At the invitation of the Secretariat of the Convention for the Protection and Development of the Marine Environment of the Wider Caribbean Region (UNEP-CAR/RCU), the Thirteenth Intergovernmental Meeting on the Action Plan for the Caribbean Environment Programme and Tenth Meeting of the Contracting Parties to the Convention for the Protection and Development of the Marine Environment of the Wider Caribbean will be held in St. John's, Antigua and Barbuda, from 9^th -12^th September 2008.  This is with the generous hospitality of the Government of Antigua and Barbuda who will host the meeting and all participants. 

This Meeting will be preceded by the Fifth Meeting of the Contracting Parties (COP) to the Protocol Concerning Specially Protected Areas and Wildlife (SPAW) in the Wider Caribbean Region on 8^th September, 2008.

These Meetings also recognize the designation of 2008 as International Year of Sanitation and International Year of the Reef. In addition, the International Year of the Dolphin has been extended from 2007 to 2008.

The Intergovernmental Meetings:   The major legal instrument of the Caribbean Environment Programme (CEP), the Convention for the Protection and Development of the Marine Environment of the Wider Caribbean Region (Cartagena Convention), was adopted at the Second Intergovernmental Meeting, convened at Cartagena de Indias in 1983. The Cartagena Convention provides the framework for the development of its current protocols on Oil Spills, Specially Protected Areas and Wildlife and Land-based Sources of Marine Pollution. 

The IGM convenes every two years and is held jointly with the meeting of the Contracting Parties to the Cartagena Convention. At these meetings participating Governments determine the content of the workplan and budget of the CEP, review its progress and chart a course for the future. 

The Bureau of Contracting Parties to the Cartagena Convention and Monitoring Committee for the Action Plan of the Caribbean Environment Programme are elected each biennium from among the Contracting Parties to the Convention and CEP Member Governments attending the IGM, respectively. 

This meeting proposes to review the achievements of the Caribbean Environment Programme (CEP) during the 2006-2007 biennium and to approve the workplan of the CEP for the 2008-2009 biennium. The Secretariat, on behalf of the CEP Governments and Contracting Parties to the Cartagena Convention, convenes the Meeting to:

• Evaluate the projects and activities implemented within the framework of the Caribbean Environment Programme during the period 2006-2007;
• Review the progress made in the implementation of the decisions of the Twelfth Intergovernmental Meeting and Ninth Meeting of the Contracting Parties, Montego Bay, 29 November to 2 December 2006;
• Review and adopt the Decisions of the Fifth Meeting of the Contracting Parties (COP) to the Protocol Concerning Specially Protected Areas and Wildlife (SPAW) in the Wider Caribbean Region, Montego Bay, Jamaica, 8 September 2008;
• Review and endorse, as appropriate, the Recommendations of the Fourth Meeting of the Interim Scientific, Technical and Advisory Committee (ISTAC) to the Protocol Concerning Pollution from Land-based Sources and Activities, Petén, Guatemala, 30 October – November 1^st 2007; 
• Review and endorse, as appropriate, the Recommendations of the Fourth Meeting of the Steering Committee to the Protocol Concerning Cooperation in Combating Oil Spills in the Wider Caribbean Region, Willemstad, Curacao, 30^th June - 1^st July 2008;
• Review and take action, as appropriate, on the Recommendations of the open intersessional working group on the Rules of Procedure and Financial Rules for the Caribbean Environment Programme;
• Review and take action, as appropriate, on the Recommendations of the open intersessional working group on the guidelines for the operations of the Regional Activity Centres (RACs) and the Regional Activities Networks (RANs) of the Caribbean Environment Programme;
• Review and adopt the Workplan and Budget for CEP for the 2008-2009 Biennium, including those of the Regional Activity Centres; and
• Decide on the composition of the Monitoring Committee and the Bureau of Contracting Parties for the 2008-2009 period.

The Meeting will also:

• Discuss key regional challenges that could guide the Caribbean Environment Programme in response to the global Strategic Directions of UNEP's Regional Seas for the next four years (2008-2012) and UNEP's Medium Term Strategy (2010-2013) with a particular focus on Climate Change, Ecosystem Management and Economic Valuation of Environmental Goods and Services.
• Define practical and innovative approaches to mainstream the projects and activities of the Caribbean Environment Programme into national development planning and budgeting.
• Identify and Discuss appropriate responses to national and regional challenges for the protection and development of the Wider Caribbean Region.

Format: Highly inter-active and results orientated meeting including a Special Panel Discussion of Regional Experts on Climate Change.  

National focal points or their designated representatives of all States and Territories participating in the Caribbean Environment Programme and the Commission of the European Union are invited to attend the Meeting. 

Other states that have demonstrated concern for the protection of the marine environment of the Wider Caribbean Region, UN and non-UN regional and international organizations, NGOs, donors and private sector representatives participating or interested in the Caribbean Environment Programme are also invited to attend the Meeting as observers. Regional and international experts may also be invited to make special presentations to the Meeting.

 Further information will be made available shortly on the UNEP-CAR/RCU website: www.cep.unep.org

 Contact:  UNEP-CAR/RCU, Tel.: (876) 922-9267-9, Fax.: (876) 922-9292, 

email: rcu@cep.unep.org

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