CARICOM’s strong negotiating team for the just-agreed Marine Biodiversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction treaty (BBNJ) comprised representatives of the Region’s Permanent Missions to the United Nations and capital base experts supported by scientific and legal experts drawn from the regional institutions (the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (and the University of the West Indies) with the CARICOM Secretariat providing technical, logistical and administrative support when needed. 

2023 is a momentous year for this region. The Caribbean Community is celebrating 50 years, the University of the West Indies is marking its 75^th anniversary and CRFM is celebrating its 20^th Anniversary. Our joint efforts to successfully negotiate this Treaty is testimony to what we can do when we are united.

Our CARICOM experts did not only participate in the negotiations but were also tasked with facilitating discussion on key areas of the new treaty:

• Ambassador Janine Coye Felson of Belize was CARICOM’s lead on Area Based Management Tools but also was called upon by the President to facilitate the group on Marine Genetic Resources (Part 2 of the Treaty).

• Mr. Kurt Davis, Deputy Permanent Representative of Jamaica to the United Nations facilitated the group on Cross Cutting Issues

THE CARICOM TEAM