| A five-day training intervention on negotiation skills for junior environmental negotiators ended in St Kitts and Nevis on Friday, last, with the consensus that negotiators play a vital role in the process of implementing Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs).The workshop, which was organized by the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretariat in collaboration with the Foundation for International Environmental Law and Development (FIELD) forms part of the Community’s thrust to build the capacity of Member States to comply with the several MEAs related to the Caribbean. The project is funded by the European Union,Cheap Nike Huarache Shoes, supported by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and implemented by the CARICOM Secretariat.More than 35 participants received certificates on Friday, indicating their successful completion of a rather comprehensive intervention in which they acquired skills in preparing for negotiations; engaging in negotiations; interpreting negotiation texts and understanding MEAs.In underscoring the importance of negotiators in MEAs,2018 Nike Vapor Max Plus, Project Coordinator Dr. Therese Yarde stated that they were the people who represented the interests of the Community and the region.“They help to see that our concerns are addressed, that our needs are met and that our particular situations as developing countries, and, for many of us, small island developing states,Cheap Air Jordan Shoes, are taken into account,” she stated.Dr. Yarde added that negotiators were the ones who helped to broker and secure decisions that supported administrations in the drive for environmental sustainability, and facilitated compliance with MEA obligations.In the closing ceremony, she told the participants that she was confident that the training they received would increase their understanding of MEA mechanisms, and enhance their ability to contribute to the goal of sustainable development and sound environmental management in the Caribbean.She further urged participants to return to their respective countries and institutions,Wholesale Jerseys China, to share with their colleagues the knowledge and the resources they had acquired, noting that by transferring their skills to the wider Department or Ministry, they would help to build … continuity and strong institutional memory.Mr. Randolph Edmead, Director of the Department of Physical Planning and Environment in the Ministry of Health and Environment, St Kitts and Nevis pointed to the timeliness of the training intervention, explaining that the 14 countries represented at the workshop were in the final stages of preparation for the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, the RIO+20 Conference in Rio de Janeiro later this month.He pointed out that many of the MEAs that were established to govern global environmental management had their genesis at the historic Rio Earth Summit 20 years ago. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the Convention on Biodiversity (CBD); and the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) were all outcomes of that Summit, he explained.“I can assure you that many of the skills you have garnered here will be put to use by many country delegations that will be present at Rio+ 20,” he added, and charged the trainees to seize and create opportunities to utilize the skills for sustainable development of the region.Speaking on behalf of the trainees, Mr. Sean Sealy,Air Max 90 Black And White, Research Officer in the Ministry of Environment and Drainage,Air Max 97 Silver Bullet Mens, Barbados declared the workshop one of the best he had attended.He singled out the facilitators, the training materials, the issues and topics addressed and the simulation exercises as some of the factors, which contributed to the success of the intervention. Noting that “generally it was felt that the workshop’s value was equal to a semester’s worth of postgraduate classes,” he also pointed to the rich diversity of participants at the workshop.“While we are all Caribbean neighbours, we represent various ministries…we also had diversity in language…and this diversity allowed us to bring our own unique perspectives and experiences to the table so we could better learn from each other.”Facilitator Joy Hyvaerinen, Executive Director of FIELD said the workshop was indeed a phenomenal success and stated that she was most impressed with the CARICOM Secretariat’s management of the project and the workshop. |
