Unep(Dec)/Car Ig. 22/Inf.4

UNEP(DEC)/CAR IG. 22/INF.4

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UNITED

NATIONS

Twelfth Intergovernmental Meeting on the Action Plan for the Caribbean Environment Programme and the Ninth Meeting of the Contracting Parties to the Convention for the Protection and Development of the Marine Environment of the Wider Caribbean Region

29 November – 2 December 2006

Montego Bay, Jamaica

The Caribbean Environment Programme
1981-2006

UNEP(DEC)/CAR IG. 22/INF.4

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Table of Contents

List of Tables i

Foreword ii

List of Acronyms iii

Executive Summary iv

1.BACKGROUND TO THE CARIBBEAN ENVIRONMENT PROGRAMME 1

1.1Functional relationship between the CEP and UNEP 2

2.PROGRAMME DEVELOPMENT 2

2.1Institutional Arrangements 3

2.2Legal Instruments and Mechanisms 5

2.3Programme Components and Sub-programmes 6

3.MAIN ACHIEVEMENTS AND OUTPUTS 8

3.1Institutional Development 9

3.2National Implementation of CEP 11

3.3Capacity Building 12

3.4Outputs, Impacts and Benefits 13

4.STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS16

5.CHALLENGES19

5.1Political Commitment19

5.2Regional Institutional Framework20

5.3Financial Constraints and Commitments21

5.4Summary23

Literature Cited25

APPENDICES

Appendix I:Objectives of the Action Plan for CEP

Appendix II:CEP Collaborating Institutions

Appendix III: Status of Legal Instruments

Appendix IV: Main Outputs of CEP

Appendix V: CTF Contribution Levels

Appendix VI:Organizational Chart of the Secretariat

List of Tables

Table 1: Milestone Events in the Development of CEP 10

Table 2: CEP- Working for Nations12

Foreword

The Action Plan for the Caribbean Environment Programme (CEP) was adopted at the First Intergovernmental Meeting for the Programme in April 1981, in Montego Bay, Jamaica. The meeting also established a Monitoring Committee to provide operational and policy guidance to the Secretariat of the Programme during the period between Intergovernmental Meetings.

The Twelfth Intergovernmental Meeting on the Action Plan for the Caribbean Environment Programme and Ninth Meeting of the Contracting Parties to the Convention for the Protection and Development of the Marine Environment of the Wider Caribbean Region (12th IGM) coincides with the 25th anniversary of the Caribbean Action Plan and, as such, provides an opportunity to review the development and accomplishments of the Caribbean Environment Programme.

The report is based on a review of the outputs from the Caribbean Environment Programme, primarily the meeting reports and other related reports and files.

This report is not an evaluation of the Caribbean Environment Programme, but, as the name suggests, an overview of the Programme since its adoption in 1981.

List of Acronyms

ACSAssociation of Caribbean States

AMEPAssessment and Management of Environmental Pollution

CaMPAMCaribbean Marine Protected Area Managers Network

CBDConvention on Biological Diversity

CCADCentral American Commission for Environment and Development

CENCaribbean Environment Network (Project)

CEPCaribbean Environment Programme

CEPNETInformation Systems for the Management of Marine and Coastal Resources

CHA-CASTCaribbean Hotel Association/Caribbean Action for Sustainable Tourism

CITESConvention on International Trade in Endangered Species

CMSConvention on Migratory Species

CTFCaribbean Trust Fund

CTOCaribbean Tourism Organization

DCPI(UNEP’s) Division of Communication and Public Information

DEC(UNEP’s) Division of Environmental Conventions

DEWA(UNEP’s) Division of Early Warning and Assessment

DEPI(UNEP’s) Division of Environmental Policy Implementation

DGEF(UNEP’s) Division of Global Environment Facility Coordination

DPDL(UNEP’s) Division of Policy Development and Law

DRC(UNEP’s) Division of Regional Cooperation

DTIE(UNEP’s) Division of Technology, Industry and Economics

ECLACEconomic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean

ETAEducation, Training and Awareness

GCRMNGlobal Coral Reef Monitoring Network

GPAGlobal Programme of Action on Land-based Activities

ICRIInternational Coral Reef Initiative

IGMIntergovernmental Meeting

IMOInternational Maritime Organization

ISTACInterim Scientific, Technical and Advisory Committee

MPAsMarine Protected Areas

MEAMultilateral Environmental Agreement

NGONon-governmental Organization

NPAsNational Programmes of Action

OECS-ESDUOrganization of Eastern Caribbean States/Environmental & Sustainable Development Unit

