience to face the immediate and long-term impacts of climate change," Johnson urged in his address at the CDCC.
Johnson reiterated in his address St.Maarten's support for the United Nation's Multidimensional Vulnerability Index (MVI), a key instrument that is being implemented to accurately demonstrate the vulnerabilities of SIDS, instead of the traditional way of measuring their financial needs and capacities based on their Gross National Income (GNI). "It is crucial that all small islands have equitable access to global funding for resilience building that accurately reflects our needs."
The St. Maarten delegation, along with other associate members such as the British Virgin Islands, Aruba, Montserrat and Martinique, highlighted the issues that associate members face and advocated for greater recognition and awareness of their concerns. “Associate members have unique challenges and must be given more support towards advancing regional cooperation within the global development framework.”
As part of their commitment to regional cooperation, the Sint Maarten delegation also nominated Alva Baptiste, Saint Lucia's Minister for External Affairs, International Trade, Civil Aviation, and Diaspora Affairs, as Vice-Chair of the CDCC.
The conference concluded with the adoption of five resolutions, with one particularly relevant to St. Maarten. This resolution called for increased technical, financial, and statistical support to Caribbean Non-Self-Governing Territories and associate members, emphasizing the need for improved data collection to track progress on sustainable development goals. It also advocates for the full inclusion of associate members in global development dialogues, ensuring their unique vulnerabilities are recognized.
Johnson and Wathey praised the CDCC and CDR for their efforts towards facilitating the sharing of best practices within the region and highlighting innovative strategies that may assist the region's unique needs. They also urged for ECLAC to push for all non-independent islands such as Saint Martin to participate as associate members.
