Summary of the SPAW COP Opening Ceremony
Kingston, Jamaica, 28th July 2021: The Eleventh Meeting of the Contracting Parties (COP 11) to the Protocol Concerning Specially Protected Areas and Wildlife (SPAW) in the Wider Caribbean Region began on Tuesday 27th July 2021 with a welcome by Ms. Ileana Lopez, Programme Officer, Specially Protected Areas and Wildlife Sub-Programme, UNEP Cartagena Convention Secretariat, to over 100 delegates from contracting parties, observer countries, directors of the Regional Activity Centres, regional and international partners and agencies, and members of the media present.
This was followed by opening statements from Ms. Lorna Inniss, Principal Coordination Officer of the UNEP Cartagena Convention Secretariat, Ms. Kerstin Stendahl, Head of the Ecosystems Integration Branch representing Ms. Inger Anderson, Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), and His Excellency Hon. Romauld Ferreira, Minister of Environment and Housing of The Bahamas.
Ms. Inniss expressed gratitude to participants, acknowledging the difficult time experienced throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, which resulted in virtual hosting of all of the Cartagena Convention COPs during the week 26th – 30th July 2021. She explained that the SPAW Protocol of the Cartagena Convention which entered into force in 2000, follows an ecosystem approach and provides a unique legal framework for the conservation of the region’s biodiversity. COP 11 would deliberate on a number of important matters meant to towards effectively supporting countries and constituents in their national and regional actions to sustainably use marine and coastal ecosystem services while reducing adverse human impacts.
On behalf of the Secretariat, she expressed gratitude to all Parties, experts and partners for their support to the SPAW Sub-Programme over the last biennium. The invaluable support of the Republic of France to the implementation of the Cartagena Convention through the Specially Protected Areas and Wildlife (SPAW)Regional Activity Centre (RAC) in the Wider Caribbean Region in Guadeloupe was especially acknowledged. She noted that both the SPAW and the LBS Protocols had established several strategic partnerships during the past two years. Memorandums of Understanding (MoU) had recently been signed with the Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute (GCFI) and the Marine and Coastal Research Institute "José Benito Vives de Andréis" (INVEMAR), both long term partners. In addition, new MOUs are under development with the International Whaling Commission (IWC) and the Secretariat of the OSPAR Commission.
Significant progress had been made since the last SPAW COP in 2019 and Contracting Parties, the Secretariat and SPAW-RAC, observers, and other stakeholders, as appropriate, would be asked to consider a range of recommendations made in several reports as possible options for strengthening management of coastal ecosystems and maintaining and improving habitat integrity.
Ms. Stendahl expressed deep sorrow for the human suffering and loss incurred in the Wider Caribbean as a result of the global COVID-19 pandemic. She recognized that the epidemic had not only highlighted the growing globalization of health risks but also the crucial role of the human-animal-ecosystem interface. UNEP established the Caribbean Environment Programme (CEP) in 1981 as one of its Regional Seas Programmes in recognition of the importance and value of the Wider Caribbean Region’s fragile and vulnerable coastal and marine ecosystems including endemic plants and animals.
She noted that biodiversity can only be conserved, sustainably used, and restored by addressing all the underlying drivers of change, including the economic factors driving the exploitation and destruction of critical habitats. She acknowledged that the UNEP medium-term strategy for 2022-2025 focuses on People and Planet to tackle climate change, loss of nature and pollution, reversing the trajectory of biodiversity, and promoting sustainable and inclusive economic activities. The 2021-2030 UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development, and the 2021-2030 UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, are meant to support efforts to reverse the cycle of decline in ocean health and offer opportunities for job creation, food security and addressing climate change. The sustainable use of marine resources is essential to maintaining and protecting thriving national and local economies throughout the Wider Caribbean Region to reverse the decline in ocean health and prevent degradation of the planet. The SPAW Protocol is, she stressed, a catalytic regional biodiversity agreement to enhance the protection, conservation, and management of key ecosystems and species in the Wider Caribbean.
