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Biodiversity Protection and Commercialization in the Caribbean
[last updated February 10, 2005 3:05 PM]
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General Information
Partnership website(s) |
Expected TimeframeJanuary 2003 - December 2007 |
Partners
Governments:
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Major Groups:
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UN System:
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Other intergovernmental organizations:
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Thematic Focus
Primary Themes:
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Secondary Themes:
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Geographic Coverage
Geographic Scope: Sub-regional Caribbean
Country(ies) where the partnership is being implemented: Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica, Saint Lucia, United States Virgin Islands |
National Focal Points
This partnership has not made any contact with the national focal points for sustainable development in the countries involved
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Goals and Objectives
Summary of the partnership's goals and objectives
The main objective of this partnership is the effective protection of the natural heritage of the Caribbean region through the conservation and sustainable management of their natural biodiversity. This will be done through partnerships - a priority component of this initiative is the partnerships between regional organisations, national government agencies, international and national NGOs, local communities and wider civil society with interest in strengthening and upscaling initiatives that have shown to be successful. Objectives for the partnership include:
* Building capacity to provide support for the recording, compilation, and dissemination of traditional knowledge in order to maximising the benefits accruing to the countries and communities that own this knowledge, as well as focus on the application of this knowledge for the conservation and sustainable use of biological resources.
* Significantly increasing regional population awareness of the importance of biological resources, and what is required for protection of this vital resource. Public education and outreach is necessary to help increase public awareness and lay the foundation for community level participation. Awareness programmes will also be directed to traditional owners and potential users of traditional knowledge.
* Assist in the development of capacity at different levels for the identification, conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity.
* Protecting traditional knowledge and IPR, enhancing income, and increasing the value of biological resources and local communities' traditional knowledge.
* Build capacity for the management of protected areas.
* Re-institutionalisation of traditional knowledge systems and traditional use of biological resources in the science, history and social components of formal and informal education curricula in the region.
* Building capacity to provide support for the recording, compilation, and dissemination of traditional knowledge in order to maximising the benefits accruing to the countries and communities that own this knowledge, as well as focus on the application of this knowledge for the conservation and sustainable use of biological resources.
* Significantly increasing regional population awareness of the importance of biological resources, and what is required for protection of this vital resource. Public education and outreach is necessary to help increase public awareness and lay the foundation for community level participation. Awareness programmes will also be directed to traditional owners and potential users of traditional knowledge.
* Assist in the development of capacity at different levels for the identification, conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity.
* Protecting traditional knowledge and IPR, enhancing income, and increasing the value of biological resources and local communities' traditional knowledge.
* Build capacity for the management of protected areas.
* Re-institutionalisation of traditional knowledge systems and traditional use of biological resources in the science, history and social components of formal and informal education curricula in the region.
Targets and Progress
Partnership targetsExpected Results
* Development of regimes for protection of rights related to indigenous genetic and biodiversity-related cultural resources of communities * Increased support for implementation of National Biodiversity Strategy Action Plans (NBSAP's) * Greater sensitivity for the conservation of important biodiversity and genetic resources Public awareness enhanced in the region of the role and importance of traditional knowledge and expressions of culture and ecological resources. * Increased utilisation of, and value of genetic resources and traditional knowledge * Human resources developed in government and appropriate non-government agencies for the management of protection area, of traditional knowledge, and marketing of unique biological resources. * New policies and legislation to protect indigenous knowledge and biological resources. |
Progress against targetsNone reported as of Dec. 2003
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Capacity-Building and Technology Transfer
Arrangements for Capacity-Building and Technology Transfer
- Human resources development/training
- Education/building awareness
- Institutional strengthening, including local participation
Strengthen the capacity of national stakeholders through training workshops for conservation and utilisation of genetic resources.
* Strengthening the capacity of national stakeholders through the increase of scholarships for tertiary (including post-graduate) education in currently under-supplied areas specifically related to strengthening the capacity to promote the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity, with particular emphasis on the preservation and application of traditional knowledge to this end (e.g., economic anthropology, linguistics, environmental studies, biology, biogeography, etnobiology, environmental economics, environmental law, etc.)
* Strengthen national agencies with responsibilities for the protection of sovereign rights related to indigenous genetic resources through access to training, information and technical support.
* Strengthen communities currently practising conservation or possessors of traditional knowledge, to build capacity through training and access to financial resources.
The partnership also provides a mechanism for catalysing multi-level partnerships involving regional organisations, national government agencies, international and national NGOs, local communities and private industry that have shown to be the most successful means of mainstreaming the sustainable use and conservation of biological resources in other regions.
The partnership will also have the potential for links with work on adaptation to climate change that is now under implementation. One criticism of biodiversity/conservation approaches for the region is failure to include the projected impacts of climate change.
