[xml][/xml]
The Bahamas Weekly Facebook The Bahamas Weekly Twitter
News : International : Caribbean News Last Updated: Feb 13, 2017 - 1:45:37 AM


Historic First Caribbean Challenge Initiative Council Meeting
By Ministry of The Environment and Housing
Sep 26, 2016 - 11:53:57 AM

Email this article
 Mobile friendly page
CCI-Photo.jpg
The Hon. Kenred Dorsett, Minister of Environment and Housing (center) co-chairing the historic first Caribbean Challenge Initiative Council Meeting in Castries, Saint Lucia on Sept. 23 as participants discuss a strategic plan to move forward. To his left is Mr. Sheldon Cohen, CCI Secretariat, and to his right, His Excellency Dr. Lutz Gorgens, Ambassador, German Embassy in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago.

Minister of Environment co-chairs momentous Assembly

CASTRIES, Saint Lucia – The Hon. Kenred Dorsett, Minister of Environment and Housing travelled to Saint Lucia to co-chair the historic first Caribbean Challenge Initiative Council Meeting. The CCI first Council Meeting was held on Friday, September 23. The CCI is comprised of Caribbean Governments determined to safeguard their marine and coastal resources. Minister Dorsett also represented The Bahamas at the 4th Annual Caribbean Marine Biodiversity Fund Meeting on the island which ran from on September 19 – 22.

The CCI was established eight years ago but Friday marked its groundbreaking Council Meeting.

“This first Council Meeting in which we will develop a strategic plan to move forward, demonstrates the tremendous strides that participating countries have made and underscores the commitment of each of our respective Governments in preserving our natural marine resources,” said Minister Dorsett.

“Ocean conservation is about people, livelihoods and our survival,” he said.

In 2014, The Bahamas became the first Caribbean Challenge Initiative country to establish a protected areas fund.

The CCI coalition of governments and territories in 2013, signed a CCI Leaders Declaration of their commitment to the protection and conservation of 20 percent of their marine and coastal resources by the year 2020.

“To date we have expanded our marine network to include 11.1 million acres of new marine areas in The Bahamas with the clear objective of meeting the 20/20 goal” added Minster Dorsett.

Participants at the Council Meeting formulated a strategic plan to move forward focusing on Barriers to Expansion and their Solution; Island Commitments and the SDGs; Achieving CCI Goals and Expanding the CCI Membership.

The CCI was launched in 2008 with four countries, The Bahamas; Jamaica; St. Vincent and Grenadines and Dominican Republic. Since this time, British Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico; Grenada and U.S. Virgin Islands have joined the Initiative to take collaborative action to protect marine and coastal areas in each respective nation.

The CBF was established in 2012 as a regional endowment fund for the protection and conservation of environmental protected lands in participating countries including the Bahamas and observer countries.

Bookmark and Share




© Copyright 2016 by thebahamasweekly.com

Top of Page

Receive our Top Stories



Preview | Powered by CommandBlast

Caribbean News
Latest Headlines
Jamaica’s agro-processing sector being enhanced by joint CDB, EU, JBDC project
Africa in My Skin by Dominican Republic poet Rafael Nino Féliz, published as trilingual edition
Pandemic is pushing Latin America and the Caribbean more off track in ending child labour
CDEMA and CDB partner to enhance Emergency Data Collection Capacity in the Caribbean
CROSQ Supporting the Sustainable Development Goals through Accreditation