OPRCOil Pollution, Prevention and Response Convention

RACRegional Activity Centre

RCURegional Coordinating Unit

REMPEITCRegional Marine Pollution Emergency, Information, and Training Centre

ROLAC(UNEP’s) Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean

SIDS-POASmall Island Developing States/Programme of Action

SPAWSpecially Protected Areas and Wildlife

STACScientific and Technical Advisory Committee

UNUnited Nations

UNEPUnited Nations Environment Programme

UNEP-CAR/RCUUNEP Caribbean Environment Programme, Regional Coordinating Unit

UNESCO-IOCUNESCO’s International Oceanographic Commission

WCRWider Caribbean Region

Executive Summary

This report to the Twelfth Intergovernmental Meeting on the Action Plan for the Caribbean Environment Programme and Ninth Meeting of the Contracting Parties to the Convention for the Protection and Development of the Marine Environment of the Wider Caribbean Region provides an overview of the development and accomplishments of the Caribbean Environment Programme since its inception in 1981.

The existing organizational arrangements, inclusive of the Monitoring Committee and the Regional Coordinating Unit, were established at the First Intergovernmental Meeting, which was held in Montego Bay, Jamaica, April 6-8, 1981.

The adoption of the Action Plan for the Caribbean Environment Programme in 1981 was followed by the adoption of the legal framework, the Cartagena Convention, in 1983. The development of the Programme slowed somewhat thereafter, with the regional Coordinating Unit being established in 1986.

The Caribbean Environment Programme has since grown to its current form, comprised of the Cartagena Convention, three Protocols, two governing structures, various subsidiary bodies, the Regional Coordinating Unit, four Regional Activity Centres, four main programmatic areas, and networks of collaborating institutions and professionals.

This growth in the Caribbean Environment Programme has been made possible because of the support given to the Programme by a wide range of national, regional, and international governmental and non-governmental organizations. This support is being strengthened through the development of strategic alliances including the closer alignment between the requirements of the Cartagena Convention and the requirements of other international agreements, the development of strategic frameworks at the international and regional levels, and increased coordination between regional programmes.

While the underlying principle on which the Caribbean Environment Programme was founded, to be a framework for regional cooperation, has been maintained throughout its development, the further development of the Programme has been affected by the lack of increased or sustained financing. Despite this, the Caribbean Environment Programme has become a stable institutional space for regional environmental decision-making that involves a wide range of government and non-governmental organizations, all the language groups present in the Caribbean, and a wide range of social and developmental cultures.

Past evaluations of the Programme have noted its many successes and achievements, particularly in the areas of technical publications, integrated coastal area management plans, species management plans and guidelines, environmental assessments, public information, information systems management, sustainable coastal tourism initiatives, and training and capacity building.

The range of outputs reflects the openness and flexibility that has enabled the Caribbean Environment Programme to actively engage a wide range of collaborating institutions in Programme implementation. This approach has also generated a significant level of support and products, and has resulted in the Caribbean Environment Programme becoming the regional focal point for a number of international environmental initiatives.

Despite the growth and achievements over the 25 years of the Caribbean Environment Programme, there are still challenges to be addressed. Primary among these are the need for:

• increased levels of financing
• increased political support from, and more active participation by Caribbean Governments, including efforts to ratify and implement the Cartagena Convention and its Protocols
• improved coordination among regional programmes
• increased harmonization with international environmental agreements

In keeping with the mandate of various IGMs, the Programme has been actively seeking to address these concerns through the development of strategic frameworks, the latest outlined in two documents Strategy for the Development of the Caribbean Environment Programme 2002-2006andStrategy for the Enhancing of the Caribbean Environment Programme Within the Framework of the Regional Seas Programmes and Sustainable Development 2005-2009.

CEP has become a significant regional lever, which has assisted in regional capacity building to investigate, assess and deal with the most common environmental problems. In compliance with its operating principles, the 2205-2009 Strategy will help CEP maintain its programmatic integrity, reduce biases while executing its programmes, and facilitate the harmonious development of its components.

The complexities of global problems/issues have brought increased attention to the environment and a number of issues on the CEP agenda have become multi-thematic. The strategy brings coherence to CEP programme activities, Convention and Protocol implementation, inter-governmental decisions and the outcome of international fora. However, this development has not been supported by increases in financial assistance and government contributions. Therefore, new funding sources must be found for long-term sustainability,which is indicated in the strategy documents.

Much progress has been made since 1976. The management of data collection and reporting, for example, has vastly improved. Despite this progress, however, there are other environmental issues that must be put into perspective to yield a more coherent analysis of the regional marine environment. In the end, as the Programme continues to implement and solidify its mandate, it must be conscious of what it will take to achieve sustainability.

