Summary of the Cartagena Convention’s recent intergovernmental meetings
The Convention for the Protection and Development of the Marine Environment of the Wider Caribbean Region (WCR), known as the Cartagena Convention, was ratified in 1986. To date it has been ratified by 26 out of 28 countries. It is the only regional legally binding agreement for the protection and development of the Caribbean Sea. It supports governments to achieve relevant global targets such as the Sustainable Development Goals, SAMOA Pathway, and activities related to the United Nations Decades on Ecosystem Restoration and Ocean Science for Sustainable Development.
The Convention’s Secretariat is based in Kingston, Jamaica and the Conference of Parties meets every two years to review activities and achievements, to approve the next two-year work plan and budget, and to make key decisions on its future work. This year’s meetings, due to the COVID-19 restrictions, took place virtually and were hosted by the Government of Barbados.
The intergovernmental meetings included:
- The 5th Conference of Parties (COP) to the Protocol Concerning Pollution from Land-Based Sources and Activities (5th LBS COP), on 26th July (currently ratified by 15 countries in the Wider Caribbean).
- The 11th COP to the Protocol Concerning Specially Protected Areas and Wildlife (11th SPAW COP) on 27th July (currently ratified by 18 countries).
- The 16th COP to the Convention and the 19th Intergovernmental Meeting of the Caribbean Environment Programme, from 28th – 30th July.
Over 100 delegates from contracting parties, observer countries, regional and international partners and agencies were present when Ms. Lorna Inniss, Coordinator of the Secretariat, welcomed delegates. The Opening statements which followed acknowledged the impacts of COVID-19 in the region, the need to rethink, redesign and identify new sustainable economic opportunities, and the essential work of the Convention which, like the countries, is facing very challenging financial times. The countries noted that the Convention would celebrate its 35th Anniversary in October 2021 and expressed appreciation for the financial and technical support provided over the years. They also stressed their support for finalization of a new Caribbean Environment Programme Strategy (2021-2030) that includes supporting Sustainable Blue Economy approaches in the region.
Ms. Joyce Msuya, Deputy Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme, in her introduction, stressed that the Cartagena Convention, one of UNEP’s Regional Seas Programmes, and one of the first of its kind globally, plays a crucial role by providing a solid platform for multilateral action to protect and sustainably manage the use of vital coastal and marine resources. UNEP, she said, takes great pride in the Cartagena Convention and is grateful for the partnership that has evolved with the Parties to the Convention. The need for innovative and creative solutions is greater than ever and the COP was an opportunity for the Contracting Parties to negotiate such strategies and solutions with the aim of increasing regional synergies and efficiency, while paving the way for prosperity and inclusive growth – to achieve a vision of not just living – but thriving – in peace with nature.
The Minister of Maritime Affairs and the Blue Economy of Barbados, Kirk D. M. Humphrey, in the Feature Address, pointed out that Barbados was one of the earliest countries in the Wider Caribbean Region to ratify the Cartagena Convention and the Oil Spills Protocol in May 1985. It followed by ratifying the Protocol Concerning Specially Protected Areas and Wildlife (the SPAW Protocol) in October 2002, and most recently, in June 2019, the LBS Protocol. He stressed his country’s unwavering commitment to reducing marine degradation and enhancing the ecosystem services derived from the coastal and marine environment and that Sustainable Blue Economy must be one of the main supporting pillars in countries’ strategies going forward. The COVID-19 pandemic has made it even more crucial to pursue greater economic diversity and expansion, and the ongoing work to implement the LBS and SPAW Protocols supports Sustainable Blue Economy initiatives.
The Conferences of Parties of the LBS and the SPAW Protocols were provided with reports on the status of activities for the period 2019 – 2020. They also reviewed the proposed work plans and budgets for the period 2021 - 2022. Highlights of the discussions included:
- Appreciation of the Contracting Parties for the hard work, achievements and many useful outputs of the Secretariat despite the challenges of COVID and reduced finances.
- The development and approval of a Regional Nutrients Pollution Reduction Strategy which establishes a collaborative framework for the progressive reduction of impacts from excess nutrient loads on priority coastal and marine ecosystems in the region.
- The significant contributions of Technical Working Groups and the establishment of new thematic Working Groups that will assist countries in addressing many new and emerging issues and concerns on the management of coastal and marine resources.
- The growing collaboration between the LBS Protocol and SPAW Protocol teams, and the need for Contracting parties to utilize the expertise available through the Regional Activity Centres (RACs).
- Appreciation of the work of the four RACs of the Secretariat – RAC IMA, RAC CIMAB, RAC REMPEITC Caribe and the contribution of the respective host Governments – Trinidad and Tobago, Cuba, Curacao and France
- The value of the new state of the environment reports – the State of the Convention Area on Marine Pollution, and, the State of Nearshore Marine Habitats in the Wider Caribbean, as valuable tools for monitoring, assessment, and informing actions to be taken. The Regional Strategies and Action plans – Nutrients, Marine Litter and Habitats - provide roadmaps on the way forward.
- The importance of building consensus amongst Contracting Parties 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 strengthen Protected Area Management through increasing government and NGO capacity and the need for additional baseline monitoring of these areas.
- The importance of data and information management for improving monitoring and evaluation of program success.
