UNITED

NATIONS


Thirteenth Meeting of the Monitoring Committee on the

Action Plan for the Caribbean Environment

Programme and Special Meeting of the Bureau of the

Contracting Parties to the Convention for

the Protection and Development of the Marine

Environment of the Wider Caribbean Region

San Jose, 9-13 July 2001

STRATEGY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF

THE CARIBBEAN ENVIRONMENT PROGRAMME 2002-2006

STRATEGY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF

THE CARIBBEAN ENVIRONMENT PROGRAMME 2002-2006

TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. INTRODUCTION......

II. CARIBBEAN ACTION PLAN AND ITS OPERATION TODAY......

The Action Plan Mandate...... 2

Implementation of Global Conventions and Initiatives...... 2

Mechanism for Programme Implementation...... 3

Programme Focus...... 4

Activities of the Regional Co-ordinating Unit...... 4

III. CHARTING A FUTURE COURSE...... 5

Long-term goal...... 5

Objectives...... 5

Implemention...... 6

Resolving Financial Constraints of CEP...... 9

ACRONYMS…………………………………………………….………………………………11

UNEP(DEC)/CAR IG 19/7

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STRATEGY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF

THE CARIBBEAN ENVIRONMENTPROGRAMME 2002-2006

I. INTRODUCTION

1."The Draft Strategy for the Development of the Caribbean Environment Programme for the period 1997-2001" (the Earlier Draft Strategy) was a working document for discussion and adoption by Governments of the Wider Caribbean at the Twelfth Meeting of the Monitoring Committee and Special Meeting of the Bureau of the Contracting Parties (Kingston, Jamaica, June 1997). The proposal was based on comments by the Eighth Intergovernmental and Fifth Contracting Parties Meeting held in December 1996 on the "Discussion paper on a draft Strategy for the development of the Caribbean Environment Programme 1997-2001". The New Draft Strategy is a follow-up on comments made by Governments on the Earlier Draft Strategy and the Draft Strategy for 2000-2004 developed for the Ninth Intergovernmental Meeting.

2.The main objective of this document is to provide direction for CEP for the next five years and to develop a framework for action that will address the regional priorities as identified by the Governments of the Wider Caribbean, as well as to ensure that appropriate linkages are developed with relevant global and regional institutions.

II.CARIBBEAN ACTION PLAN AND ITS OPERATION TODAY

3.At the second session of the Governing Council (1974) of UNEP, it decided that "UNEP should concentrate...on the protection of the marine environment." It also stressed the "importance of activities in the Caribbean" (Decision 8/II).

4.The third session of UNEP's Governing Council (1975) recommended the initiation of a regional programme for the Caribbean and emphasised the environmental problems of the islands.

5.At the fourth session of UNEP's Governing Council (1976), UNEP was urged to launch a regional programme for the Caribbean. Therefore, the decision to create a regional seas programme for the Caribbean and a regional co-ordination unit was not taken by the Wider Caribbean group, but by UNEP's Governing Council as a whole.

6.As a response to these decisions, a draft Action Plan for CEP was prepared 1979 (E/CEPAL/PROY.3/L.3). It was carried out under the auspices of UNEP, in consultation with the Governments of the region, and the Economic Commission of Latin America (ECLAC), in close collaboration with the specialised organisations of the UN and other intergovernmental and non-governmental organisations.

7.The Action Plan for the Caribbean Environment Project (Programme) was later adopted at the First Intergovernmental Meeting on the Caribbean Action Plan, 6-8 April 1981, Montego Bay, Jamaica, by twenty-two United Nations Member States in the Wider Caribbean Region (UNEP/CEPAL/IG.27/3).

THE ACTION PLAN MANDATE

8.The Action Plan of the Caribbean Environment Programme (Action Plan) set forth the following objectives:

  • Assistance to all countries of the region, recognising the special situation of the smaller island countries;
  • Co-ordination of international assistance activities;
  • Strengthening existing national and sub-regional institutions; and
  • Technical co-operation in the use of the Region's human, financial and natural resources.

