Earth Today | Marine environment takes spotlight at critical UNEP summit
Published:Thursday | October 16, 2025 | 12:10 AM
THE UNITED Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is hosting the 18th meeting of the contracting parties to the Cartagena Convention (COP18), intended to inform Caribbean-wide best efforts to address deepening challenges to the marine environment.
“The marine environment is facing unprecedented pressures from land-based pollution, the ever-increasing challenge of plastic waste, massive influxes of sargassum, the intensifying impact of warming seas and coral reef bleaching, sea level and coastal erosion, ocean acidification, habitat and species loss,” noted Christopher Corbin, coordinator of UNEP’s Cartagena Convention Secretariat, the Wider Caribbean Region in an October 1 news release on the biennial conference.
“COP18 will serve as a crucial platform for the Convention Contracting Parties to reaffirm their commitment and forge a coordinated path forward to further safeguard these vital ecosystems,” Corbin added.
The Kingston, Jamaica-based Cartagena Convention Secretariat serves as the secretariat for the Convention for the Protection and Development of the Marine Environment of the Wider Caribbean Region (the Cartagena Convention) and the UNEP Caribbean Environment Programme – with is work focused on the promotion of regional cooperation for the protection and sustainable development of the marine and coastal environment of the Wider Caribbean Region.
The four-day conference, which ends in Jamaica today, involves the participation of government officials and technical experts from across the region and includes the Conference of Parties for the Land-Based Sources of Marine Pollution and Specially Protected Areas and Wildlife Protocols.
On the agenda for discussion are proposals to advance the regional action plan for marine litter, strengthening controls for pollution from land-based sources, improving the network of specially protected areas and wildlife, and improving ocean governance frameworks to build “a more resilient and sustainable blue economy”.
Resolution decisions on emergent environmental issues,a review of the implementation of the 2023-2024 work plan and approval for the new strategic programme and budget for the 2026-2027 biennium also form a part of the agenda for the conference.
According to Corbin, COP18 is a “critical call to action” for all stakeholders.
“We have the science and frameworks, but now we must accelerate implementation. Our focus will be on translating regional commitments into more tangible national actions that protect our shared marine resources for future generations. Collaboration is our greatest strength and by uniting our efforts we can build a more resilient and prosperous Wider Caribbean,” he said.