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1.BACKGROUND TO THE CARIBBEAN ENVIRONMENT PROGRAMME

1. In 1976, a number of Caribbean Governments requested the assistance of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) for the assessment and development of environmental criteria in the regional development process. In response to this request, and following preparatory activities, UNEP and the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America (ECLAC) agreed in 1977 to coordinate a project to develop an environmental action plan for the Wider Caribbean Region.
2. The assessment for the preparation of the Action Plan was conducted with the collaboration of a number of United Nations (UN) organizations, international organizations, Caribbean governments, and regional organizations. The relationship between the environment and development was determined by focusing on energy production and consumption, agriculture and fisheries, human health, human settlements, coastal development and natural disasters, and marine pollution (UNEP 1984). The results of the assessment were reviewed by a panel of experts from the Wider Caribbean, which subsequently worked with UNEP and ECLAC in the preparation of the first draft of the action plan for a Caribbean Environment Programme (CEP).
3. The draft action plan was revised during two meetings of government-nominated experts (Caracas, Venezuela January 28 to February 1, 1980, and Managua, Nicaragua February 23-27, 1981), and was formally adopted by the First Intergovernmental Meeting (IGM), Monteg o Bay, Jamaica, April 6-8, 1981.
4. In addition to adopting the Action Plan for the Caribbean Environment Programme, the representatives of the 22 governments participating in the 1st IGM also (a) designated UNEP as the coordinating institution for CEP, (b) established a nine-member Monitoring Committee from the participating governments, (c) agreed to establish a Caribbean Trust Fund to cover the (common) costs of programme implementation, (d) agreed to develop regional legal agreements to provide a legal framework for the Action Plan, and (e) requested that UNEP establish a Regional Coordinating Unit (RCU) to coordinate the Programme.
5. The “…principal objectives of the Action Plan are to assist the Governments of the region in minimizing environmental problems in the Wider Caribbean through assessment of the state of the environment and development activities in environmental management.” (UNEP 1983, page 1, para. 4 [Appendix 1]). At adoption, the major components of the Action Plan were (a) Environmental Assessment and Management, (b) Education, Training and Development of Human Resources, and (c) Supporting Measures (including institutional and financial arrangements). Since that time, the components and sub-programmes of CEP have evolved to meet the changing needs of the Member Governments.
6. The regional legal framework, the Convention for the Protection and Development of the Marine Environment of the Wider Caribbean Region (the Cartagena Convention), was adopted in 1983, while the Regional Coordinating Unit was established in 1986. The CEP has evolved since its beginning in 1981, both in structure and programming.

1.1FUNCTIONAL RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE CEP AND UNEP

All Regional Seas Programmes function through anAction Plan underpinned by a strong legal framework. Regional Seas Programmes are coordinated and administered by UNEP’s Regional Seas Branch that falls under the Division of Environmental Policy Implementation (DEPI). The CEP, therefore, is administered by this Division.The Head of the Regional Seas Branch is also head of the Global Programme of Action (GPA). Whilst the CEP does not fall under the administrative purview of UNEP’s Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean(ROLAC), cooperation exists in areas of mutual interest and programme coordination.

2.PROGRAMME DEVELOPMENT

1. The governments of the Caribbean requested that UNEP act as the Secretariat for the Action Plan, with responsibility for its coordination. The Monitoring Committee provides oversight to the implementation of the CEP by acting on behalf of the Intergovernmental Meeting, while the Contracting Parties to the Convention also established the Bureau of Contracting Parties as its supervisory policy body.
2. The joint bodies of Member Governments, through Intergovernmental Meetings and the Contracting Parties, govern the development and implementation of the CEP.
3. In accordance with the long-term strategy to enhance the sustainable development of the marine and coastal environment of the Wider Caribbean Region, the programmatic strategy will continue to include the following inter-dependent implementation elements: institutional, programmatic, training and financial. They represent the tactical and operational options to be used to comply with the goals outlined in the CEP work plan approved at the 10th IGM for the period 2004-2008 and the work plan adopted at the 11th IGM in Montego Bay in 2004. The elements will include: increasing the CEP’s formal links with the Sustainable Development community and international partners; enhancing visibility and impact on global and regional policy; improving knowledge, awareness and capacity; improving monitoring, assessment and dissemination capabilities; improving ratification of the Convention and its protocols; and promoting the ecosystem approach through comprehensive integrated initiatives and a common vision.

