The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretariat marked the successful completion of its regional implementation of the ACP MEAs III Programme during the final Project Steering Committee (PSC) meeting held in Nairobi, Kenya, on 7 December 2025. The milestone coincides with the Seventh Session of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-7), underscoring the Caribbean’s continued commitment to advancing global environmental governance.
Key Achievements and Project Focus
The third phase of the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs) Programme focused on several critical areas, building on the foundation of Phases I and II, and marking 16 years of successful support. For the Caribbean, the project’s successes are rooted in:
- Strengthened Enforcement and Compliance with biodiversity-related and chemicals/waste MEAs
- Enhanced Ocean Governance, and
- Mainstreaming biodiversity into agriculture and other productive sectors
The Programme has supported integrated, coherent MEA implementation and regional governance mechanisms, ensuring that the Caribbean’s environmental policies align with global commitments.
The final PSC meeting served as a vital platform to take stock of the regional impacts achieved, share lessons learned, and ensure the continuity of results beyond the Programme’s lifespan.
During the session, Teshia JnBaptiste, Senior Project Officer, Sustainable Development, at the CARICOM Secretariat, presented the Secretariat’s achievements in coordinating the project’s regional activities. Christopher Corbin, Coordinator of the Cartagena Convention, provided updates relating to the Regional Seas Convention, a key partner in environmental governance in the Caribbean.
Sustaining the Legacy Beyond 2025
Central to the Nairobi meeting was agreement on legacy actions to sustain results, tools, and partnerships beyond 2025, including the transfer of crucial knowledge products to regional partners. The outputs of the meeting included:
- Agreed actions for programme closure, focusing on reporting, documentation, and knowledge management
- Strategic guidance for sustaining the Programme’s results, including visibility and success-sharing, and
- Adoption of key recommendations for post-programme engagement and documentation of institutional memory
The CARICOM Secretariat, along with implementing partners such as the Cartagena Convention, the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) and the Africa Union Commission, will be instrumental in carrying forward this legacy to ensure that the capacity development and institutional strengthening gains made through ACP MEAs III continue to benefit the region.
This final close-out paves the way for the Caribbean region to present a stronger and more unified voice at UNEA-7 and several Multilateral Environmental Processes, reinforcing the vital link between global agreements and regional action.
Caricom
