The Mainstreaming Gender Equality in Fisheries in the Caribbean project aims to improve sustainable fisheries for vulnerable populations in the Caribbean, particularly women and girls, in order to advance gender issues, decent work and youth involvement in sustainable development of fisheries, and comply with the policy statement issues in the 8th Special Meeting of the Ministerial Council of the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism, which states the following: “the Council accepted that international and national norms regarding issues pertaining to gender, youth, and decent work be adhered to, and be incorporated into all CRFM policies, protocols, programmes and plans”. In this context, UNDP, as a strong UN system organization, already well established in the region, and with strong networks and multi-country projects and programmes across and between the Caribbean SIDS, will implement the resources from Global Affairs Canada, through an existing agreement with CRFM as a delivery mechanism with its 17 AOSIS member states. In this regard, the project will benefit the fisheries sector of the 17 CRFM Member States, specifically fisherfolk, national fisheries agencies and regional organisations charged with supporting fisheries management development in those countries Project Strategy Rationale The project will unite efforts within the already existing CLME+ sub-project “EAF for the Eastern Caribbean Flyingfish” and the Interim Fisheries Coordination Mechanism to build upon these activities, to include gender mainstreaming activities, indicators and results. Given the over-arching goal of the CLME+ project of maximized, sustainable contributions from the resource to human well-being in the region, focus will be on implementation of gender mainstreaming activities, within the components of the already existing flyingfish sub-project, noting that the flyingfish supports important small-scale fisheries in the region, where women have an important role in the processing sector. Outcomes, Outputs and activities Outcome 1. Improved governance for gender – responsive fisheries planning and decision making. Empowering fishery organizations to actively participate in policy dialogue and fisheries governance mechanisms, enabling meaningful participation of women, and youth, and organizing age and gender-sensitive management and leadership trainings. Activities under this outcome are: 1. Determine what gender-related data/research would be most appropriate at this time for “spring-boarding” the development of an evidenced-based gender mainstreaming strategy for fisheries and aquaculture 2. Based on assessments of institutional arrangements (policies, legislation, plans, etc.) to identify the decent work and gender issues/gaps: initiate programmes to create awareness about them; and, devise a strategy/plan for its implementation. 3. Collaboration with CARICOM Secretariat and UN bodies, including UN Women and FAO to lead the effort to develop a gender evaluation tool (or adapt existing ones) to undertake the assessment mentioned. 4. Coordinate identification / appointment of gender focal point in national fisheries authorities, fisheries advisory committees, sustainable ocean governance teams, fisherfolk organisations and other fisheries related agencies and institutional arrangements; and, support their participation in gender workshops or initiatives to further build their capacity to address gender issues, including youth and decent work. 5. Promote application of social science and gender expertise requirements to the recruitment of new staff in CRFM and national and regional fisheries organisations. 6. Develop/adapt and adopt a core set of appropriate indicators in regional strategic programmes (to be used in CLME+ State of the Environment reporting and information portals) 7. Support countries with revision of fisheries and other sector plans along the lines of Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries (EAF) enlightenment and through a gender, decent work and youth lens to ensure integration into the overall national framework(s), in place to address these social issues. 8. Review countries’ compliance with international instruments (such as CEDAW) in relation to fisheries Outcome 2. Enhanced national capacities for mainstreaming gender into fisheries management. Activities under these outcomes are: 1. Organise, in collaboration with appropriate national agencies, awareness training for CRFM and Fisheries Departments/ Division staff, as well as executives of fisherfolk organisations 2. Offer gender-aware capacity development such as fisherfolk leadership courses to actively address equity/equality issues 3. Assist with establishment of regional and national monitoring and evaluation systems to track gender equality and decent work achievements, as well as youth involvement 4. Capture and document traditional knowledge from men and women on aquatic living resource management and fishing techniques 5. Develop updated, broadened and gendered (as appropriate) management recommendations that take into account feasible options for enhanced livelihoods and human well-being 6. Develop, implement and evaluate business proposal aimed at increasing either market or livelihood opportunities from current levels, with special attention to the role of women 7. Train participants in 3 major fishing communities in new business and management skills during implementation phase of business proposal

