ST AUGUSTINE, Trinidad And Tobago – On April 13 Vice Chancellor of The University of the West Indies (UWI), Professor E. Nigel Harris and Secretary General of the Association of Caribbean States (ACS), Ambassador Luis Fernando Andrade Falla signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the Caribbean Sea at the ACS offices in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad.
Professor Harris referred to the Caribbean Sea Ecosystems Assessment Report (CARSEA) undertaken as a part of the United Nations Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, as one of the collaborative efforts which set out in very clear terms the important relationship between the Caribbean marine ecosystems and the daily life of the people in the region. “Since the CARSEA Report, UWI has entered into several collaborative arrangements with international and regional organizations in order to develop and deliver on projects that will be beneficial to the marine ecosystems.” He reiterated UWI’s commitment to delivering on the recommendations and the promise of that Report, and noted that the UWI/ACS MoU took that one step forward by deepening the relationship between UWI and ACS and providing a broader perspective for the coordination of projects and activities to comply with their specific mandates.
Since 1998 the ACS has pursued a Caribbean Sea Initiative (CSI) mainly through promoting the UN Resolution Towards the sustainable development of the Caribbean Sea for present and future generations at the UN General Assembly (UNGA).
In 2008 The Caribbean Sea Commission (CSC) was established as a part of the CSI with the mandate to promote and oversee the sustainable use of the Caribbean Sea. UWI expertise is well represented on the commission by scholars and scientists such as Professor John Agard, Professor Robin Mahon, Dr. Michelle Scobie, Dr. Timothy Shaw, Dr. Patrick McConney and Dr. David Smith of the Institute for Sustainable Development, Mona. In his speech Ambassador Falla acknowledged the contributions of these “experts on environment issues and international relations [who have] have made available to the CSC their knowledge, experience, networking with agencies [and are contributing to] projects and programs of a regional and international nature…”
Dr. The Honourable Surujrattan Rambachan, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Trinidad and Tobago in his capacity as Chairman of the ACS Ministerial Council, acknowledged the need for greater Caribbean cooperation and hoped that the UWI/ACS MoU would be the first step to achieving it.
Also present at the historic signing were distinguished invitees such as Professor Clement Sankat, Principal, UWI St. Augustine, Dr. Riyad Insanally, Permanent Representative, Organization of American States (OAS) in Port-of-Spain, Mr. Anthony David Edghill, Director of CARICOM and Caribbean Affairs and Mr. Gideon Hanomansingh, Director Communications, both of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Victor Ramírez, Embassy of Guatemala, Trinidad and Tobago and Mr. Anil Gupta, High Commission of India Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and Tobago.