9.To implement the objectives of the Action Plan, it was desirable to add a formal regional agreement. To this end, Governments have considerably strengthened the Action Plan through:

  • The Cartagena Convention for the Protection and Development of the Environment in the Wider Caribbean Region, adopted in 1983 (in force in 1986);
  • A Protocol Concerning Co-operation in Combating Oil Spills in the Wider Caribbean Region, adopted in 1983 (in force in 1986);
  • A Protocol Concerning Special Protected Areas and Wildlife, adopted in 1990 (in force 2000); and by
  • A Protocol Concerning Pollution from Land Based Sources and Activities, adopted in Aruba in 1999.

IMPLEMENTATION OF GLOBAL CONVENTIONS AND INITIATIVES

10.Increasingly, CEP has become a regional instrument to assist in implementing global conventions and environmental initiatives. With ties to 28 United Nations Member States in the Wider Caribbean Region, and a Secretariat working with political and environmental focal points throughout the region, CEP is in a strategically advantageous position to assist with the co-ordination of regional actions with respect to global conventions and initiatives. By working through the Secretariat, States and Territories in the region can significantly enhance their effectiveness in participating in activities emanating from:

  • The International Coral Reef Initiative.
  • The Convention on Biological Diversity (in March 1997, the CBD Secretariat and UNEP-CAR/RCU signed a Memorandum of Co-operation for assisting with the implementation of the CBD in the Wider Caribbean Region).
  • The Basel Convention.
  • MARPOL 73/78 and the Oil Pollution Preparedness, Response and Co-operation, 1990 (OPRC 90);
  • UNCED's Agenda 21 and the Commission of Sustainable Development.
  • Global Programme of Action for the Protection of the Marine Environment from Land-Based Activities
  • UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
  • Small Island Developing States (SIDS) Programme of Action.UNEP-CAR/RCU has participated in the preparation of a proposal for a global GEFfunded project on SIDS and has been designated as lead agency for the biological diversity in the SIDS Programme of Action.
  • The Association of Caribbean States (ACS)
  • The Marine Mammal Action Plan
  • The Ramsar Convention

MECHANISM FOR PROGRAMME IMPLEMENTATION

11.Governments of the Wider Caribbean Region assigned the responsibility for implementing the Action Plan to UNEP. To this end, UNEP-CAR/RCU was established in 1986 to ensure regional co-operation and the timely implementation of the Action Plan (a headquarters agreement was signed between the United Nations and the Government of Jamaica).

12.Today, UNEP-CAR/RCU answers to the participating Governments, which determine the content of the Action Plan through the Monitoring Committee, and the Intergovernmental Meeting which convene biennially.

13.In addition, UNEP-CAR/RCU acts as Secretariat to CEP. It operates under the authority of UNEP and the mandate of the Contracting Parties to the Cartagena Convention. In regional marine environmental matters UNEP-CAR/RCU also consults and co-operates with UNEP's Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean (ROLAC) and other organisations.

PROGRAMME FOCUS

14.Programme activities are concentrated in two related but distinct areas. The first is the preparation of legal instruments. As noted previously, this has resulted in the adoption of one Convention and three protocols. This has been a complex process, requiring numerous negotiating meetings, and the expeditious translation and exchange of memoranda and position papers. UNEP-CAR/RCU has facilitated the negotiation process.

15.The second major area of concentration has been the implementation of the three sub-programmes of the Action Plan that were adopted by the Intergovernmental Meeting in December 1996 as technical support for the Cartagena Convention and its protocols:

  • Assessment and Management of Environmental Pollution (AMEP);
  • Specially Protected Areas and Wildlife (SPAW); and
  • Information Systems for the Management of Marine and Coastal Resources (CEPNET);

16.A fourth sub-programme is to be opened as soon as financial resources are available for a Programme Officer post. Until then, activities of this Programme will be included in the other sub-Programmes as appropriate:

  • Education, Training and Public Awareness for the Management of Marine and Coastal Resources (ETA).

