St. JOHNS, ANTIGUA, FEBRUARY 2ND , 2010..The first Regional Workshop, on sustainable Financing and management of Eastern Caribbean Marine Ecosystems for the Organization Of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Project, got off the ground, on Monday afternoon, at Jolly Beach Resort.

This workshop, which culminates on February 05th, was convened with the objectives to refine the structure and legal basis of the Caribbean biodiversity Fund, and the National Level Protected Area Trust Funds.

It is also the intension of the organizers comprising, Global Environment Facility (GEF), The Nature Conservancy, World Bank, Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), among other to develop preliminary framework of the regional institutional arrangements for full project implementation.

Other objectives include the development of project components including key activities, outcome, outputs, indicative costs and measurable indicators and determine follow-up consultants and next steps.

The first day, an overview of the project and general concepts were tabled, as well as an introduction of sustainable funding mechanisms for conservation, rationale, examples and regional experiences.

GEF focal Point for Antigua and Barbuda, Ambassador Diann Black –Layne, welcomed the over 50 participants, spanning the five participatory OECS countries Antigua & Barbuda, Grenada, St Kitts & Nevis, St. Lucia and St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

Also present were representatives from Dominica, Jamaica, Bahamas, Dominican Republic, OECS Secretariat, Consultants and the stakeholders Nature Conservancy, World Bank, United Nation Environment Funding (UNEP), Attorneys from Ropes & Gray, USAID, KFW, TNC and CDB.

Natasha George, Senior Foreign Service Officer, delivered the introductory remarks, on behalf of the Permanent Secretary Paulette Otto. George also used the opportunity to welcome the delegates on behalf of the Prime Minister Dr. Baldwin Spencer and Minister responsible for the GEF.

“Antigua and Barbuda is proud to associate it self with this project. We were very excited to offer to host this project and would like to thank the world banks and TNC for all of the work they did in organizing the workshop. Antigua and Barbuda wanted to be a part of this workshop because the Government has taken several initiatives to improve the management of national parks in Antigua and Barbuda.”

George explained that our latest endeavor is the declaration, Mount Obama National park. She noted that the country is also developing legislation for the effective and efficient management of the parks and, in this, regard this project will play an important role sustainable management of the parks.

George contended, however that, “with respect to GEF projects the Government has invested significant amount of funds in co financing and institutional support for these projects and it is the view of the Government that it is important that there is considerable capacity building achieved in project management as well as in the development of a cadre of private consultants.”

She stressed that “In this regard it is important that each of the projects use local consultants as a rule rather than an exception. I hope to see this request is incorporated into the procurement guidelines for the project.”

Further, she told the delegates, “I hope you can relate and understand when I say that it is not the intention of the Government to be a part of a project that consists of a string of consultants coming into the country. We need concrete outputs that will contribute to the direct management of protected areas. I think it is safe to say that we have grown out that stage it is time to get to work and stop conducting studies.”

The project is funded by the GEF, and implemented by the World Bank in coordination with each of the five participating countries.

Representatives of the conservation and natural resource management, tourism and finance sectors will also play a major role in designing and implementing the project.

The GEF has provided US$250,000 to support project preparation activities in coordination with the OECS Secretariat, participating countries and the World Bank to design a collaborative regional project.

Facilitators for day 1, were John Myers, Deputy Director, Caribbean Operations TNC, Jo Albert, Sr. Regional Coordinator , The World Bank, Kimberly John Project Coordinator TNC, Rob Weary Sr. Conservation Finance & Policy Adviser, Dinesh Aryal Task Team Leader The World Bank, Stefano Pagiola, Sr. Environmental Economist, The World Bank, and Barry Spergel Trust Fund Consultant.

There were also presentation of regional GEF Sustainable Finance projects, from Bahamas, Jamaica and questions and Answers.