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Cartagena
Convention Caribbean Regional Co-ordinating Unit
Convention:
The
Convention
for the Protection and Development of the Marine Environment
of the Wider Caribbean Region
(Cartagena Convention) was adopted 1983 and entered into force
in 1986, is a Convention for achieving sustainable development
of marine and coastal resources in the Wider Caribbean region
through effective integrated management that allows for increased
economic growth. The Convention covers the various aspects
of marine pollution for which the Contracting Parties must
adopt measures. Thus, the Convention requires the adoption
of measures aimed at preventing, reducing and controlling
pollution of the following areas: pollution from ships, pollution
caused by dumping, pollution from seabed activities, airborne
pollution, pollution from land-based sources and activities.
In addition, the Parties are required to take appropriate
measures to protect and preserve rare or fragile ecosystems,
as well as the habitat of depleted, threatened or endangered
species and to develop technical and other guidelines for
the planning and environmental impact assessments of important
development projects in order to prevent or reduce harmful
impacts on the area of application. Protocols to the Convention
include:
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Protocol
Concerning Co-operation in Combating Oil Spills in the
Wider Caribbean Region (Oil
Spills Protocol), adopted 1983 and in force in 1986.
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Protocol
Concerning Specially Protected Areas and Wildlife to the
Convention for the Protection and Development of the Marine
Environment of the Wider Caribbean Region (SPAW
Protocol), adopted 1990 and in force in 2000
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Protocol
Concerning Pollution from Land-based Sources and Activities
to the Convention for the Protection and Development of
the Marine Environment of the Wider Caribbean Region (LBS
Protocol), adopted 1999.
he
Regional Marine Pollution
Emergency, Information and Training Centre in the Caribbean
(REMPEITC-Carib) is located at Curaçao, Netherlands
Antilles. As described by CAR/RCU, the "Assessment
and Management of Environmental Pollution (AMEP) Sub-Programme
of the Caribbean Environment Programme co-ordinates activities
related to the Oil Spills Protocol in collaboration with REMPEITC-Carib),
an IMO agency. REMPEITC-Carib has been established by IMO
and UNEP in order to:
- strengthen
national and regional preparedness and response capacity
of the Island States and territories of the Wider Caribbean
Region and to foster and facilitate cooperation and mutual
assistance in cases of emergency in order to prevent, control
and combat major oil spill incidents;
- strengthen
the operational effectiveness of the implementation of the
Cartagena Oil Spill Protocol and the Caribbean Islands OPRC
(Oil Preparedness and Response Co-operation) plan and Convention
through the provision of technical services.
CAR/RCU:
The
Caribbean Regional Co-ordinating Unit (CAR/RCU) located
in Kingston, Jamaica, acts as Secretariat for the Convention
and the CEP. The objectives of the Secretariat are to provide
assistance to all countries of the region; strengthen national
and subregional institutions; co-ordinate international assistance;
and stimulate technical co-operation among countries. |
Caribbean
Environment Programme
The
Caribbean
Environment Programme (CEP) was established in 1983 under
the UNEP Regional Seas Programme by the diverse states and territories
of the Wider Caribbean to collectively address the protection
and development in the coastal area. The
CEP contains four sub-programmes:
See
also the summary of the 1994 UNEP CEP Technical Report 33
on oil
and litter in the Caribbean.
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Caribbean
Action Plan
The
Caribbean
Action Plan emerged as a result of many years of work by
governmental and non-governmental representatives of the Caribbean
community, assisted primarily by UNEP. The programme objectives
embraced by the Caribbean Action Plan, which was adopted in
1981, include the following:
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Assistance to all countries of the region, recognizing
the special situation of the smaller islands;
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Co-ordination of international assistance activities;
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Strengthening existing national and subregional institutions;
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Technical co-operation in the use of the region's human,
financial and natural resources.
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Agreement
on Port State Control in Latin America
The
Latin American Agreement on Port State Control of Vessels (Viña
del Mar Agreement) was signed in 1992. It lays the foundation
for closer cooperation among Maritime Authorities in the region.
It aims at coordinating measures to inspect foreign vessels
calling at regional ports. Actions taken comply with the provisions
established in international treaties and conventions in force
in the field of maritime safety, training and certification
of crew members and prevention of pollution from vessels at
sea and in rivers and lakes. |
Organisation
of East Caribbean States (OECS)
The
mission of the Organisation
of East Caribbean States (OECS) is to "be a major institutional
player at the regional level, contributing to the sustainable
development of our member countries by assisting them to maximise
the benefits from their collective space, by facilitating their
intelligent integration with the global economy; by contributing
to policy and program formulation and execution in respect of
regional and international issues, and by facilitation of bilateral
and multilateral co-operation".
The
OECS Waste Management Programme assists Member States to address
the management of waste, with a particular focus on solid
waste. Assistance is provided to Member States in waste characterization,
and in the design and procurement of waste reduction, recycling,
composting and disposal systems and technologies. These services
are provided primarily with respect to municipal, ship-generated
and biomedical wastes, but also for other wastes such as used
oil.
Harmonized
policies and legal frameworks have been developed for management
of shore-generated wastes and for ship-generated wastes through
the OECS Solid and Ship Generated
Waste Management Project, funded by The World Bank and
the Global Environmental Facility (GEF).
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UNEP
Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean (ROLAC)
UNEP
Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean (ROLAC)
seeks to further UNEP's global mandate of providing leadership
in and promoting joint efforts for environmental care, and encouraging,
informing and building the capacity of nations and peoples to
improve their lives without endangering that of future generations.
ROLAC
also serves as the Secretariat of the Forum
of Environmental Ministers for Latin America and the Caribbean
(Foro
de Ministros de Medio Ambiente de América Latina y
el Caribe).
