MEAs Mainstreaming

In collaboration with the UNEP Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean, the Caribbean Environment Programme and the International Institute for Sustainable Development, the CARICOM Secretariat has produced a training module on Achieving National and Sectoral Development Priorities: the use of integrated environmental assessment tools for improved MEA implementation. This module provides guidance on how to integrate MEAs objectives into national development planning. National and regional workshops using the module have been held in Belize, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Belize.

Awareness Raising for Customs Officers

The CARICOM Secretariat has produced and distributed a Guide to Multilateral Environmental Agreements for customs officers.  A regional training workshop for customs officers was held in the Dominican Republic in 2012, and the Secretariat is now focusing on delivering country-level training in co-operation with national Customs administrations.

International Environmental Negotiations Training

There have been two successful regional negotiations skills workshops, one in 2010 and one in 2012.  Over 40 environmental professionals from 17 Caribbean countries have benefited from training in the negotiation of multilateral environmental agreements. Participants have indicated that the training has increased their ability to represent and advocate for national and regional interests in international environmental negotiations.  A third regional training workshop is scheduled to take place in 2015.

Regional Negotiations Preparations

Through the ACP-MEAs programme the CARICOM Secretariat has been able to bring countries of the region together to consult and prepare for major meetings of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity.

Access and Benefit Sharing

The CARICOM Secretariat has been collaborating with the Access and Benefit Sharing Capacity Development Initiative and the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity to encourage countries to ratify the Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit Sharing, and to facilitate the development and implementation of effective nation measures for access to genetic resources and the fair sharing of benefits arising from utilization of those resources.

Other activities carried out by the Caribbean Hub have included training in project design and management, national consultations on environmental statistics and data management, development of proposals for harmonizing and streamlining MEAs reporting, internships for young environmental professionals, and general awareness-raising.

 Completed Phase II Activities (March 2014 – April 2016)

Sub-Regional Capacity-Building Workshop on the Nagoya Protocol for the Caribbean, Georgetown, Guyana, 19 – 22 May 2014

Caribbean Regional Preparatory Workshop for the 12th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, 17 – 19 September 2014

National Workshop for Customs Officers on the Enforcement of Multilateral Environmental Agreements, St. George’s, Grenada, 11 – 13 November 2014

National Workshop for Customs Officers on the Enforcement of Multilateral Environmental Agreements, Georgetown, Guyana, 24 – 26 March 2015

Sub-Regional Capacity Building Workshop on Sustainable Finance and Resource Mobilization for Biodiversity for CARICOM Member States, St. John’s, Antigua and Barbuda, 18 – 21 May 2015

Regional Workshop on the Negotiation of Mutually Agreed Terms for Access to Genetic Resources to Support Effective Implementation of the Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit Sharing in Caribbean ACP Countries,  30 November – 4 December, 2015

Upcoming Activities (June – December 2016)

Training-of-Trainers Workshop on MEAs Mainstreaming, Georgetown, Guyana, 21 – 23 June 2016

Capacity-building Workshop for CMS Non-Parties in the Caribbean Region, Bridgetown, Barbados, date to be confirmed

National Workshop on the Enforcement of Multilateral Environmental Agreements for Customs and Border Control Personnel, Port-of-Spain, Trinidad, date to be confirmed

Caribbean Regional Preparatory Workshop for the 13^th Meeting of the Conference

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 Guyana customs

CARICOM Workshop in Guyana on MEAs from Caribbean Community on Vimeo.

 

 

 

 

 

National Workshop for Customs and Border Control Officers on Multilateral Environmental Agreements and their Enforcement

A view of the audience and head table during the opening ceremony for a National Customs Workshop on Multilateral Environmental Agreements being hosted in Guyana by the CARICOM Secretariat March 24-26, 2015.

 

CARICOM Secretariat workshop on biodiversity

Seated from left are Dr. Therese Yarde, Project Coordinator from the Sustainable Development Unit at the CARICOM Secretariat, Mr. Troy Torrington, Minister Counsellor, Permanent Mission of Guyana to the UN, Ms. Hildred Simpson, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health and Environment in Antigua and Barbuda, Mr. Markus Lehman of the Secretariat of the Convention on Biodiversity and Mr. Mark Griffith from UNEP/ROLAC, and participants pose for a photograpgh at the end of the opening ceremony of a workshop on the sustainable financing for biodiversity in Antigua and Barbuda being held by the CARICOM Secretariat

 

 

 

Project Publications

 

Handbooks and Guides

Achieving National and Sectoral Development Priorities: The Use of Integrated Environmental Assessment Tools for Improved MEA Implementation

Guide to Multilateral Environmental Agreements for Customs Officers

Training Manual on Climate Responsibility and Participation in Carbon Offset Programmes for the Caribbean Hotel Sector

 

Factsheets

The Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS)

The Minamata Convention on Mercury

The Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilization  

 Waste and Chemicals Management in CARICOM Countries: The Stockholm Convention

Waste and Chemicals Management in CARICOM Countries: The Rotterdam Convention

Waste and Chemicals Management in CARICOM Countries: The Basel Convention

The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES)

Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM)

The Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer

Summary of MEAs Ratification in Caribbean ACP Countries

International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL)

ACP-MEAs Phase  I – the Caribbean Hub