ACTIVITIES OF THE REGIONAL CO-ORDINATING UNIT

17.UNEP-CAR/RCU, in its capacity as Secretariat to CEP, has the general task of collecting, reviewing and disseminating information related to the coastal and marine environment of the Wider Caribbean Region. A major part of this information is generated by CEP scientific and technical studies co-ordinated by UNEP-CAR/RCU staff and implemented through national and technical focal points, bodies of Experts, scientific and academic institutions, regional and sub-regional institutions, and individual consultants.

18.UNEP-CAR/RCU also organises and convenes technical meetings as well as the Monitoring Committee meetings and biennial Intergovernmental Meetings. This includes the preparation of the relevant documents to be presented at these meetings such as draft protocols, technical and administrative reports, annual workplans based on the advice of panels of experts and country proposals.

III.CHARTING A FUTURE COURSE

LONG-TERM GOAL

19.The long-term goal of CEP is to achieve sustainable development of marine and coastal resources in the Wider Caribbean Region through regional co-ordination and effective integrated management that allows for increased economic growth and environmental protection. Such development will take into consideration the economic, social and cultural value of the region and the responsibility to protect the marine environment for the benefit and enjoyment of future generations.

OBJECTIVES

20.To achieve its goal, CEP will incorporate the following objectives for its 2002-2006 Strategy:

  • To develop mechanisms and/or strategies to ensure that the Cartagena Convention and the CEP play a central and pivotal role in the management of marine and coastal resources in the Wider Caribbean Region.
  • Establish a sound institutional and financial base. Acquire the institutional and financial resources to carry out the mandates of the Cartagena Convention and its Protocols. The adoption of financial rules and rules of procedure will be a major step in this direction.
  • Strengthen the region's legal and legislative capabilities, and where appropriate, facilitate the signature, accession or ratification of the Cartagena Convention and its supporting Protocols to enable speedier implementation.
  • Consolidate programme activities by focusing on priority projects that most directly pertain to the implementation of the Cartagena Convention and its Protocols.
  • Co-ordinate and inform the Contracting Parties about Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs) applicable to the region.
  • Improve monitoring and follow-up of completed projects in terms of application and adoption of their findings at the national level in an attempt to provide a better means of assessing the role and contribution of CEP in enacting measures for the conservation of the marine environment by Participating countries.
  • Rationalise the operational procedure of CEP by increased use of the Internet.
  • Provide consistent executive leadership and set into place steering mechanisms adopted by the Contracting Parties.
  • Contribute to the establishment of a technologically advanced and integrated regional network for information management for the coastal and marine environment.
  • Enhance capabilities within the region to apply science and technology to problems of marine pollution, protected area management, conservation of bio-diversity, and protection of threatened and endangered species.
  • Broaden CEP's regional constituency by incorporating public outreach in all facets of its activities.

IMPLEMENTATION

21.To fulfil these objectives, UNEP-CAR/RCU will implement measures as follows:

(a)Information Management Strategy

  • UNEP-CAR/RCU will continue to further develop an information management and dissemination system based on the Internet.
  • Information on CEP is today available on CEP web-site and includes information on the Cartagena Convention, its Protocols and CEP sub-programmes. Additional information on CEP and its activities can also be downloaded. This information will from now on include information on up-coming meetings and conferences, old and new meeting documents, CEP Technical Reports, Report of Meetings, CEP's Focal Point Directory, active consultants, ongoing-projects and their results, financial information, spatial data and other relevant databases. Using the Internet as a tool, CEP will strive to be as transparent as possible.
  • Communication with focal points will be improved. Closer links with the National and Technical Focal Points will be established and information appropriately tailored for that audience will be disseminated.
  • Where opportunities exist, UNEP-CAR/RCU will employ the collective experience, knowledge base, and expertise of the Secretariat to assist Governments in addressing practical problems pertaining to the coastal and marine environment. Such assistance is particularly appropriate with regard to advising on Best Appropriate Technologies in waste management and pollution control, in monitoring and testing pollution parameters, in the design of certain feasibility studies, development of management plans for marine protected areas and, preparing coastal and marine management plans.