The objective of the Sustainable Financing and Management of Eastern Caribbean Marine Ecosystem Project is to contribute to enhancing the long-term sustainability of protected area networks in the Eastern Caribbean sub-region by: 1) establishing sustainable financing mechanisms; 2) strengthening of the marine protected area networks; and 3) deploying a regional monitoring and information system for the protected area networks. There are four components to the project. The first component of the project is establishment of sustainable financing mechanisms. The aims of this component will be to: facilitate the establishment and capitalization of a regional biodiversity fund; and facilitate the participating countries to establish the respective National Protected Area Trust Fund (NPATF). The second component of the project is to strengthening and phased expansion of marine protected area networks. The third component of the project is to deployment of a regional monitoring and information system. The fourth component of the project is to project management and coordination. The aim of this component will be to carry out the coordination and supervision of the project at the regional and participating country levels.

This Sub-Project aims at contributing to the delivery of Output 3.2. (O3.2.) under COMPONENT 3 of the main CLME+ Project Document: “Transition to an ecosystem approach for the Eastern Caribbean flyingfish fisheries demonstrated” It has been developed in response to the corresponding calls for action under (a) the CLME+ Strategic Action Programme (SAP), politically endorsed at the regional level in 2013 and (b) the approved Regional Fisheries Management Plan (FMP) for Flyingfish in the Eastern Caribbean. More specifically, in the case of the CLME+ SAP, the CLME+ Flyingfish Sub-Project can be linked to SAP Sub-Strategy 5A (and Strategy 5): • Sub-Strategy 5A: Enhance the governance arrangements for implementing an ecosystem approach for flyingfish fisheries • Strategy 5: enhance the governance arrangements for implementing an ecosystem approach for pelagic fisheries. In addition to this, Actions under SAP Strategies 1, 2 and 3, and under CLME+ Project COMPONENTS 1, 2, 4 and 5 will further facilitate the implementation of this Sub-Project, as they help building the support base for its activities, and for the continuation of efforts beyond the Sub-Project’s lifespan. Sub-Project activities will build upon: • the concept of interactive governance, defined as the whole of interactions among public, civil and private actors taken to solve societal problems and to create societal opportunities; including the formulation & application of principles guiding those interactions and care for institutions that enable and control them • the findings from the governance assessments, conducted under the CLME Project (GEF ID 1032) • progress and results from other related regional and national-level efforts Sub-Project activities will further give due attention in the context of interactive governance (societal interactions and the creation of societal opportunities) to gender equality and the empowerment of women. The objectives of the Sub-Project are four-fold, to: a. Foster long-term human well-being of the (direct and indirect) stakeholders of the Eastern Caribbean flyingfish fishery through optimized, sustainable stock management and use b. Full policy cycle implementation at the sub-regional level, through the review, updating, adoption and implementation of the sub-regional management plan for flyingfish fisheries c. Full policy cycle implementation at the national level d. Capture and disseminate best practices and lessons learnt, for the replication and up-scaling of the EAF approach in other CLME+ fisheries These Sub-Project objectives are well aligned with the general management objectives of the approved Sub-Regional Fisheries Management Plan: (a) long-term sustainability of the flyingfish resource (biological objective), (b) optimal use of the flyingfish resource for long-term benefits (socio-economic objective) and (c) sustained ecosystem health (ecological objective). Responsible management in the face of uncertain information on the true status of the flyingfish stock and uncertainties relating to impacts from climate change, requires a precautionary approach.

The NBS Mangrove Project, was an 18 month project organised under a single component to help establish a shared and multi-national process for an Integrated Coastal Management (ICM) in the NBS. The project recognises the prevalence, socio-ecological importance and connectivity of mangroves in the retention and generation of key ecosystem services (fisheries, coastal protection and defences, water quality, blue carbon etc.) from which communities in the NBS countries are beneficiaries. The countries of Suriname and Guyana were prioritised to consolidate and improve the technical knowledge base necessary to further national and complementary regional coastal management strategies with neighbouring countries Brazil (Amapa state) and French Guiana. In this sense the project builds on, and supports, the antecedents and key elements of the regional agreement established within the CLME+SAP relevant for the NBS region. The objectives of the NBS Mangrove Project are: 1. To generate the necessary baseline knowledge and technical assessments as inputs towards a collaborative vision and a coordinated well-informed management of NBS mangrove systems, with emphasis on the information needs of Guyana and Suriname. 2. To support development of transboundary coordination mechanism(s) between the countries of Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, and Brazil (state of Amapá) towards the improved integrated coastal management of the extensive, ecologically connected yet vulnerable mangrove habitat of the NBS region. The project developed a series of studies and technical outputs to better understand and manage mangrove habitats and coastal ecosystems to the benefit of human well-being in the North Brazil Shelf Large Marine Ecosystem Region.

