CASTRIES, St Lucia — Building on the momentum of the dialogue on coastal and marine spatial planning in the Eastern Caribbean, which commenced in 2017, the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) is hosting a three-part discussion on the progress made in coastal and marine spatial planning.
This discussion will take the form of three webinars, during which technical specialists and various stakeholders will inform on progress and respond to questions and requests for clarification from the public.
The first webinar will be held on August 12, 2020, from 10:00 a.m. under the topic – Rethinking How We Use Our Oceans. It will focus on transitioning to a blue economy, and the governance structures needed to ensure sustainable development and use of our ocean space.
Director-General of the OECS, Dr Didacus Jules says, “The Blue Economy provides tremendous potential for growth and expansion of our economies. To maximize the potential of the Blue Economy and to ensure equitable sharing of its benefits, it is imperative that we all be a part of discussions and participate in this planning process.”
The second webinar on August 26 at 10:00 a.m. will discuss the Coastal and Marine Spatial Planning process under the banner – Many People One Sea: Making our Ocean Space more user friendly. The final webinar on October 7 at 10:00 a.m entitled Healthy Oceans for Current and Future Generations will examine the guidelines, rules, and compliance needed to ensure a blue economy approach.
Through the Caribbean Regional Oceanscape Project (CROP), the OECS is seeking to promote good ocean governance in the region. The CROP is designed to contribute to the implementation of the Eastern Caribbean Regional Ocean Policy (ECROP) and its associated strategic action plan (SAP) by strengthening capacity for ocean governance, as well as coastal and marine spatial planning in the participating countries, to facilitate their transition to a blue economy.
