CFBC AND TAIWANICDF FORMALISE PARTNERSHIP TO STRENGTHEN ACTION ON PLASTIC WASTE AND MARINE LITTER
Basseterre, Saint Kitts, September 23, 2026 (SKNIS) – The Clarence Fitzroy Bryant College (CFBC) and the Taiwan Technical Mission, operating under the International Cooperation and Development Fund (TaiwanICDF), have formalised their collaboration through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) aimed at strengthening efforts to address plastic waste and marine litter in Saint Kitts and Nevis.
The MOU was signed today, September 23, 2026, at the CFBC Campus under the Prevention of Marine Litter in the Caribbean Sea (PROMAR) project, implemented by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
The agreement establishes a framework for expanded cooperation between CFBC and TaiwanICDF in areas including recycling and material recovery, circular economy initiatives, marine litter prevention, technical knowledge exchange, capacity building, research and data collection, public education, community engagement and behavioural change.
Interim President of CFBC, Dr. Moyia Rowtham, described the signing as more than the formalisation of an agreement, noting that it represents an expanded partnership and a shared responsibility to advance practical and sustainable environmental action.
Dr. Rowtham highlighted CFBC’s evolving role through PROMAR, noting that the College has moved beyond traditional classroom instruction to actively engage students and partners in data collection, shoreline monitoring, waste characterisation, community outreach and policy dialogue.
She said these activities demonstrate the important role a national tertiary institution can play in connecting education, research and community action, while helping to ensure that local data, expertise and community experiences increasingly inform national environmental policy, planning and investment decisions.
“Our task now is to ensure that this MOU becomes more than a signed document. It must serve as a framework for coordinated, measurable, and lasting action that protects our environment, strengthens national capacity, and benefits future generations,” Dr. Rowtham stated.
Deputy Counsellor at the Taiwan Embassy, Mr. Ken Yang, welcomed the signing as an important milestone and an opportunity for the partnership to grow even stronger.
He noted that TaiwanICDF has supported the development of practical recycling and waste-management systems in Saint Kitts and Nevis, including recycling infrastructure, collection mechanisms, material recovery, environmental education and community participation.
According to Mr. Yang, the initiative demonstrated the value of connecting recycling education with broader environmental protection efforts and represents the type of collaboration that the new MOU seeks to strengthen.
“When these pieces are connected, we move closer to a more integrated and sustainable approach to waste management,” Deputy Counselor Yang said. “This is particularly important for small island developing states such as Saint Kitts and Nevis. With limited land, high transportation costs, limited economic scale, and marine ecosystems that are closely connected to our economy, tourism, culture, and ways of living, waste management is not simply an environmental issue; it is also a community and development issue.”
Through the formalisation of the partnership, CFBC and TaiwanICDF will seek to strengthen national capacity, promote greater public participation, support evidence-based environmental action and advance practical solutions to plastic waste and marine litter.
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