2.1Institutional Arrangements

1. The operational structure of the CEP includes:

1. Two programmatic instruments:

i) the Action Plan for the Caribbean Environment Programme and

ii) the Cartagena Convention including its three Protocols

1. Two governing structures (that meet jointly):

i) the Intergovernmental Meeting on the Action Plan and

ii) the Meeting of the Contracting Parties of the Cartagena Convention (with their

respective subsidiary bodies)

1. The Regional Coordinating Unit as Secretariat
2. Four Regional Activity Centres (RACs)
3. An informal network of collaborating governmental and non-governmental institutions

1. The IGM forms the primary mechanism for providing policy guidance, and overall oversight to CEP implementation, designing institutional arrangements, defining common interests and issues, approving the biennial workplan and budgets, and programme evaluation.
2. The IGM is held every two years jointly with the Conference of Parties to the Cartagena Convention. This joint forum provides the highest decision-making body of the CEP.
3. Meetings of the two CEP monitoring bodies, the Monitoring Committee to the Action Plan and the Bureau of Contracting Parties to the Convention, are also held jointly and biennially on the alternate years of the IGM. Recommendations from the meetings of the Monitoring Committee and Bureau Meeting are submitted to the IGM for approval.
4. Scientific and technical matters form an increasingly large part of the work of the CEP. The IGM convenes Meetings of Experts to the Action Plan to provide scientific advice on selected matters as necessary and requested by the IGM. Scientific and technical meetings are required by the provisions of the Protocols to the Convention on Specially Protected Areas and Wildlife (SPAW) and by the Protocol Concerning Pollution from Land-based Sources and Activities (LBS). The SPAW Protocol has established its Scientific and Technical Advisory Committee (STAC),while the LBS Protocol has established an Interim Scientific, Technical and Advisory Committee (ISTAC) until that protocol enters into force. These Committees provide relevant advice to the Conference of Parties regarding their respective Protocol as directed.To improve its coordination and reporting mechanisms, the Programme has developed a series of adhoc working groups to deal with specific technical areas.
5. The organization of meetings, implementation of the Programme and support to member governments is coordinated by the UNEP-Caribbean Environment Programme’s Regional Coordinating Unit (UNEP-CAR/RCU), which functions as the Secretariat to the Cartagena Convention. The RCU is based in Kingston and is assisted in programme implementation by four Regional Activity Centres (RACs) and Regional Activity Networks (RANs). The development of RACs and RANs was initially proposed to, and accepted by, CEP member governments in 1992 at the 6th IGM through the presentation and adoption of the 1992 Concept Paper (UNEP(OCA)/CAR WG.10/3). Further, Decision II of the 10th IGM endorsed the Concept Paper for establishing and implementing RACs and RANs. The RAC for the Regional Programme on Specially Protected Areas and Wildlife (SPAW) is located in Guadeloupe, and was formally established in January 2000. The RAC for the Oil Spill Protocol, the Regional Marine Pollution Emergency, Information and Training Centre (REMPEITC), is located in Curacao, and was informally established in June 1995 and then formally in June 2001 following a decision of the 9th IGM. Decisions IX asked the Secretariat and the LBS/RAC Steering Committee to establish, manage and supervise the operation of, in accordance with Article XIII of the LBS Protocol on behalf of the Contracting Parties to the Cartagena Convention, LBS/RACs in Cuba and Trinidad and Tobago, which are now operational. Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) were signed with the Governments of both countries outlining their establishment, operation and management.
6. Implementation of the Caribbean Environment Programme is assisted by member governments through designated National and Technical Focal Points and a large number of regional and international intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations (Appendix 2). Decision VI of the 10th IGM requested the Secretariat and Governments to continue strengthening their communications. The Secretariat has therefore been actively and continuously updating the list of Focal Points and increasing communication through e-groups. The CEP website has been improved to reflect these developments.Collaborating institutions not only participate in meetings but also undertake activities on behalf of the RCU, and provide a range of inputs in support of CEP, using resources that do not necessarily originate through the Programme.
7. The most important structural changes in management and administration occurred in the areas of personnel, delivery of products and services, and the decentralization of programme and project support staff (See Appendix VI). In addition to the Coordinator, there are three Programme Officers paid out of the Caribbean Trust Fund and a WW2BW co-ordinator supported by SIDA. Two Junior Professional Officers (JPOs) were recruited in January 2004 (following agreement reached during the biennium 2002-2003), one for the SPAW programme, based at UNEP-CAR/RCU in Kingston, and the other for the AMEP programme based at LBS RAC CIMAB in Cuba. Several positions of the CEP remain vacant due to a lack of adequate funds.
8. Further discussions have continued between the UN System in Jamaica and the Government of Jamaica to establish the United Nations House in the building currently occupied by the CAR/RCU Secretariat in Kingston. The UN system in Jamaica would be consolidated into a United Nations House that would host all the UN agencies. This has the potential to facilitate inter-agency coordination and reduce some general and common costs.

2.2Legal Instruments