The Convention on Biological Diversity is an international binding agreement which was opened for signature at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro on 5th June 1992 and entered into force on 29th December 1993. The main objective of the CBD is to encourage actions which will lead to a sustainable future. The Convention has three main goals: conservation of biodiversity, sustainable use of our biodiversity and fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising out of genetic resources. Current there are 193 Parties. St. Kitts and Nevis signed on to the Convention on 12th June 1992, ratified on 7th January, 1993 and became a party member on 29th December 1993. 

For more information visit: https://www.cbd.int/ 

Focal Point: 

Ms. Vicia Woods
Biosafety Officer
Department of Environment
Contact: (869) 466 8535 ext. 2032
Email: vicia.woods@gmail.com

The Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety is an agreement which seeks to ensure the safe transfer, handling and use of living Modified Organism (LMOs) that were created through the use of modern biotechnology. The protocol seeks to protect biodiversity from the potential harm that LMOs can cause and establishes a Biosafety Clearing-House to facilitate the exchange of information on LMOs and to assist countries in the implementation of the Protocol. St. Kitts and Nevis became a party member on 11th September 2003. 

For more information visit: https://bch.cbd.int/protocol/ 

Focal Point: 

Ms. Vicia Woods
Biosafety Officer
Department of Environment
Contact: (869) 466 8535 ext. 2032
Email: vicia.woods@gmail.com

This agreement was implemented with an aim to stabilize greenhouse gas (GHG) concentrations at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system. The treaty provides a framework for negotiating specific international treaties called protocols that may set binding limits on greenhouse gases. The UNFCCC was opened for signature in 1992 and entered in to force on 21 March 1994. The UNFCCC has approximately 195 parties. 

For more information visit: https://www.unfccc.int/ 

Focal Point 

Ms. June Hughes
Senior Environment Officer
Department of Environment
Contact: (869) 466 8535 ext. 1213
Email: ccodoe@sisterisles.kn

The Kyoto Protocol is an international agreement aiming to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The Protocol falls under the United Nation Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The treaty was finalised in Kyoto, Japan in 1997 and went in to force in 2005. In this agreement, Parties agreed to collectively reduce their overall emissions by at least 5 percent below the 1990 levels in the first commitment period beginning 2008 and ending in 2012. St. Kitts and Nevis ratified the Kyoto Protocol on 8th April, 2008 

For more information visit: https://unfccc.int/process-and-meetings/the-kyoto-protocol 

Focal Point 

Ms. June Hughes
Senior Environment Officer
Department of Environment
Contact: (869) 466 8535 ext. 1213
Email: ccodoe@sisterisles.kn

The Paris Agreement on Climate Change was adopted by parties under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) on 12th December 2015 in Paris. The main aim of the agreement is to keep global temperatures well below 2 degrees Celsius and to strengthen countries to deal with the impacts of climate change. On April 22nd 2016, St. Kitts and Nevis was one of the first 15 countries to ratify the Agreement. The Agreement entered into force on 4th November 2016. 

For more information visit: https://unfccc.int/process-and-meetings/the-paris-agreement/ 

Focal Point 

Ms. June Hughes
Senior Environment Officer
Department of Environment
Contact: (869) 466 8535 ext. 1213
Email: ccodoe@sisterisles.kn

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is the leading international scientific body for the assessment of climate change.  It reviews and assesses the most recent scientific, technical and socio-economic information produced worldwide relevant to the understanding of climate change. It was created to provide policy makers with regular scientific assessments on climate change, its implications and potential future risks, as well as to submit adaptation and mitigation options.  The Fifth Assessment report (AR5) was completed in 2014. The most recent report was the “Special Report Global Warming of 1.5 ºC” which can be found at https://www.ipcc.ch/sr15/ 

For more information visit: http://www.ipcc.ch 

Focal Point 

Ms. Cheryl Jeffers
Conservation Officer II
Department of Environment
Contact: (869) 466 8535 ext. 2031
Email: jeffers31@gmail.com

The Montreal Protocol is a protocol to the Vienna Convention for the protection of the Ozone Layer. The Montreal Protocol aims to protect the earth’s ozone layer by implementing measures to eliminate the use of ozone depleting substances (ODS) which would increase the amount of ultraviolet (UV) radiation reaching the earth. The Protocol was designed to stop the importation of ODS and reduce their concentration in the atmosphere by setting a mandatory timetable for the phase out of ozone depleting substances that each party member must follow. The Montreal Protocol is considered to be the most successful environment protection agreement. The protocol was agreed on 16th September 1987 and entered in to force 16 September 1989. St. Kitts and Nevis ratified the Montreal Protocol on 10th August, 1992.  

For more information visit: https://www.unenvironment.org/ozonaction/ 

Focal Point 

Ms. June Hughes
Senior Environment Officer
Department of Environment
Contact: (869) 466 8535 ext. 1213
Email: ccodoe@sisterisles.kn

The Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefits Sharing (ABS) was implemented in 2010 focusing on the equitable sharing of genetic materials such as plants, animals and microbial including the traditional knowledge associated with the genetic resources and the benefits that arise from their use. The general aim of the protocol is to implement one of the three objectives of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). The protocol sets out to ensure that there is fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising out of the utilization of genetic resources. The protocol was adopted on 29th October 2010 in Nagoya, Japan and entered into force on 12th October 2014. St. Kitts and Nevis became a party member on 4th December, 2018. 

For more information visit: https://www.cbd.int/abs/ 

Focal Point: 

Mr. Eavin
Environment Scientist
Department of Environment
Contact: (869) 466 8535 ext. 2034
Email: elvinparry@hotmail.com