There are more than one hundred MEAs of relevance to the Caribbean, and while Caribbean countries are parties to and strong supporters of many of these MEAs, their provisions have not been fully incorporated into national legislation, in many countries. Notwithstanding, MEAs represent a good platform through which national environment and sustainable development goals may be realised and many of the problems affecting the global commons addressed.

The Project entitled CAPACITY BUILDING RELATED TO MULTILATERAL ENVIRONMENTAL AGREEMENTS (MEAs) IN AFRICAN, CARIBBEAN AND PACIFIC (ACP) COUNTRIES – The Caribbean Hub Sub-component (2009-CPL-2262-2661-3771 was initiated by the ACP Ambassadors in Brussels and is part of the overall European Commission Programme for Capacity Building related to the implementation of MEAs in the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries.

The CARICOM Secretariat is the regional hub for the Caribbean under this project and will be strengthened to allow for the delivery of quality capacity-building services to Caribbean countries, such as project management and writing skills, negotiations and lobbying skills, legal drafting skills, information management and exchange, and the synergistic implementation of MEAs in a coherent and integrated manner.

The project is designed to increase the capacities of Caribbean states and the CARICOM Secretariat in the above-mentioned areas and will entail the provision of technical assistance, training, policy and advisory support services to enhance the capacities of the countries in implementing their obligations under MEAs. This will facilitate Caribbean countries to address development challenges associated with the adverse effects of climate change, loss of biodiversity, drought, land degradation, waste management and other threats to the environment.

The implementation of this Project will contribute to the implementation of strategies for sustainable development, increasing the prosperity of the Region and reducing poverty and improving peoples’ livelihoods.

Caribbean Hub sub-component - Capacity Building related to Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEA) in African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Countries: Project Document provides detailed information on the project for further reading.

MEAs fact sheet

Ozone Layer Protection in CARICOM Countries - Montreal Protocol: The History of this successful MEA

Regional Workshop on Commitments of Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs): Capacity Building for the use of Integrated Environmental Assessments and for Mainstreaming MEAs into Policy Development and Implementation: Paramaribo Suriname, 28 March - 1 April 2011

Intensive Training Workshop on Environmental Legislative Drafting with Specific Emphasis on Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs) For CARIFORUM Member States 2-5 August 2011

Regional Negotiation Skills Training Workshop for New
Negotiators, 10-11 November 2010       (Photo Gallery)

Upcoming events:

Second Meeting of Expert Committee for the Identification and Selection of Best Practices in the Caribbean in MEA Implementation and Environmental Management. Meeting will be held via Teleconference on February 27th, 2011.

Customs Officers Training Seminar – Date and Venue TBC

Regional Negotiation Skills for New Negotiators – Date and Venue TBC

Judges Training Seminar - Date and Venue TBC

Project Management Material

Capacity building in the area of Project Management and Project Proposal Writing has been identified as a priority under the MEAs Capacity Building Project (Integrating the Caribbean Hub into the Region).

Experience in the sixteen (16) Caribbean ACP countries shows that there is a lack of capacity on substantive technical issues related to MEA implementation in areas such as technical research and problem-analysis, policy analysis, legal drafting and project management skills.

In the latter area, environmental specialists have cited inadequate capacity to identify, prepare and write project proposals as a major handicap in their efforts to strengthen and mainstream environmental policies and strengthen programming at the national level.

There are many existing guides and handbooks on project management and project proposal writing compiled by the major donors in the Region. These guides present comprehensive information on how to prepare and manage successful projects.

• European Commission.  Project Cycle Management Training Handbook
• Inter-American Development Bank.  Guide for Proposal Preparation :  Call for Proposals 2007
• Project Management Institute.  A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge
• USAID.  The New Project Design and Management Workshop Training Manual
• World Bank Small Grants Programme.  Grant Proposal Writing

For more information on the Caribbean; African and Pacific Hubs, please visit: ACP MEAs Project Website  managed by UNEP’s office in Brussels