(b)Participation by CEP's Participating Governments

  • Direction for CEP will be more consistent. A revitalised Monitoring Committee will be available for periodic meetings as the need arises and communicating through e-mail, e-groups, fax, or telephone, as appropriate, during the inter-sessional periods.
  • The annual budget will be presented in concise and clear programme plans that specify project priorities, and will be reviewed and approved by the Monitoring Committee and Bureau of Contracting Parties and/or the Intergovernmental Meeting.
  • States of the region will be encouraged to become Contracting Parties to the Convention and all its Protocols in order to provide the maximum support to the Programme. A full support by the countries in the region to the Convention, the Protocols and CEP will make CEP more attractive for support from the donor agencies.

(c)Documentation

  • Documentation can and will be simplified, both to increase its usefulness and reduce the cost of preparing and transmitting it by increased use of the Internet.

(d)Programme planning and budgeting.

  • Focused, concrete programme plans, providing cost estimates for proposed projects and assigning them to priority categories, will be prepared by UNEP-CAR/RCU as the basis for biennial meetings of the participating Governments and Contracting Parties which must approve such plans.
  • Project commitments will be limited to budgetary resources and criteria for project selection and development.

(e)Project Selection

  • An evaluation component in UNEP-CAR/RCU's management role will be included to provide feedback on progress towards programme implementation.
  • The biennial Workplan and Budget will be set by Governments to give guidance to UNEP-CAR/RCU on developments of projects. Nonetheless, project development often involves site/country selection as well as mid-course corrections and general project management.
  • In making these decisions the Governments will strongly consider the following

-emphasis on regional application and regional participation

-site/country selection based on political, programmatic and institutional commitment

-project elements complementary to other organisations operating in the Caribbean

-project elements that provide regional implementation of global instruments

-project development that attracts donors for implementation of national and regional action plans

(f)Professional tasks.

  • Planning and institutional strengthening support will more be focussed on assisting

with the implementation of the SPAW and LBS Protocols.

(g)Co-ordination.

  • Co-ordination with relevant initiatives and organisations will be improved, including other UNEP offices and programmes.
  • Partnership arrangements will be pursued with regional and sub-regional institutions and organisations. In this respect, it is vital to establish and formalise as appropriate mutually supportive relationships with partners such as ACS,CARICOM and OECS. CEP will provide a bridge to funding sources for implementing global conventions at the regional scale.

RESOLVING FINANCIAL CONSTRAINTS OF CEP

22.In an effort to clarify the scarcity of financial resources of the CEP, which may impede the management of marine and coastal resources, UNEP-CAR/RCU has been given the task to prepare financial rules for CEP, as requested by the Contracting Parties. A substantial increase in capital flows is essential for the strategy to be effective in ensuring sustainable development of the marine and coastal resources of the Wider Caribbean. The strategy, therefore, seeks to increase the allocation of funds for the implementation of projects at both the national and regional levels.

(a)Securing an adequate funding base must be the central concern of the Contracting Parties. Survival of the Programme at a useful scale depends on obtaining investments from among the relatively small number of potential donors who can provide funds at the needed scale. These may include the UN Foundation, CIDA,USAID, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Foundations such as McArthur and Rockefeller.

(b)Obtaining funding from multilateral sources is key to CEP's longevity.

  • Multilateral sources, notably the GEF, the EU, and IDB are prime candidates to provide funding at the needed scale.
  • At the same time, reaffirmed commitments from countries of the region are essential not only to provide funds, but also to demonstrate to other prospective donors that country support for CEP is strong.

(c)Demonstrate commitment to administrative cost savings and maximising project budgets must be of concern.

(d)The wealth of baseline data, scientific information, and its cadre of experts with extensive field experience, should be effectively used by Governments as a fund raising tool. In the course of decision-making for development projects, the Programme possesses a reservoir of information and expertise that is not fully utilised by the States and Territories of the Wider Caribbean Region.

(e) Develop, implement and revise as necessary a financial strategy.

UNEP(DEC)/CAR IG 19/7

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UNEP(DEC)/CAR IG 19/7

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LIST OF ACRONYMS

ACSAssociation of Caribbean States

AMEPAssessment and Management of Environmental Pollution

BASELBasel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal