The Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States’ (OECS) Secretariat and the United States of America have signed an agreement aimed at enhancing the protection of the region’s environment through a project entitled Protecting the Eastern Caribbean Region’s Biodiversity. The signing ceremony held in Castries on Thursday October 18th 2007, featured a contribution of two million US dollars.

Burnett indicated that the OECS population of about 580 thousand will value the project and the tangible funding support through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). This programme to protect the Eastern Caribbean’s biodiversity is also related to the promotion of collaborative management, and adoption of a strategy for conservation including the identifying of protected areas while improving the economic status of local communities.

United States Ambassador to the OECS Mary Ourisman signed on behalf of her government and congratulated the OECS Secretariat for pursuing support for the protection of the region’s natural assets: “It is particularly rewarding to see the OECS Secretariat taking bold steps to protect and preserve the biodiversity of the Eastern Caribbean and the US Government is proud to be a partner in this project. The year 2008 has been declared the international year of the reef by the International Coral Reef Initiative. This will bring heightened awareness about the ecological systems; the economic social cultural values of the coral reefs and associated ecosystems. Public understanding and private sector involvement are key elements in the successful protection of these sensitive environments and I am pleased to see that this project which the OECS will undertake with our support will focus on these themes.”

In addition, the project will increase institutional capacity to manage and conserve biodiversity. Ambassador Ourisman further encouraged the creation of linkages to strengthen collaboration and overall capacity to further preserve the region’s natural resources: “Technical and financial support should be sought from other possible partners for example: organizations such as the Smithsonian institution, the Nature Conservity, the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration and others including the Caribbean’s own University of the West Indies. All have a keen interest and practical experience in protecting sensitive land and marine sites that would be interested I am sure, to support this region’s efforts in this area. We should reach out to create linkage with such global partners for support in preserving our natural resources both marine and terrestrial.” 

The signing ceremony signaled the official launch of the project to further protect the Eastern Caribbean region’s Biodiversity.