CONVENTION FOR THE PROTECTION AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE MARINE ENVIRONMENT OF THE WIDER CARIBBEAN REGION
Objectives
To protect and manage the marine environment and coastal areas of the Wider Caribbean region.
Summary of provisions
The Parties agreed to:
(a) Take all necessary measures to prevent, reduce and control pollution of the Convention area (art. 4), particularly pollution from ships (art. 5), dumping (art. 6), land-based sources (art. 7), activities relating to exploration and exploitation of the sea bed (art. 8) and airborne pollution (art. 9);
(b) Protect and preserve rare or fragile ecosystems as well as the habitat of depleted, threatened or endangered species and other marine life in specially protected areas (art. 10);
(c) Cooperate in dealing with pollution emergencies in the Convention area (art. 11);
(d) Cooperate in assessing environmental impacts in the Convention area (art. 12) and in exchanging data and other scientific and technical information (art. 13);
(e) Establish rules and procedures for the determination for liability and compensation for damage resulting from pollution of the Convention area (art. 14);
(f) Designate UNEP to discharge secretariat functions under the Convention (art. 15).
Membership
Open to the coastal States invited to the Cartagena Conference held from 21 to 24 March 1983, and to any regional economic organization invited to the Conference which exercises competence in the field covered by the Convention and at least one member of which belongs to the Caribbean region. The convention was adopted on 24th March 1983 in Cartagena de Indias, Colombia and came into force on 11th October 1986.