A preliminary Transboundary Diagnostic Analysis (TDA) identified three priority transboundary problems that affect the Caribbean Large Marine Ecosystem (CLME) and Adjacent Regions: • Unsustainable exploitation of fish and other living marine resources • Habitat degradation and community modification • Pollution The final TDAs prepared under the full-sized CLME Project serve as the scientific basis for the development of an agreed program of interventions (called “SAP”), which may include policy, legal and institutional reforms, conservation measures and pollution control. This Strategic Action Programme (SAP) will document the shared, and commonly-agreed upon vision of the countries participating in the CLME Project with regard to the priority interventions, reforms, and investments that are required to ensure the sustainable provision of goods and services from living marine resources in the Wider Caribbean Region (WCR). More specifically, the CLME Project will facilitate the strengthening of the governance of key fishery ecosystems in the WCR, at the regional, sub-regional and national levels. For this purpose, CLME will give particular attention to the strengthening of horizontal and vertical (technical and political) linkages between existing structures. To assist this process, the project will create an integrated Information Management System (IMS), bringing together congruent fisheries, biological, pollution, and socio-economic data and information as a powerful management tool. Similarly, a framework for periodic monitoring and evaluation of progress towards the achievement of the CLME goals and objectives will be developed.

The objective of this Technical Cooperation is to support policy action conducive to broaden and accelerate economic growth and inclusive development in the Caribbean by enhancing the economic potential of the Blue Economy under a sustainable growth framework. It targets the effective implementation of policies in small island states in the Caribbean in an area in which new avenues for growth have been identified and have not yet been exploited to its full potential due to a series of bottlenecks to be further identified.

This initiative is a follow up of the Pilot Phase PRIF project “planning and Management of Heavily Contaminated Bays and Coastal Areas in the Wider Caribbean”; the project areas were Havana Bay (Cuba), Puerto Limon (Costa Rica0, Cartagena Bay (Colombia) and Kingston Harbour (Jamaica). This PRIF project resulted in the development of investment and institutional strenghtening plans and in the identification of sources of financing for the implementation of remedial actions. Leveraged baseline investments in the four bays were in excess of $250 million. As a follow-up to the PRIF and on-going baseline, the proposed GEF project will leverage national co-financing to help two of the countries to overcome a number of key barriers to the adoption of best practices that limit the contamination of their national and adjacent international waters. This would be achieved by implementing demonstration/pilot projects for reducing the input of priority transboundary contaminants, the nutrients nitrogen and phosphorus, to havana Bay, Kingston Harbour and the adjacent Wider Caribbean. The project will also strengthen and/or help create new institutions responsible for the rehabilitation and sustainable management of the two bays. The project supports the mandate of the Cartagena Convention (Art.7 and Art. 13) as well as the new Land-Based Sources Protocol currently in preparation. UNEP, the co-implementing agency, will be responsible for the regional coordination, and for the sharing and dissemination of nutrient pollution control strategies in the Wider Caribbean region.

The IW:LEARN project was established to strengthen transboundary water management around the globe by collecting and sharing best practices, lessons learned, and innovative solutions to common problems across the GEF International Waters portfolio. It promotes learning among project managers, country official, implementing agencies, and other partners who are involved directly with the GEF International Waters Portfolio.

The specific objectives of the project are: 1.To identify, analyze and agree upon major transboundary issues, root causes and actions required to achieve sustainable management of the shared living marine resources in the Caribbean Sea LME; 2.To improve the shared knowledge base so that sustainable use and management of transboundary living marine resources will be possible; 3.To implement legal, policy and institutional (SAP) reforms regionally and nationally to achieve sustainable transboundary living marine resource management; 4.To develop an institutional and procedural approach to LME level monitoring, evaluation and reporting for management decisionmaking

The MAR2R project supports regional collaboration for integrated ridge-to-reef management of the world’s largest transboundary barrier reef, the Mesoamerican Reef, which spans over 1,000 kilometres of coast and is affected by water from four countries: Belize, Guatemala, Honduras and Mexico