The Caribbean Sub-Regional Office (CSRO) based in Kingston, Jamaica forms part of the UNEP Latin America & Caribbean Office (based in Panama City). The CSRO engages with twenty-three (23) Caribbean small-island developing states (SIDS) that include independent states, and the U.K. and the Netherlands overseas territories (OCTs):
- Independent States: Antigua & Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad & Tobago;
- OCTs: Anguilla, Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao, St. Maarten (Neth); Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Montserrat, Turks & Caicos Islands (U.K)
The office conducts, on behalf of UNEP:
- Political outreach: maintaining close relationships with high-level officials in the ministries with responsibility for the environment.
- UN Country Team (UNCT) representation: on the 6 Caribbean UNCTs, collaborating on joint work, project development, monitoring and results reporting
- Facilitation on outreach and events: facilitates UNEP engagement and support at sub-regional and national levels
Project activities within UNEP’s 3 strategic pillars:
Projects implemented in Caribbean SIDS fall within UNEP’s 3 strategic pillars: Climate Action, Nature Action and Pollution Action.
- Climate Action: Led by the Climate Change Division, UNEP helps countries comply with commitments made under global Conventions and Multi-Lateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs) e.g.:
-Developing ambitious Nationally Determined Contributions, NDCs (3rd generation); and long-term, low carbon strategies
-Low-carbon transformation in sectors e.g. transportation sector shifts via e-Mobility
-Transparency reporting via global and national multi-stakeholder platforms
-Mobilizing climate financing through the GEF, GCF, AF and other donors
Examples of major project initiatives:
-Capacity Building Initiative for Transparency, CBIT Programme – global and national information platforms
-Electric Mobility: towards a low emission transport sector
-Adaptation and resilience: promoting low emissions development
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Biodiversity Action: led by the Ecosystems Division, UNEP supports countries through its Biodiversity Programme:
-Management of landscapes, seascapes
-Protected areas and natural resources
-Natural resource governance, user rights and valuations
-Scientific research, traditional knowledge
-Mainstreaming biodiversity in sectors and systems e.g. economy, food, One Health, consumer behaviour
Examples of major project initiatives:
-UN REDD Programme – forest solutions for the climate crisis
-UN Decade of Ecosystem Restoration 2021-2030
-Implementing the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework of the Convention on Biological Diversity
-The Economics of Ecosystems & Biodiversity, TEEB
-Caribbean Environment Programme of the Cartagena Convention (Specially Protected Areas and Wildlife, SPAW Protocol)
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Pollution Action: led by the Industry & Economy Division, UNEP supports reducing discharges of waste and chemicals into the environment. This includes:
-Special Programme for implementing the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions and phasing out toxic chemicals
-Reduction of solid waste
-Environment and health - One Health Approach; Anti-microbial Resistance (AMR) against multi-dimensional diseases
-Plastic pollution; circular economy; & life cycle initiatives
-Examples of major project initiatives:
-Caribbean Environment Programme of the Cartagena Convention (Oil Spills, Land-based Sources of Marine Pollution Protocols)
-Zero Waste in the Caribbean Programme
-OzonAction Compliance Assistance Programme – Caribbean Network
-GEF-funded ISLANDS Project phasing out harmful chemicals and persistent organic pollutants (POPs)
See the activities and events of the Caribbean Sub-Regional Office.
To partner with us in projects or for additional information on other programmes and initiatives, please contact:
The Caribbean Sub-Regional Office of UNEP, 14-20 Port Royal Street, Kingston. Email: unep-latinamerica-kingston@un.org
Tel: +1 876 922 9267/69 Ext 6242.
Vincent Sweeney, Head, Caribbean Sub-Regional Office.
