Connor joins Kingdom delegation for UN meeting on climate and small-island goals

Minister of Public Health, Social Development and Labour Claret Connor represented St. Maarten at a Kingdom delegation meeting at United Nations Headquarters in New York. The meeting included UN Secretary-General António Guterres, Queen Máxima of the Netherlands, Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten and Aruba Minister Arthur Dowers.

The discussion covered the climate crisis, the Antigua and Barbuda Agenda for Small Island Developing States, the Sustainable Development Goals, the war in Ukraine and its impacts, and international legal and human-rights systems. The UN Secretary-General’s office confirmed Connor’s participation in the Kingdom delegation.

The Antigua and Barbuda Agenda, adopted in 2024, is a 10-year framework for action on small-island development challenges. Its listed priorities include climate resilience, sustainable development, stronger institutions, access to finance and international partnerships.

Guterres met Kingdom representatives, including St. Maarten Prime Minister Luc Mercelina, in September 2025 to discuss climate change and its effects on Small Island Developing States.