The St. Kitts and Nevis National Commission for UNESCO has announced, in a media release, that the Federal Cabinet has approved a landmark National Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) Policy and Action Plan, marking a major step toward integrating sustainability principles into the Federation’s national education system.

The announcement comes as the Federation concludes its year-end engagements with UNESCO. On December 19 in Paris, Ambassador David P. Doyle, St. Kitts and Nevis’ Special Envoy to UNESCO, met with Japan’s Permanent Delegate, Ambassador Kano Takehiro, to present the country’s final ESD curriculum plans and expenditure reports. The initiative forms part of a UNESCO-led education programme funded by the Government of Japan.

Over the past two years, with technical support from UNESCO, St. Kitts and Nevis has developed a comprehensive ESD framework, which is scheduled to be operationalised in schools from September 2026. The Federation was selected alongside Cabo Verde as one of two Small Island Developing States to pilot the project under Japan’s ESD Fund-in-Trust.

The policy focuses on strengthening governance, enhancing curriculum and pedagogy, building educator capacity, improving system infrastructure, and engaging youth, schools, and communities. According to officials, the initiative is designed to build national capacity and advance progress toward achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.