Reginonal Workshop for the Caribbean Sub-Region of GRULAC for the UNCCD

The Partnership Initiative on Sustainable Land Management (PISLM) in conjunction with the Global Mechanism held a regional workshop on May 12 – 16^th, 2014 in Port of Spain for the Caribbean Sub-Region of the Group of Latin America and the Caribbean (GRULAC) for the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD). 

Trinidad and Tobago was represented by Mr. Julius Smith, Environmental Biologist, Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources. The purpose of the workshop was to orient CARICOM party states to the Convention on the use of the revised Performance Review Assessment of Implementation System (PRAIS II).  The PRAIS II is a secure online database where country parties are expected to input their information and data to compile their national reporting. 

The second aspect of the Workshop was the meeting of the PISLM Task Force which was concluding its two (2) year term in 2014. The Task Force is comprised of Caribbean party states including Spanish speaking territories and the committee  provides oversight and directives to the activities of the PISLM. The current 2014-2016 biennium’s Task Force would consist of the Dominican Republic, Antigua and Barbuda, St Lucia, Jamaica,  Grenada  and Trinidad and Tobago. It should be noted that Trinidad and Tobago has been appointed chair for the current term. 

The Government of Trinidad and Tobago had pledged financial support for the operational costs of the PISLM for the first 5 years of its establishment. September 2014 marks the end of that commitment period and the Task Force was therefore required to agree on modalities for the PISLM to generate income to bridge any possible funding gaps.

In summary, it was decided that the PISLM would act as an implementing agency for the revision of National Action Programmes as well as facilitate National Reporting across the CARICOM region as the primary option for winning revenue.  Furthermore, the PISLM would provide  technical backstopping for Sustainable Land Management projects on a regional  basis.