Environment and Development concerns discussed at High Level Ministerial Meeting

A series of events involving the Central American Commission for Environment and Development Council of Ministers is happening north of San Pedro Town at the Grand Caribe Beach Resort. The Government of Belize (GOB) is hosting the event as the President Pro Tempore under the Central American Integration System (SICA), with the Honourable Orlando Habet, Minister of Sustainable Development, Climate Change, and Disaster Risk Management, presiding over the meetings.
The formal gathering will continue through Wednesday, February 8th, with the joint annual meeting on restoring degraded lands in Latin America and the Caribbean. According to a document from the program, the discussions will support national commitments to restoration by engaging in a robust dialogue with the ministries of environment and agriculture while analyzing the economic, ecological, and social barriers to large-scale ecosystem renewal, protection and identifying solutions to those challenges. The meeting will also promote private and public sector investment in restoration projects and entrepreneurs. The annual meeting is titled ‘Supporting the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration.’
Another important aspect of the event is to share the achievements of the outgoing Pro Tempore Presidency of the Dominican Republic and to present Belize’s priorities during its presidency. The agenda also includes the review of the 2022 financial report and approving the 2023 budget for programs. The different parties will also present project reports and new project concepts for approval.
A communique from GOB stated that during its presidency, Belize would prioritize the development of an interregional agenda on climate change with a particular focus on climate finance, advancing the Revised Regional Framework for Achieving Development and Resilience to Climate Change. Belize will also broker a regional position on the Loss and Damage Fund, develop regional policy documents, including the regional seagrass management strategy, and develop action plans on biodiversity. This agenda will also cover climate change, marine litter, and forest fire management.
Belize received the Presidency Pro Tempore of SICA in the Dominican Republic on December 9, 2022. Prime Minister Honourable Dr. John Briceño received the presidency from Luis Rodolfo Abinader Corona, Preside of the Dominican Republic, during the LVI Meeting of Heads of State and Government of SICA held in that country last year.