Wider Caribbean Webinar Series Kicks Off
on the road to Our Ocean Conference in Kenya
The webinar series hosted by the Wider Caribbean Ocean Coordination Mechanism (OCM) and its partners has officially launched as part of the roadmap to the Our Ocean Conference in Kenya.
The inaugural session, "Actioning Blue: Advancing Shared 30x30 Goals in the Wider Caribbean," was co-hosted with the Caribbean Biodiversity Fund (CBF). The session spotlighted political leadership, showcased key regional initiatives, and explored financing mechanisms designed to accelerate a coordinated roadmap for ocean protection—fully aligned with the Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) 30x30 targets.
Expert Interventions
The webinar was moderated by Ambassador Safiya Sawney, Special Envoy and Ambassador for Climate for the Government of Grenada. Opening remarks were delivered by Mr. Patrick Debels, Director of the OCM Secretariat, and Ms. Meaghan Cuddy, Director of the Our Ocean Conference Secretariat at WRI.
The session featured high-level interventions from:
- Karen McDonald Gayle, CEO, Caribbean Biodiversity Fund
- Helena Jeffery Brown, Programme Director of Biodiversity and Ecosystems, OECS
- Jonathan Delance, Chief Transformation Officer, Government of the Dominican Republic
- Ms. Beverley Wade, CEO, Ministry of Blue Economy and Marine Conservation, Belize
- Natalia Arango Vélez, Executive Director, Fondo Acción (Colombia)
- Debbra Cisneros, Government of Panama
Key Insights
Ms. Meaghan Cuddy emphasized the power of collaboration, stating:
"Our Ocean brings together coalitions of like-minded governments and partners that are ultimately seeking the same outcomes."
The CEO of the CBF, Karen McDonald Gayle, highlighted the collaboration with the Blue Nature Alliance. She noted that eight Caribbean nations—including Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, and The Bahamas—must still designate an additional 143,500 sq. km of marine protected areas. To put this into perspective, that area is roughly 2.8 times the size of Costa Rica.
Debbra Cisneros, from the Government of Panama, highlighted that the country has already reached the global "30x30" goal by protecting 32% of its land and 54% of its ocean. The Banco Volcán Marine Protected Area in the Caribbean covers over 90,000 km², making it about the same size as the entire island of Hispaniola (the Dominican Republic and Haiti combined). By protecting this massive space, Panama is saving underwater volcanoes, coral reefs, and the "highways" used by migrating whales, sharks, and sea turtles.
Closing Remarks
Professor Dale Webber concluded the session with a pragmatic call to action: “In order for us to make progress, we must look at the lessons that have been learned. We must look at the challenges that exist. We must recognize the regional voice for what it is and use platforms such as the Ocean Coordination Mechanism and CBF to try and leverage what we have and what we know works. Take it a step at a time”.
You do not want to miss out on all the details and insights. Watch the full session here.
