SANTO DOMINGO Dominican Republic, June 5th, 2012 -- Over 41 technical, government and scientific experts from 19 countries will attend the United Nations Caribbean Environment Programme’s first technical meeting under its newest environment treaty, the Protocol Concerning Pollution from Land-Based Sources and Activities (LBS Protocol) in Aruba next week.
Scheduled for Oranjestad, Aruba on June 5-7, 2012, participating Governments are expected to discuss the status of pollution of the Caribbean Sea, identify emerging pollution-related issues and provide recommendations on new projects and activities for inclusion in the treaty’s biennial work programme. This work programme will be adopted at the first conference of Parties for the LBS Protocol to be held in the Dominican Republic in October.
“This is a very critical meeting for us because it offers the Contracting Parties the opportunity to assess the work done to date and identify priority pollution prevention projects and activities,” said UNEP Programme Officer, Chris Corbin.
“While the countries of the Wider Caribbean Region had already benefited for multimillion dollar projects funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) such as the Reducing Pesticide Run Off in Central America (REPCar), the Integrating Watersheds and Coastal Area Management Project and the Caribbean Regional Fund for Wastewater Management (CReW) which supported the ratification of the LBS Protocol, the focus will now be on helping countries in meeting their Protocol Obligations.”
The LBS Protocol is a set of procedures developed to respond to the need to protect the marine environment and human health from land-based sources pollution. The Protocol was signed by 16 Caribbean countries in Oranjestad, Aruba on October 6, 1999 by signatories to the Cartagena Convention – under which it falls It has been ratified by Trinidad and Tobago, Panama, France, Saint Lucia, Belize, United States of American, Antigua and Barbuda, Guyana, Grenada and the Bahamas. All of these countries will participate at this first regional Scientific and Technical Advisory Committee Meeting.
Among the actions that the Protocol aims to achieve are:
• The classification of recreational water bodies at the national level to ensure that the most important areas are protected from the negative impacts of pollution;
• The establishment of legally binding standards for sewage effluent and discharges;
• Identifying and assessing major sources and activities contributing to pollution of the marine environment; and
• Developing management plans and demonstration projects to reduce pollution of the marine environment.
Several other countries in the Wider Caribbean Region have indicated their Commitment to ratify the LBS Protocol and discussions at the meeting will also focus on how to assist countries in that process to ensure that a truly regional approach is taken towards pollution prevention, reduction and control in the Region.
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