NEW YORK--Minister of Public Health, Social Development and Labor (VSA), the Honorable Claret Connor, on Monday delivered remarks during the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly at the UN Global Compact High-Level Forum on Sustainable Procurement, placing particular emphasis on the importance of procurement as a development and resilience tool for small island states.
Minister Connor is attending the high-level engagements on behalf of Prime Minister Dr. Luc F.E. Mercelina, who was originally scheduled to attend but was unable to do so due to pressing matters requiring his continued attention locally.
Addressing ministers, heads of delegation, United Nations representatives, development partners and private-sector leaders, Connor stressed that governments should look beyond the administrative function of procurement and consider the wider economic, social and institutional impact of how public resources are spent.
“Procurement is not simply an administrative tool; it is a development tool,” Minister Connor stated. “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 forum was the official launch of the Sustainable Procurement Implementation Framework, a global resource intended to help procurement and supply-chain leaders translate sustainability commitments into practical purchasing and sourcing decisions.
The framework is being presented to governments and the private sector as a mechanism for incorporating sustainability considerations into procurement decisions and operations, while strengthening the resilience and responsibility of supply chains.
On behalf of the Government of St. Maarten, as part of the delegation of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Minister Connor commended the UN Global Compact and its partners for advancing the Coalition for Sustainable Procurement and welcomed the launch of the new framework.
He said the initiative can provide governments with practical guidance as they seek to maximize the impact of public resources and development assistance.
Connor noted that every public procurement decision represents an opportunity to improve services, strengthen the economy, develop institutional capacity, enhance resilience and advance sustainable development.
“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,” he said.
The programme also featured private-sector presentations and recommendations from Coalition member companies, including Schneider Electric, Outokumpu, Intrepid Travel, BBVA and Renew. Their contributions focused on policy measures and public-sector support needed to advance sustainable procurement throughout the private sector.
High-level deliberations brought together public and private-sector decision-makers to examine sustainable procurement challenges, identify opportunities for partnership and advance practical solutions that use procurement to support the objectives of the Pact for the Future.
Minister Connor also highlighted what he described as the direct connection between sustainable procurement and good governance.
He noted that effective procurement frameworks can strengthen the way 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,” Connor stated.
The Minister said these considerations are particularly relevant for St. Maarten, given the country's economic structure, dependence on imports and exposure to external shocks and severe tropical weather.
He also pointed to the circumstances of an island shared by St. Maarten and French Saint-Martin, two territories operating under different constitutional structures while confronting many of the same economic, logistical and environmental challenges.
For small island economies, Connor said, procurement policy cannot be separated from questions of resilience, supply-chain security, cost, institutional capacity and access to goods and services.
The Minister also highlighted St. Maarten's geographical position at the center 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, that position creates opportunities for stronger regional partnerships, greater supplier diversification, reduced costs and more resilient supply chains.
Realizing those opportunities, he said, will require procurement systems that recognize the specific circumstances of small island states and allow governments to consider sustainability and resilience alongside traditional factors such as price and availability.
Connor said the broader discussion surrounding sustainable procurement should therefore not be viewed simply as a technical exercise in changing government purchasing procedures. Instead, it should be considered part of how countries determine the long-term value generated by public spending.
“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,” Minister Connor said.
He added that for St. Maarten and small island economies more broadly, adopting stronger and more sustainable procurement approaches is a practical necessity.
Minister Connor concluded by calling on governments and development partners to make procurement decisions wisely, transparently and purposefully, with the goal of ensuring that public investments contribute to stronger institutions, more resilient communities and sustainable development for present and future generations.
