The Cartagena Convention in a Nutshell

This page provides a brief summary of the Cartagena Convention and links to relevant documents.
The Convention for the Protection and Development of the Marine Environment of the Wider Caribbean Region (the Cartagena Convention) is the only legally binding environmental treaty for the Wider Caribbean. The Convention and its Protocols constitute a legal commitment by the participating governments to protect, develop and manage their common waters individually or jointly.

The Cartagena Convention was adopted in Cartagena, Colombia on 24 March 1983 and entered into force on 11 October 1986 as the legal instrument for the implementation of the Caribbean Action Plan.  The Convention is a framework agreement setting out the political and legal foundations for actions to be developed.  These actions are directed by a series of operational Protocols designed to address special issues and to initiate concrete actions.  There are currently two Protocols supporting the Convention with a third nearing completion.

  • The Protocol Concerning Co-operation in Combating Oil Spills in the Wider Caribbean Region (The Oil Spills Protocol) was adopted and entered into force concurrently with the Cartagena Convention; 
  • The Protocol Concerning Specially Protected Areas and Wildlife in the Wider Caribbean Region (The SPAW Protocol) has been adopted in two stages, its text on 18 January 1990 and its Annexes on 11 June 1991. The Protocol has not yet entered into force.
  • The Protocol Concerning Pollution from Land-based Soruves and Activities in the Wider Caribbean REgion (LBS Protocol) was adopted 6 October 1999, in Oranjestad, Aruba.  16 Contracting Parties signed the Final Act to adopt the Protocol and four Contracting Parties have signed the Protocol itself, signaling their intent to ratify.  The Protocol will be open for signature by the remaining 16 Contracting Parties until 7 October 2000, in Bogotá, Colombia.

The Cartagena Convention, which has been ratified by 20 countries, governs the entire Region. Its Area of application comprises the marine environment of the Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean Sea and the areas of the Atlantic Ocean adjacent thereto, south of 30 north latitude and within 200 nautical miles of the Atlantic Coasts of the States. 

The legal structure of the Convention is such that it 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 Sea-bed activities
  • airborne pollution
  • pollution from land-based sources and activities.

In addition, the Parties are requiered 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. 

Being the only regional environmental treaty for the Wider Caribbean Region, the Cartagena Convention serves as a vehicle for the implementation of global initiatives and a global legal instrument, such as the Convention on Biolgical Diversity, MARPOL 73/78, the Basel Convention, the International Coral Reef Inititative and others, at the regional level. It is also the basic instrument for the development and enforcement of national legislation as well as an ideal planning and management tool for the protection and rational utilisation of the marine and coastal environment by promoting the required co-operation among countries and institutions. 

Related Documents

Cartagena Convention
  • Hypertext version of the Cartagena Convention
  • Current status of the Convention and its Protocols
    A Listing of the current Parties to the Cartagena Convention and its Protocols
  • The Final Act of the Conference of Plenipotentiaries on the Protection and Development of the Marine Environment of the Wider Caribbean Region
    Text of the Final Act of the meeting at which the Cartagena Convention was adopted.
  • Resolutions of the Conference
    Text of the resolutions adopted by the Parties to the Conference to adopt the Cartagena Convention.
Protocols of the Cartagena Convention
Return to the CEP Home Page.

Last updated: 29 October, 1998
UNEP -- Caribbean Environment Programme
Regional Co-ordinating Unit
14 - 20 Port Royal Street
Kingston, Jamaica, W.I

Tel: 876 922 - 9267
Fax: 876 922 - 9292
Email: uneprcuja@toj.com
URL: http://www.cep.unep.org/

© 1998 - UNEP - CEP/RCU