Minister Ferreira expressed regret at not being able to meet in person, noting that although for more than a year the COVID-19 pandemic has had severe, negative health, social and economic consequences, with unknown long-term impacts, the challenges to our environment and biodiversity would remain even after the pandemic has passed. Small Island Developing States (SIDS) were, he said, among the worst hit economies, as a result of the ongoing pandemic, experiencing an estimated fall in GDP of 9% in 2020, compared with a decline in other developing countries of 3.3%. The Wider Caribbean Region, which the Cartagena Convention serves, contains the largest number of SIDS of any region globally, and by extension the largest number in any of the 18 Regional Seas Programmes. 116 million people from 39 countries rely on the Caribbean Sea for their food and livelihoods. Over 12,000 marine species have been recorded in the Caribbean Region and coral reefs alone cover approximately 26,000 km2 and seagrass over 60,000km2. Protecting these communities and ecosystems is essential to the achievement of SDG14, Life Below Water.
In addition, SIDS are particularly vulnerable to natural disasters he said. The Bahamas in September 2019, saw massive destruction when Hurricane Dorian, one of the strongest hurricanes on record (Category 5) and the worst to have ever hit the Bahamas, affected the northwest islands of Abaco and Grand Bahama. The damage was estimated by the Inter-American Development Bank at US$3.4 billion. Such natural disasters pose further economic threats to SIDS in the Region.
He stressed the need for effective management of ocean-based sectors because sustainability and resilience must be a priority in recovery efforts. Given the negative biophysical and socio-economic impacts of Sargassum inundations on economy sectors, including coastal living and livelihoods, public health, fisheries and tourism, he noted as significant, the recent publication of the Sargassum White Paper 2021 which provides state of the art information for the Science-Policy interface and valuable recommendations.
“Humanity is living beyond the means of nature to support us and we must take drastic and urgent action to halt biodiversity loss, and prevent climate change to bring peace, prosperity and wellbeing to our people” he said. The Secretariat has provided leadership in providing solutions to better manage ecosystems, provide capacity building, scientific evidence, and policy guidance in relevant biodiversity matters such as marine protected areas, sargassum, marine mammals, ecosystem-based management approaches, corals, mangroves and seagrasses over the last biennium. The Bahamas was, he said, grateful for this and looked forward to participating in the deliberations of SPAW COP 11.
Contracting Parties and Observers went on to review the status of activities of the SPAW Programme for the period 2019 – 2020, and to consider the proposed Workplan and Budget for the period 2021 – 2022, which will go to the Nineteenth Intergovernmental Meeting on the Action Plan for the Caribbean Environment Programme and Sixteenth Meeting of Contracting Parties to the Cartagena Convention for endorsement on Friday 30th July.
Among issues discussed at SPAW COP 11 were the strengthening of Protected Area Management through increasing government and NGO capacity, the need for additional baseline monitoring of these areas, and the importance of building consensus on priorities for the management of endangered and migratory species, especially those that migrate through transboundary areas. The importance of emphasizing connectivity between communities and protected areas and the need to increase protected areas were also the subjects of lively discussion. The Dominican Republic's proposal for Cotubamana National Park to become the 36th designated Marine Protected Area under the SPAW Protocol is expected to be endorsed by 19th IGM COP.
Website stories produced for the COP meetings: Strengthening Protection for Caribbean Marine Protected Areas through SPAW ; The Caribbean steps up to the issue of Nutrient Pollution
About the Cartagena Convention
The Convention for the Protection and Development of the Marine Environment in the Wider Caribbean Region was adopted in 1983 in Cartagena, Colombia. Known as the “Cartagena Convention”, it became legally binding in 1986.
The Convention is supported by 3 technical Protocols, or sub-agreements, namely the Protocol Concerning Cooperation in Combating Oil Spills, the Protocol Concerning Pollution from Land-Based Sources and Activities (LBS or Pollution Protocol) and the Protocol Concerning Specially Protected Areas and Wildlife (SPAW or Biodiversity Protocol).
The Secretariat for the Cartagena Convention and its Protocols is based in Kingston, Jamaica and is supported by specialized Regional Activity Centres (RACs). The RAC for marine biodiversity is hosted in Guadeloupe (SPAW RAC), the one for Oil Spills is hosted in Curacao (RAC REMPEITC Caribe) while the LBS RACs are hosted in Trinidad and Tobago (Institute of Marine Affairs) and Cuba (Centre of Research and Environmental Management of Transport-CIMAB).
For more information please contact:
Ileana Lopez
Cartagena Convention Secretariat
Ecosystems Division
United Nations Environment Programme
14-20 Port Royal Street
Kingston, JAMAICA
E mail: unep-cartagenaconvention@un.org
Tel. 1 876 922 9267-69
Website: http://www.unenvironment.org/cep
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