Relationship to International Agreements on Sustainable Development
How the partnership contributes to the implementation of Agenda 21, the Programme for the Further Implementation of Agenda 21, and the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation
Sustainable development of SIDS
Biodiversity Relevant Sections of Agenda 21
Biodiversity Relevant Sections of Agenda 21
Conservation of biological diversity; Environmentally sound management of biotechnology; Protection of the oceans, all kinds of seas, including enclosed and semi-enclosed seas, and coastal areas and the protection, rational use and development of their living resources
Relevant Sections of the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation Sustainable development of small island developing States ; Sustainable development in Latin America and the Caribbean
Coordination and Implementation
Coordination Mechanism of the PartnershipThe aim of this partnership is to assist with funding of innovative activities and partnerships at the regional, national and local levels that will support conservation/protection and commercialisation beyond eco-tourism. This partnership will provide a unique opportunity to co-ordinate and explore mechanisms and actions to further national objectives.
The regional SIDSNet node will provide access to information on all ongoing projects, and keep partners updated on the status of implementation on the overall partnership as well as the components. It will also list opportunities for partnerships, capacity building activities, priority actions and successes, database establishment and awareness materials for dissemination of information nationally, regionally and internationally. Additional options for monitoring progress in the implementation may include: * Report by the implementing organisation(s) to CARICOM committee (COTED) responsible for Environment and Sustainable Development. * COTED organises special sessions on partnership to which partners or their representative are entitled to participate. * Reports to the Ministers responsible for biodiversity across the region. * Annual review of activities at the national level selected on a random basis for an agreed percentage of activities. |
Implementation Mechanism of the PartnershipJun 2003
Identification of national and regional activities for funding. Finalisation of frameworks for: - the protection of traditional knowledge. - management of protected areas. - commercialisation of biological products. Jun 2004 * Implementation of conservation activities at the local level. * Implementation of activities in public education and outreach: - Preparation of education material. - Implementation of education and awareness raising activities. Jun 2005 Review of activities and modification as necessary. Mid-term evaluation. Jun 2006 Implementation of capacity building activities continues subject to adjustment resulting from mid-term evaluation. 2007 Final evaluation of activities. Establishment of reciprocal protective arrangements and options. |
Resources
Funding Currently AvailableAmount in US$: 0
Source(s):
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Non-financial resources availableType(s):
Source(s):
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Funding SoughtRequired Amount in US$: not specified
Source(s) already approached: The partnership consists of the following components:
* Traditional knowledge protection and commercialisation. * Information and expertise exchange. * Formal graduate education and specialised diploma and certificate studies. * Grants for community scale projects - US$200,000 per year, for five years. * Monitoring and evaluation. * Administration and staff. The partnership will seek funding from various sources including the United Nations Convention for the Conservation of Biological Diversity, private foundations, and bilateral sources as well as the private sector. |
Non-financial resources soughtRequirement(s):
Source(s) approached and details:
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Additional Information
Additional Relevant Information
This partnership is part of the umbrella initiative :The Caribbean SIDS
The UWI, through its degrees programmes, in-service courses, consultancies and ongoing research and community outreach programmes, is well placed to put major emphasis on promoting scientific studies and the recording of traditional knowledge and the application of this knowledge to sustainable use of biodiversity across the Caribbean region. As the region's largest education, research and training institution, UWI is well positioned to play the scientific role in this partnership, with the various nature reserves, protected areas, botanical gardens, herbariums, and natural history societies across the region seen as critical.
The development of a comprehensive master level specialisation in the management of tropical biological resources should make a significant contribution to capacity building but will also provide the basis for scientific research in this area. The implementation of this training will respond to a skills need identified in the 1999/2000 survey of professional skills requirement for environment and natural resource management in the Caribbean.
There are a number of ongoing projects sponsored by the GEF and private foundations across the region (See Section X for listing) focused on protecting/conserving biodiversity. However, there is no regional project that is systematically serving to get the region to exchange experiences, lessons learnt and challenges or looking at regional approaches.
There is ongoing work in a few countries focused on development of commercial products, with limited success to date. There is no systematic effort towards putting in place a mechanism for the collection of traditional knowledge and putting in place the necessary protocols and systems for protecting intellectual rights.
The UWI, through its degrees programmes, in-service courses, consultancies and ongoing research and community outreach programmes, is well placed to put major emphasis on promoting scientific studies and the recording of traditional knowledge and the application of this knowledge to sustainable use of biodiversity across the Caribbean region. As the region's largest education, research and training institution, UWI is well positioned to play the scientific role in this partnership, with the various nature reserves, protected areas, botanical gardens, herbariums, and natural history societies across the region seen as critical.
The development of a comprehensive master level specialisation in the management of tropical biological resources should make a significant contribution to capacity building but will also provide the basis for scientific research in this area. The implementation of this training will respond to a skills need identified in the 1999/2000 survey of professional skills requirement for environment and natural resource management in the Caribbean.
There are a number of ongoing projects sponsored by the GEF and private foundations across the region (See Section X for listing) focused on protecting/conserving biodiversity. However, there is no regional project that is systematically serving to get the region to exchange experiences, lessons learnt and challenges or looking at regional approaches.
There is ongoing work in a few countries focused on development of commercial products, with limited success to date. There is no systematic effort towards putting in place a mechanism for the collection of traditional knowledge and putting in place the necessary protocols and systems for protecting intellectual rights.