ecosystems and the habitat of depleted, threatened, and 

 endangered species; responding to emergencies caused by 

 pollution; assessing the potential impacts on the environment 

 from proposed activities and notifying any nation that could 

 be affected by such impacts; and cooperating in scientific 

 and technical matters, especially in the exchange of data 

 that may be pertinent to the objectives of the Convention. 

 The Convention also provides for concluding detailed agree- 

 ments, or protocols, as needs arise, to implement or augment 

 the Convention. To date, only one protocol has been adopted. 

 It provides for cooperation among Contracting Parties in 

 responding to oil spill emergencies. 



Article 10 of the Convention calls upon Contracting 

 Parties to "take all appropriate measures to protect and 

 preserve rare or fragile ecosystems, as well as the habitat 

 of depleted, threatened, or endangered species" by establishing 

 protected areas. When the Convention was concluded in March 

 1983, a resolution was adopted calling upon the parties to 

 develop a protocol to provide protection for special areas 

 and wildlife in the wider Caribbean region. The resolution 

 encouraged "competent governmental and non-governmental or- 

 ganizations to prepare proposals for submission to the first 

 meeting of the Contracting Parties after entry into force of 

 the Convention." 



The First Meeting of the Contracting Parties was held 

 jointly with the Fourth Intergovernmental Meeting of the Action 

 Plan for the Caribbean Environment Program in Guadeloupe on 

 26-28 October 1987. Prior to the meeting, a coalition of 

 non-governmental organizations, including Monitor International, 

 the Center for Environmental Education, Fund for Animals, 

 Friends of the United Nations Environment Program, and Widecast 

 - Antigua and Barbuda, prepared and transmitted a draft Protocol 

 on Specially Protected Areas and Wildlife to the Contracting 

 Parties for consideration in accordance with the Resolution 

 mentioned above. 



At the meeting in Guadeloupe, the Contracting Parties 

 noted the draft prepared by non-governmental organizations 

 and agreed that it would be desirable to develop a protocol 

 on specially protected areas and wildlife. They also agreed 

 that it would be desirable to develop a protocol on land-based 

 sources of pollution. In addition, the U.S. delegation noted 

 the need to heighten awareness of the problem of ship-generated 

 marine debris in the wider Caribbean region and the need to 

 formally adopt amendments to extend the existing Protocol on 

 oil spill emergencies to other hazardous substances. 



The United States indicated a willingness to host a 

 meeting of experts in the U.S. Virgin Islands or Puerto Rico 

 in 1988 to prepare a draft protocol on specially protected 



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