EU helps region focus on biodiversity

Aug 06, 2011 News

Two Caribbean countries, supposedly Guyana and Dominica, would soon benefit from the drafting of two legislations focusing on genetic resources (biodiversity), and the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from genetic resources, says Mark Griffith, Senior Programme Officer, United Nations Environment Programme.
This decision emanated from a four-day Training Workshop on Environmental Legislative Drafting with Specific Emphasis on Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs) for CARIFORUM Member States.
The Caribbean Hub – Capacity Building Related to the Implementation of MEAs in ACP Countries Project. in collaboration with the United Nations Environment Programme Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean (UNEP/ROLAC) convened the workshop.
Griffith made those remarks yesterday, the last day of the European Union-funded workshop held at the CARICOM Secretariat, Liliendaal, the principal administrative organ of the Caribbean Community comprising 15 Caribbean countries.
According to Griffith, the participants comprising environmental specialists and drafters from the Attorney General Office of 10 countries including Guyana, The Bahamas, Dominica and Barbados would join forces to draft the legislations.
He said that many multilateral agreements regarding the environment are signed but they can only truly benefit the people when implemented in their national legislations.
“If we look at the Convention on Biodiversity it provides the framework for this issue,” Griffith stated.
He said that a proposal seeking additional support regarding the drafting of the environment legislation would be sent to the European Union.
European Ambassador to Guyana, Geert Heikens, tasked participants to provide an update as to what they did with their acquired knowledge within six months.
Ambassador Heikens stressed that the human impact on the environment have increased with population growth, enhanced technology, and expanding industries. He added that if people do not change their relationship with the environment they will limit the capacity of the planet to supply sufficient water and vital resources.
The developed world is a large pollutant but the impacts are however unequally divided with developing countries being more at risk.
He emphasized that this workshop is part of the Ninth European Union Fund (9th EDF) focusing on capacity building of African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States (ACP) involving climate change, biodiversity and waste.
Ambassador Heikens posited that the MEAs lack human and financial resources. The European Union 21M Euros available for this programme has to support many countries within the various regions.
The Ambassador noted that he is pleased that the workshop was held in Guyana since the country’s Head of State, Bharrat Jagdeo, was lauded in his low carbon initiative.
The target group for the Caribbean Hub is the Caribbean ACP countries and the livelihood of their populations. The target beneficiaries will primarily be Government officials and local government officials and local authorities and national stakeholders, such as civil society organizations and the private sector, will also be targeted.
The Caribbean Hub will facilitate the building of intra-government networks necessary for cost-effective compliance of MEAs. The Caribbean Hub will implement activities worth a total of €1.3 million over four years.
The Caribbean Hub will provide technical assistance, training and policy and advisory support services to enhance the capacities of the countries in implementing their obligations and commitments under MEAs.

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