NATIONAL CONSULTATIONS TO ADVANCE THE DRAFT CARIBBEAN COMMUNITY ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES POLICY FRAMEWORK
AND
THE FIRST ENVIRONMENTAL AND NATURAL RESOURCES ACTION PLANOF THE CARIBBEAN COMMUNITY ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES POLICY FRAMEWORK (JULY 2017-JUNE 2022)

The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) has made available its Environment and Natural Resources Policy, along with the Action Plan for National, Sub-regional and Regional review and comments.

National Consultations on the Policy and Action Plan are scheduled have been planned for August 21-22 in Trinidad and Tobago.

The Policy Framework articulates a regional approach to the sustainable management of the environmental and natural resources of the Community and its Member States.

Persons are invited to review and comment on the both the Policy and Action Plan documents.

Further details will be provided as to the location and time of the national consultations in a subsequent post.

Advancing the Nagoya Protocol in Countries in the Caribbean Region: Trinidad and Tobago National Workshop

On April 28^th, 2016 at the Trinidad Hilton & Conference Centre, local stakeholders (UTT, UWI, Ministry of Legal Affairs, EMA, Ministry of Planning and Development and others) gathered together at the "Advancing the Nagoya Protocol in countries in the Caribbean Region" Project - Trinidad and Tobago National Workshop.

In order to support countries of the Caribbean to capitalise on opportunities to make the Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilization (ABS Protocol) operational in their national jurisdictions, the UNEP in collaboration with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has developed a  Caribbean Regional Project entitled "Advancing the Nagoya Protocol in countries of the Caribbean Region".  

This 3 year Project is to be implemented in 8 CARICOM countries including Trinidad and Tobago with grant funding from the Global Environmental Facility (GEF) and is being executed by the IUCN Regional Office for Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean (ORMACC). 

Matters discussed at the Workshop included:

• ABS and the Nagoya Protocol;
• ABS in the Caribbean Region;
• The IUCN ABS Caribbean Project;
• The Project Work Plan for Trinidad and Tobago;
•  The role of National Agencies in Project Implementation 

>> For more information on the Project and the Trinidad and Tobago National Workshop visit the Nagoya Protocol Regional Project Page.

Dr. David Persaud addresses attendees at the Trinidad and Tobago National Workshop on April 28th, 2016.

Capacity Building Workshop on the NAP/IFS Alignment Process in the Caribbean

A Sub-Regional Capacity Building Workshop on the National Action Plan/Integrated Financial Strategy (NAP/IFS) Alignment Process in the Caribbean Community Sub-Region was hosted by the Government of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago the Workshop at Capital Plaza, Port-of Spain from August 13-15, 2013.

The workshop was organised by the EPPD, Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources in close collaboration with the UNCCD Secretariat, the Global Environmental Facility (GEF) and the Caribbean Network for Integrated Rural Development (CNIRD) Support Staff.

Several Caribbean Parties of the Convention were in attendance. Trinidad and Tobago was represented by Environmental Biologist, Mr. Julius Smith and Biodiversity Specialist, Ms. Candace Amoroso, both from the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources.

The workshop aimed to provide technical support, training and guidance to CARICOM countries for the strengthening of national capacity to facilitate and give impetus to the alignment of their National Action Programmes (NAPs) for the implementation of the UNCCD. 

It was important also in identifying or re-defining priority actions and strengthening cooperation at national and sub-regional levels through NAPs as well as in identifying modalities for financing these NAPs.

The outcomes of this workshop will serve to inform Trinidad and Tobago's national efforts at building capacity to meet its obligations under the UNCCD as well as allow the country to meet out our socio-economic developmental needs through the use of sustainable land management.

CARICOM Climate Change Negoitiators Meeting

The CARICOM Negotiators Meeting was organised by the Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre (CCCCC) and was held in St. Lucia during the period March 15- 16, 2013.  Ms Jewel Batchasingh, Climate Change/Ozone Specialist of the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources represented Trinidad and Tobago at this strategic meeting.

The principal focus of this meeting was to:

•  Analyse the outcomes of Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the eighth session of the Conference of the Parties serving as the Meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol (COP18/CMP 8) that occurred in December, 2012 and,

• Define the region’s objectives for the negotiations under the Ad Hoc Working Group on the Durban  Platform and other subsidiary bodies especially in relation to the new institutions established under the Convention during the past two years.

