The Caribbean Node of the Global Partnership on Marine Litter and Plastic Pollution (GPML-Caribe) represents a partnership for national and regional organizations, governments, research, and technical agencies and individuals, that work together to reduce the quantity and impact of marine litter and plastic pollution in coastal zones of the Wider Caribbean Region. The Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute (GCFI) is currently the co-host together with UN Environment of the GPML-Caribe.
Vision of the GPML-Caribe: A healthy Caribbean Sea without risk from marine litter
Mission of the GPML-Caribe: To provide leadership, information, and resources in the efforts to reduce marine litter in the Caribbean Sea
Roles of the GPML-Caribe:
- Sharing best practices and case studies
- Updating key actors on state of knowledge of technical marine litter and plastic pollution issues
- Facilitating discussions on barriers and solutions, especially online
- Encourage regional-level proposals to compile best practices, gap analyses (e.g., socio-economic aspects), assimilate guidance on technical methods and protocols
Join the Global Partnership on Marine Litter!
Any entity can become a member of the GPML by filling in this form. Once the form has been submitted, they will receive a certificate confirming their membership and will be added to the GPML member mailing list. They will also receive information on the partnership and be invited to participate in GPML webinars. Join the GPML here
The Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute (GCFI) was founded in 1947 to promote the exchange of current information on the use and management of marine resources in the Gulf and Caribbean region. From its beginning, GCFI has endeavored to involve scientific, governmental, and commercial sectors to provide a broad perspective on relevant issues, and to encourage dialogue among groups that often operate in relative isolation from one another.
GCFI is governed by a Board of Directors elected by and from its membership and operates under rules defined by the By Laws. Because its program includes the entire Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean region, particular effort is made to ensure balanced representation from throughout the region in its annual programming and decision-making processes. More recently GCFI has been engaged in a number of capacity-building programs.
The primary activity of GCFI is its annual meeting devoted to technical presentations and workshops on current issues relevant to the use and management of marine resources in the Gulf and Caribbean region. These activities are documented in the annual Proceedings of the Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute which is received in more than 80 countries. GCFI focuses its activities based on the priorities defined in it’s 5-year strategic plan.
UN Environment established the Caribbean Environment Programme (CEP) in 1981 as one of its Regional Seas Programmes in recognition of the importance and value of the Wider Caribbean Region’s fragile and vulnerable coastal and marine ecosystems including endemic plants and animals. Countries of the region then adopted an Action Plan also in 1981 that led to the development and adoption of the Cartagena Convention on 24 March 1983.
The Cartagena Convention is the first and only regionally binding treaty of its kind. It promotes the protection and development of the marine environment of the Region and provides the legal framework for the Caribbean Environment Programme.
It is supported by three technical agreements or protocols on oil spills, specially protected areas and wildlife and land-based sources of marine pollution.
The Caribbean Regional Co-ordinating Unit (CAR/RCU) was established in 1986 in Kingston, Jamaica and is the Secretariat for the Cartagena Convention and the Caribbean Environment Programme.
Their projects and activities take place under three programme areas:
The Global Partnership of Marine Litter and Plastic Pollution (GPML) is a multi-stakeholder partnership that provides a unique mechanism to bring together all actors working to prevent marine litter and microplastics, with the aim of sharing knowledge and experience and advancing solutions to this pressing global issue.
Its mission is to protect the global marine environment, human wellbeing and animal welfare by addressing the global problem of marine litter, in line with Target 14.1 of the Sustainable Development Goals: “by 2025, prevent and significantly reduce marine pollution of all kinds, in particular from land-based activities, including marine debris and nutrient pollution”.
Specific Objectives of the GPML:
- To reduce the impacts of marine litter worldwide on economies, ecosystem, animal welfare and human health.
- To enhance international cooperation and coordination through the promotion and implementation of the Honolulu Strategy – a global framework for the prevention and management of marine debris, as well as the Honolulu Commitment – a multi-stakeholder pledge.
- To promote knowledge management, information sharing and monitoring of progress on the implementation of the Honolulu Strategy.
- To promote resource efficiency and economic development through waste prevention e.g. 4Rs (reduce, re-use, recycle and re-design) and by recovering valuable material and/or energy from waste.
- To increase awareness on sources of marine litter, their fate and impacts.
- To assess emerging issues related to the fate and potential influence of marine litter, including (micro) plastics uptake in the food web and associated transfer of pollutants and impacts on the conservation and welfare of marine fauna.
The Partnership was launched at the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development Rio+20 in June 2012 in response to a request by Governments in the Manila Declaration, which is an outcome of the Third Intergovernmental Review meeting of the Global Programme of Action for the Protection of the Marine Environment from Land-based Activities (GPA) held in January 2012. It is led by a Steering Committee and UN Environment (GPA) provides Secretariat services.
Join the Global Partnership on Marine Litter and Plastic Pollution!
Any entity can become a member of the GPML by filling in this form. Once the form has been submitted, they will receive a certificate confirming their membership and will be added to the GPML member mailing list. They will also receive information on the partnership and be invited to participate in GPML webinars. Join the GPML here
GPML-Caribe on Social Media
Switching to a reusable bottle saves you money & helps save the environment! It is estimated that 10-20 million tons of plastic ends up in our oceans every year, resulting in $13 billion/yr in losses. Learn more: bit.ly/2D5cDF5 #PlasticFreeJuly #BeatPlasticPollution pic.twitter.com/l6YJR5ptz2
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