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UN
Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC)
The
objective of the UN
Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean
(ECLAC) is to contribute to the economic development of Latin
America, coordinate actions directed towards this end, and reinforce
economic relationships among the countries and with the other
nations of the world. ECLAC is also to promote the region's
social development. |
U.S.
NOAA
Scientists
in the Office
of Response and Restoration, of the U.S. National Oceanographic
and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), "respond to dozens
of spills of oil and other hazardous materials each year, help
emergency planners prepare for potential accidents, create software,
databases, and other tools to help people respond to hazardous
materials accidents, work to find remedies for environmental
damage caused by hazardous waste sites in coastal areas, assess
injury to coastal resources from releases of oil, other hazardous
materials, vessel groundings, and abandoned vessels, and pursue
restoration from those responsible for the harm".
On this site, one finds much information on oil and oil spills
(effects, responses), photos and links. The
mission of the NOAA
Damage Assessment and Restoration Program is "to restore
coastal and marine resources that have been injured by releases
of oil or hazardous substances and to obtain compensation for
the public's lost use and enjoyment of these resources".
The NOAA Aid
for Oil Spill Responders site comprise tools and information
for people dealing with spills of oil and petroleum products.
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U.S.
Coast Guard
The
U.S. Coast Guard National
Response Centre is the sole federal point of contact for
reporting oil and chemical spills. The site offers much information
on oil and oil spills. See also the U.S.
National
Response Team |
U.S.
EPA
The
purpose of the Oil Program
of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)is to prevent,
prepare for, and respond to oil spills that occur in and around
inland waters of the United States. The
Oil Spill Learning Centre contains much information about
oil and oil spills. See also EPA Contingency
Plans, including Oil Removal Contingency and Spill Prevention.
The EPA Gulf
of Mexico Program is aimed at "facilitating the protection
and restoration of the coastal marine water of the Gulf of Mexico
and its coastal natural habitats; sustaining living resources;
protecting human health and the food supply; ensuring the recreational
use of Gulf shores, beaches and waters in ways consistent with
the economic well-being of the region, through a network of
citizens and institutions". |
U.S.
Offshore Minerals Management
The
Offshore
Minerals Management (MMS) is responsible for managing offshore
public lands. As part of this MMS is providing the public with
technical information about offshore activities. MMS collects
data on all facets of the offshore program and publish them
online in various forms. MMS regional offices provide information
specific to the operations in the
Gulf of Mexico, Alaska
and
offshore California. The California section of the MMS web
site includes detailed information about each of the
platforms. |
Clean
Caribbean Cooperative (CCC)
In
1977, nine oil companies operating in the Caribbean formed the
Clean
Caribbean Cooperative (CCC) with the objective of "enhancing
the capability to promptly and efficiently respond to marine
oil spills in the region". Since then the CCC Membership
has grown to include most of the major international oil companies
and oil related facilities in the Caribbean, Latin America and
South America region. The CCC mission is develop and maintain
immediately accessible oil spill response resources and support
for Members through a ready equipment stockpile and a trained
contractor network; and promote training, coordination and logistics
planning with industry and governments in the Area of Interest. |
Latin
Petroleum Analytics (LAPA)
The
Latin
Petroleum Analytics (LAPA) - Information Centre for Latin
America's Petroleum Industry - is an independent research firm
providing insights into the Latin American petroleum industry.
LAPA specializes in analyzing energy markets, specifically the
upstream sector of the industry. |
ARPEL
The
Regional Association
of Oil and Natural Gas Companies in Latin America and the Caribbean
(ARPEL) is formed by more than t25 oil and natural gas companies,
which represent over 90 per cent of the region's upstream and
downstream sectors. ARPEL is "an interactive forum for
exchange of ideas, experiences and knowledge; a forum designed
for a timely identification of issues that may influence the
industry's development." See also ARPEL Environmental Code
of Conduct. |
Acción
de Lucha Anti-petrolera (ADELA)
Acción
de Lucha Anti-petrolera (ADELA) is grassroots coalition
formed by local people and environmental groups in Costa Rica
"to protect the fragile coastal environment, wildlife and
human communities from the impacts of oil exploration and extraction"
(presentation and further links on the web site of International
Fund for Animal Welfare). |
Caribbean
Conservation Association (CCA)
The
Caribbean
Conservation Association (CCA) "exists
to enhance the quality of life for present and future generations
of the Caribbean by facilitating the development and implementation
of policies, programmes and practices, which contribute to the
sustainable management of the region's natural and cultural
resources. We do this through a membership that covers the wider
Caribbean amongst non-governmental organisations, within government
structures and by individuals interested in voicing civil society's
concern for the state of the environment in the Caribbean region."
National links are provided to member organizations in Anguilla,
Antigua, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, Br. Virgin Islands, Cayman
Islands, Curaçao, Dominica, Gudadelope, Guyana, Jamaica,
St. Kitts/Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Maarten, St. Vincent & the
Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, the U.S. and U.S. Virgin Islands.
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Ocean
Conservancy
The
Ocean
Conservancy is the largest and oldest organization in the
U.S. dedicated solely to protecting the oceans. "Science-based
advocacy, grassroots activism, litigation, education and outreach
are combined to find lasting solutions to issues affecting our
oceans and all marine life". The Ocean Conservancy opposes
legislation that provides incentives or encourages offshore
oil and gas exploration and development. |
Refinery
Reform Campaign
The Refinery
Reform Campaign is a national (U.S.) campaign seeking to
clean up America's oil refineries and reduce the dependence
on fossil fuels. Its web site is produced by the Texas SEED
Coalition, a non-profit organization dedicated to reducing pollution
and promoting clean energy. |
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