The Association of Caribbean States (ACS) hosted the 12th Meeting of the Caribbean Sea Commission at its headquarters in Port of Spain, Republic of Trinidad and Tobago on Tuesday 22, January. Among the items discussed was the new Resolution adopted by the 67th Session of the United Nations General Assembly in support of the Caribbean Sea Initiative. The Resolution A/RES/67/205 entitled “Towards the sustainable development of the Caribbean Sea for present and future generations”:

“Recognizes that the Caribbean Sea is an area of unique biodiversity and a highly fragile ecosystem that requires relevant regional and international development partners to work together to develop and implement regional initiatives to promote the sustainable conservation and management of coastal and marine resources”.

It is within this context that the Caribbean Sea Commission was established and has continued to work while undertaking strategic planning and technical follow-up work for the advancement of the Caribbean Sea Initiative since 2006. This initiative focuses on developing a structured mechanism through which international recognition can be gained for the Caribbean Sea as a Special Area within the framework of sustainable development. This effort has been championed by Barbados who was elected Chairman of the Commission from its inception.

During its tenure as Chairman, the achievements of Barbados and the Commission have included: the recognition of its work internationally via various United Nations General Assembly Resolutions; and the establishment of the University of the West Indies (UWI)-ACS-CSC Network to facilitate cooperation between the regional tertiary institution and the CSC.

Support for the Commission has also come from institutions such as the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America (UNECLAC); the Caribbean Community (CARICOM); the Central American Integration System (SICA), all members of the ACS.  International contributors to the Commission have included the Republics of Korea, Turkey and Finland.

At the 12th Meeting, the Commission also elected the Republic of Costa Rica to take over from Barbados in leading the charge of the Caribbean Sea Initiative and in so doing, ensure that any approach taken towards the Caribbean Sea is pursued with the ultimate goal of its preservation for present and future generations.