The COVID-19 pandemic had been foremost amongst the challenges experienced by the countries and the Secretariat in the period under review. As countries struggled to cope with the fallout and impact on their economies, contributions to the Caribbean Trust Fund, already under pressure before the pandemic, were further reduced. This has further affected the financial sustainability of the Secretariat and its programmes, sometimes making it difficult to implement activities due to limited staff and resources. In addition, project implementation in most places slowed as the ability to conduct fieldwork and other activities were restricted.
Focal point engagement as well as participation in working groups, which are important advisory groups to help advance the work of the Protocols, was not as good as it needs to be for optimal participation by Contracting Parties. There is also need for greater integration of the work of the various working groups under both Protocols. National Focal Points were also reminded that they can identify and recommend experts from other national agencies.
It was also noted that training and capacity building is needed to generate and use the data needed for decision-making. Parties acknowledged while ongoing and new projects create opportunities, data and information management, on the whole, needs greater coordination and planning. The significantly increased number of information products needs to be more widely disseminated.
Given the many needs and the limited resources available, the question of a mechanism for prioritization was much discussed, as well as the need to be more realistic.
In order to most effectively support work in the region, UNEP commissioned an independent Strategic and Functional Review of the Cartagena Convention Secretariat in early-2021. This was meant to shed light on operational issues which should be improved and strengthened, and to provide Parties to the Convention with the information needed to strengthen the Convention and improve the services of the Secretariat. Its recommendations were taken into consideration, as well as inform the finalization of the Caribbean Environment Programme’s Strategy before the end of 2021.
The 16th COP to the Convention and the 19th Intergovernmental Meeting of the Caribbean Environment Programme, featured lively discussions from 28th and 30th July. In addition to approval of work plans and budgets, issues addressed included ensuring that the three Protocols work together more, key governance items, and endorsement of the RAC IMA and RAC CIMAB Medium Term Strategic Plans. A number of Decisions were agreed. In summary:
The Secretariat is to:
- Mobilize financial resources for implementing the unfunded activities within the 2021-2022 workplan with the support of Contracting Parties, and present a resource mobilization strategy to the next Conference of the Parties, .
- Continue to identify new partnership opportunities to enable the most effective implementation of the 2021-2022 work plan while ensuring synergy, harmonization of efforts, optimization in the use of resources, and greater involvement and participation of all Contracting Parties in the implementation of the workplan.
- Enhance synergies with other Multilateral Environmental Agreements, Regional Seas Programmes (RSPs), conventions, and the international global agenda such as the new post-2020 global framework for biodiversity, which is currently being negotiated.
- Encourage Contracting Parties to make their annual contributions as early as possible in the financial year to enable adequate planning and budgeting by the Secretariat and convene the next group of Intergovernmental Meetings virtually as a cost-saving measure, with the aim of reconvening physical meetings in the subsequent biennium.
In addition, the decisions of the LBS Protocol COP5 and the SPAW Protocol COP11 were endorsed. The Secretariat was encouraged to continue in its efforts to have further integration of the two Sub-Programmes through joint Scientific, Technical and Advisory Committee meetings, COPs and/or full representation of all Contracting Parties at meetings of the Protocols.
Contracting Parties welcomed the proposal by the Dominican Republic for Cotubamana National Park to become a new Marine Protected Area under the SPAW Protocol and endorsed its designation as the 36th Marine Protected Area under that Protocol.
In recognition of the risk of oil spills and other contaminants from maritime activities and other pollution sources, the COPs recognized the continuous contribution of the Governments of Curaçao (Kingdom of the Netherlands), the United States and Jamaica to the operational support of the Oil Spills RAC/REMPEITC-Caribe, as well as the continuous funding support from many nations through the International Maritime Organization. The Secretariat was urged to promote the work of the Centre and disseminate information on their activities and capabilities to Contracting Parties in the Wider Caribbean Region, to strengthen collaboration in the region on oil spill monitoring, and along with the RACs and other partner agencies, actively explore opportunities for replicating and upscaling training for detection of oil spills (such as had recently been introduced at RAC IMA through NOAA) using satellite remote sensing technology as well as for other emerging pollutants.
The COP recognized the potential for support for the work of the Secretariat and endorsed participation in the recently approved GEF PROCaribe+ project development process with a view to possible involvement as a partner executing agency for project activities. This was seen as a follow up to the Caribbean Large Marine Ecosystem Plus (CLME+ ) Strategic Action Programme to enhance ocean governance in the Wider Caribbean Region.
These Decisions would represent the countries commitments to help set the region on the right path to achieving the SDGs, and the objectives of the UN Decades on Ocean Science and Ecosystem Restoration.
On 11th October 2021, the Cartagena Convention will celebrate its 35th Anniversary. Throughout the meetings, countries were reminded of the importance of providing, and demonstrating, support through timely contributions and of the importance of ratifying the protocols if they have not yet done so.
Kerstin Stendhal, Director of the Ecosystems Integration Division, UNEP, noted that the epidemic had not only highlighted the growing globalization of health risks but also the crucial role of the human-animal-ecosystem interface. The last biennium had been a challenging one due to the continued negative impacts of climate change, pollution of our air, oceans and land, biodiversity loss, and the devastating economic, environmental and social consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. She stressed that, given these challenges, the work of the Cartagena Convention is more important than ever: “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.”
Looking forward, the Secretariat will need to be extremely strategic to ensure it addresses the obligations of the Convention and its Protocols and the needs from Parties as expressed in the Meeting Decisions. It will depend upon the Contracting Parties to communicate their concerns and to request assistance when needed, and to follow-up on their obligations.
