Regional Promotional LBS Workshop

Saint Lucia hosts Regional Promotional Workshop on the Protocol Concerning Pollution from Land-based Sources and Activities for English Speaking Caribbean Countries

Representatives of more than a dozen Caribbean countries will gather next week in Saint Lucia to discuss the problem of marine pollution from land-based sources and activities and possible accession to the Protocol Concerning Pollution from Land-Based Sources and Activities (the LBS Protocol), which is designed to help governments deal with the problem in a number of ways.  

The Regional Activity Centre for the LBS Protocol at the Institute of Marine Affairs (IMA), Trinidad and Tobago, in collaboration with the Caribbean Environment Programme (CEP) Secretariat and with support from the Government of Saint Lucia, will convene a Regional Promotional Workshop on the LBS Protocol for English Speaking Caribbean Countries from 24–26 July 2006.  The venue is the Coco Palm Hotel, Rodney Bay Village, Gros Islet, St. Lucia.

The proposed objectives of the Workshop are to:

• Assist countries to identify and develop the legislative, technical and regulatory requirements to ratify and implement the LBS Protocol;
• Identify constraints to the ratification and implementation of the LBS Protocol;
• Identify mechanisms to increase awareness of the LBS Protocol;
• Facilitate exchange of information and experiences among participants.

To date only two countries of the Wider Caribbean Region, Trinidad and Tobago and Panama, have acceded to the LBS Protocol which requires ratification by at least nine countries before it can come into force.  The meeting will review the status of countries on ratification of the LBS Protocol and case studies from Trinidad and Tobago and St. Lucia.  The issues faced by countries in acceding to and implementing the LBS Protocol as well as strategies for promotion of the LBS Protocol will be discussed.

Note to Editors:  To attend the Opening Ceremony which takes place at 9:30 am on Monday 24^th July 2006 in the Conference Room of the Coco Palm Hotel, or to arrange interviews with meeting participants, please contact Laverne Walker at lwalker@planning.gov.lc or 758 452-6685.