 The Second Session of the Ad Hoc Working Group on the Durban Platform for Enhanced Action (ADP) was carded to meet during the period April 29 – May 03, 2013 and therefore, the meeting sought to formalise the CARICOM climate change negotiating position prior to this second session of the ADP.

Outcomes from the COP18/CMP 8 were discussed by various thematic coordinators. These presentations engendered discussions which allowed for a better understanding of the various issues. A concept note was prepared by Trinidad and Tobago which proposed a way forward for on-going negotiations under the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS).

The Caribbean Regional Workshops on MEAs

At the end of January, 2013 The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretariat hosted two workshops in St.Lucia during the period January 23 - 30th, 2013.

The workshops addressed the harmonisation of reporting by Caribbean Countries and the usage of Integrated Environment Assessment tools (IEA) tools to mainstream four (4) biodiversity related multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs) into national policy:

• The Convention on Biological Diversity 
• The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES)
• The Convention Wetlands of International Importance, especially as Waterfowl Habitat (Ramsar)
• The Protocol Concerning Specially Protected Areas and Wildlife (the SPAW Protocol) of the Convention for the Protection and Development of the Marine Environment of the Wider Caribbean Region (the Cartagena Convention)  

These workshops were executed by the Caribbean Hub of the Project for Capacity Building Related to MEAs in African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) States, in collaboration with the Government of St. Lucia. The Caribbean Hub is a partnership between CARICOM Secretariat and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).   

Attendees included representatives of the CARICOM Member States including Trinidad and Tobago, Cuba, The Dominican Republic, the African Commission, the Pacific Regional Environment Programme and other regional and international organisations.

Ms Candace Amoroso Biodiversity Specialist in the Multilateral Environment Agreements Unit (MEAU); Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources represented Trinidad and Tobago at the first workshop on the Development and Use of a Proposed Caribbean Harmonised Reporting Template (CHART). This workshop took place during the period January 23-25, 2013. 

The goal of the workshop was to promote awareness and adoption of the CHART which was designed to make obligatory reporting on biodiversity related MEA activities efficient and easier to undertake. Discussions included the challenges facing synchronised reporting and concluded on the "Next Steps"  for the CHART.

Ms. Candace Amoroso (right) receiving a certificate of participation from the CARICOM-Secretariat 

The second workshop on MEA mainstreaming occurred from January 28-30, 2013. Ms. Denise Hakim, Research Analyst of the MEAU; Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources represented Trinidad and Tobago at this session. This workshop addressed the importance of mainstreaming MEAs into national policy to ensure their effective implementation and fulfilment of their objectives. Further application of IEA tools was recommended for action particularly regionally developed, in the creation of national development plans, policies and strategies with regards to MEAs.

Ms. Denise Hakim (left) receiving a certificate of participaton from the CARICOM-Secretariat

NBSAP Revision Workshop

The National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) is the principal instrument for implementing the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) at the national level. The strategy is a mechanism to ensure that biodiversity, its sustainable use and conservation is mainstreamed into the planning and activities of all those sectors whose activities can have an impact (positive and negative) on it.

The Regional Workshop for the Caribbean Region on Updating and Revising of National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs) was held at the Hyatt Regency, Trinidad during the period September 5th -7th, 2012. The Caribbean Regional Preparatory Meeting to the 11th Conference of Parties (COP) of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) was subsequently held on September 8th, 2012 at the same venue.

Both sessions were attended by representatives from the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources; these being Ms. Candace Amoroso, Biodiversity Specialist, Multilateral Environmental Agreements Unit and Mr. Julius Smith Environmental Biologist, Environmental Policy and Planning Division.

The Regional Workshop was held to address various issues that countries in the Sub-region may have or will encounter when updating their NBSAPs. Specific problematic areas garnered focus, such as target setting, stakeholder engagement and the development of country-specific plans for mobilizing financial resources for the implementation of NBSAPs. 

The COP Preparatory Meeting, coordinated by the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), was the first meeting of its kind in the Sub-region, aimed at establishing a common Caribbean position on major issues to be negotiated at the Conference of the Parties (COP) and the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Protocol (COP-MOP) in Hyderabad, India during October 2012. As such, the meeting would better enable the Sub-Region to prepare for meaningful participation at the COP.

Representatives from over 11 Caribbean countries attended both sessions, along with representatives from Governments, non-Governmental Organisation (NGOs), financial organisations, research institutions and tertiary education institutes.