Secretariat of the Cartagena Convention

Secretariat of the Cartagena Convention
Name	Secretariat of the Cartagena Convention
Formation	1981
Type	Intergovernmental secretariat
Headquarters	Kingston, Jamaica
Region served	Caribbean Sea
Parent organization	United Nations Environment Programme

Secretariat of the Cartagena Convention is the administrative and coordinating body supporting the Protocol on Specially Protected Areas and Wildlife in the Wider Caribbean and associated instruments under the Cartagena Convention framework. It operates from Kingston, Jamaica and functions as the regional focal point for marine and coastal environmental protection in the Caribbean Sea basin, liaising with multilateral entities such as the United Nations Environment Programme, United Nations Development Programme, Food and Agriculture Organization, and regional organizations including the Caribbean Community and the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States.

History

The Secretariat was established following the adoption of the Convention for the Protection and Development of the Marine Environment of the Wider Caribbean Region at the Caribbean Environment Programme negotiations in the early 1980s, building on precedent set by regional agreements like the OAS Inter-American Convention and influenced by global instruments such as the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and the Convention on Biological Diversity. Early milestones include implementation of the Protocol Concerning Pollution from Land-Based Sources and Activities and the Protocol Concerning Pollution from Ships; the Secretariat coordinated responses to incidents involving Tropical Storms and Hurricane Gilbert impacts on coastal ecosystems and worked with initiatives inspired by the Brundtland Report and the Rio Earth Summit outcomes. Over subsequent decades the Secretariat engaged with programs linked to the Global Environment Facility, the Ramsar Convention, and the International Maritime Organization to embed regional priorities into global environmental governance.

Mandate and Functions

The Secretariat's mandate derives from the Cartagena Convention and its Protocols, requiring it to support implementation of measures agreed by Parties including the Protocol Concerning Specially Protected Areas and Wildlife and the Protocol Concerning Pollution from Land-Based Sources and Activities. Core functions include coordination of regional policy across agencies like the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency, technical assistance aligned with United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change objectives, facilitation of marine spatial planning linked to Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora commitments, and stewardship of data networks harmonized with UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre. The Secretariat also administers reporting obligations under treaties parallel to the Stockholm Convention and liaises with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change on sea level rise and coastal resilience.

Organizational Structure

The Secretariat is organized into thematic units reflecting regional priorities: marine pollution and waste, biodiversity and protected areas, coastal management and resilience, and science and monitoring. Leadership comprises an Executive Director accountable to the Meeting of the Contracting Parties and supported by professional staff and technical advisers drawn from institutions such as the University of the West Indies, the Caribbean Public Health Agency, and the Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute. Oversight mechanisms include regional subsidiary bodies patterned after structures used by the United Nations Environment Programme Regional Seas Programme and working groups akin to those in the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network and the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

Programs and Activities

The Secretariat implements programs focusing on marine pollution prevention, protected area networking, and climate adaptation. Notable activities include coordinating the establishment of Specially Protected Areas in collaboration with World Wildlife Fund, executing capacity-building workshops with Inter-American Development Bank support, running monitoring initiatives parallel to the Caribbean Coral Reef Institute and the Western Atlantic Fishery Organization, and convening scientific fora similar to International Coral Reef Symposium gatherings. The Secretariat also facilitates project execution funded by the Global Environment Facility and joint projects with the United Nations Development Programme and the European Union External Action Service for sustainable fisheries and mangrove restoration, interfacing with technical partners such as the International Union for Conservation of Nature and the Smithsonian Institution.

Member States and Governance

Parties to the Cartagena Convention include sovereign states and territories around the Caribbean Sea such as Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Netherlands Antilles, Nicaragua, Panama, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago, with governance exercised through the Meeting of the Contracting Parties and subsidiary advisory committees patterned after mechanisms used by the United Nations Environment Assembly. Decisions are informed by national reports, technical assessments from entities like the Caribbean Meteorological Organisation, and guidance from regional research centers including the Charles Darwin Foundation model for biodiversity science.

Partnerships and Collaboration

The Secretariat maintains partnerships with international organizations such as the United Nations Environment Programme, United Nations Development Programme, World Bank, and the Global Environment Facility, and with regional bodies like the Caribbean Community and the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States. It collaborates with conservation NGOs including Conservation International, BirdLife International, and The Nature Conservancy, and engages academic partners like the University of the West Indies and the University of Miami Rosenstiel School. Operational alliances extend to technical agencies including the International Maritime Organization, the Food and Agriculture Organization, and the International Coral Reef Initiative.

Funding and Budget

Funding streams combine assessed contributions from Parties, project-specific grants from donors such as the Global Environment Facility, bilateral support from states like Canada and United States, and in-kind contributions from partners including the European Union and regional development banks like the Inter-American Development Bank. Budget planning aligns with programmatic cycles used by the United Nations Development Programme and financial oversight mirrors practices established by United Nations Environment Programme financial regulations, with audits and donor reporting coordinated through established mechanisms such as those employed by the World Bank.

Category:Environmental organizations based in Jamaica Category:International environmental organizations