The Protocol Concerning Specially Protected Areas and Wildlife (the SPAW Protocol) has been internationally recognized as the most comprehensive treaty of its kind. Adopted in Kingston, Jamaica by the member governments of the Caribbean Environment Programme on 18 January 1990, the SPAW Protocol preceded other international environmental agreements in utilizing an ecosystem approach to conservation. The Protocol acts as a vehicle to assist with regional implementation of the broader and more demanding global Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).

The objective of the Protocol is to protect rare and fragile ecosystems and habitats, thereby protecting the endangered and threatened species residing therein. The Caribbean Regional Co-ordinating Unit pursues this objective by assisting with the establishment and proper management of protected areas, by promoting sustainable management (and use) of species to prevent their endangerment and by providing assistance to the governments of the region in conserving their coastal ecosystems.

Advantages:

1) The only regional environmental legal agreement addressing biodiversity conservation issues of the Wider Caribbean.

2) Its provisions provide specific and concrete guidance for the implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), in particular regarding protected area establishment and management, as well as species and coastal ecosystems management and conservation. (The CBD is very demanding on those issues but does not provide guidance which SPAW does).

3) SPAW was developed by the governments of the region and for the region. In this way is more appropriate and specific to the Wider Caribbean than other global treaties.

4) It is supported by an operational programme, which is currently supporting for example: marine protected areas in the region, countries with coral reef conservation and management, countries in implementing sustainable tourism practices, etc.

5) It has no direct financial implications for the countries as the Trust Fund is independent from the Convention (Dominica has been paying to the Trust Fund anyway and they are not fully benefiting from SPAW as they have not become Parties).

6) Being a Party to SPAW sends a clear message to the region and donors about the commitment of a country (Dominica) towards biodiversity conservation. This could particularly relevant a Dominica develops as a "Green Globe" destination.

7) SPAW provides for the establishment of a Scientific and Technical Advisory Committee (STAC) to address issues and identify priorities. The committee has met three time (next meeting planned for early 1999). The STAC could be used by the region to address CBD issues and form concensus. The participation of the region in CBD meetings has been very poor and the STAC could be used as a mechanism to carry a unified voice from the region to CBD.

8) A Party to SPAW will benefit from the activities of the SPAW Programme and from regional cooperation opportunities in the management of coastal and marine resources.

9) A Party to SPAW will also benefit from the Memorandum of Cooperation which exists between CBD and SPAW Secretariats.

10) A Party to SPAW will benefit from technical assistance from the SPAW Regional Activitiy Centre to be established in 1999 in the National park of Guadeloupe.