The need for capacity building and public co-operation were among the main issues at the just ended 7th Meeting of the OECS Ministers of Environment Policy Committee (EPC), held in Kingstown.

New OECS EPC Chairman, Dr. The Honourable Douglas Slater of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, voiced the need for capacity building within the ministries around the region in order to help in the conservation and protection of the environment. Dr. Slater remarked that many environmental issues are entrenched in multi-lateral trade agreements and it is therefore important that ministers familiarise themselves with these issues during trade negotiations.

The EPC chairman also called for the media to be more proactive in promoting the fact that environmental protection and management impacts on national development. Chairman of the Technical Advisory Committee of the OECS Environment and Sustainable Development Unit (OECS ESDU) Dr. Reynold Murray, said existing manpower at environmental departments is not enough to effectively manage issues dealing with the protection of the environment.

Dr. Murray lamented that there is still ignorance of many environmental issues. To this end Murray says the ministries in the region are looking towards co-ordinating efforts to create more public awareness on the impact of environmental degradation. He further commended the St. George’s Declaration of principles for Environmental Management in the OECS as excellent guidelines for the implementation of most of the policies in the sub-region.

Head of the OECS Environment and Sustainable Development Unit Dr. Vasantha Chase, added that dissemination of information on the environment is important to the quest for proper environmental management activities at all levels. Dr. Chase said trade agreements affect environmental policies, and it is therefore important that environmental policies be made part of the national agenda.

EPC7 discussed issues such as land use and land degradation, deforestation, coastline erosion and the impact of trading agreements on environmental policies. Six CARICOM countries and eleven international agencies participated in the two-day meeting.

For futher inoformation contact:
Peter Murray Programme Officer OECSESDU 452-2537 ext 8134
Raymond O’Keiffe Comm. Officer OECS Sec. email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it