Caribbean and African SIDS Unite

The UNDP/GEF/UNOPS PROCARIBE+ Project recently facilitated a successful Blue Economy Twinning Exchange across the Caribbean region. This exchange hosted representatives from the UNDP/GEF Project, "Supporting Sustainable Inclusive Blue Economy Transformation in African Small Island Developing States," which is executed by the Global Water Partnership Southern Africa. 

As part of the IWLearn Twinning Programme—which promotes learning exchanges between GEF International Waters Projects—the participants traveled to Cartagena, Colombia, and Belize.

They engaged directly with PROCARIBE+ partners to: 

• Exchange knowledge on blue governance models and approaches. 
• Learn from Belize's valuable experiences in managing marine protected areas and ecosystem services. 
• Explore existing strategies for building resilient communities in SIDS through inclusive economic growth. 
• Share lessons on stakeholder engagement and multi-sectoral collaboration to enhance project implementation. 

Key participants included Mrs. Shamiso Mlilwana, Project Coordinator of the African SIDS Blue Economy Project; Mr. Vianey Assonfack Ndemasse from the African Union Commission; and Ms. Sonia Gautreau, Senior Project Officer of the PROCARIBE+ Project. 

The visit served as a crucial opportunity for both projects to learn about innovative approaches to managing marine ecosystems, enhancing blue economy outcomes, and promoting sustainable livelihoods. Following this successful Caribbean visit, the PROCARIBE+ Project is scheduled to visit the African region in 2026 to further enhance synergies between the projects. 

Setting the Regional Stage in Cartagena, Colombia 

To kick-start the exchange, all participants travelled to Cartagena, Colombia, to join the First Regional Partnership Forum of the Wider Caribbean Ocean Coordination Mechanism (OCM). This forum was a critical milestone to mobilize support for the newly operationalized OCM. The Forum brought together experts and stakeholders to strengthen cooperation on ocean governance across the Wider Caribbean Region, providing an important opportunity for the African colleagues to showcase African Blue Economy frameworks and learn from experiences in the Caribbean and beyond. 

Belize: Learning People-Centric Approaches for Ocean Conservation  

For the second, impactful leg of the exchange, the representatives travelled to Belize to learn on-the-ground experiences on how the nation has advanced innovative financing, sustainable fisheries management, and marine conservation policy and planning to promote a thriving, ocean-based economy. The team was honored to be hosted by the Ministry of Blue Economy and Marine Conservation (MBEMC). 

Belize is showing the world that a people-centric conservation agenda can be successful at protecting marine and coastal resources while benefiting its communities. The groundbreaking Blue Bonds for Ocean Conservation, which establishes long-term funding for marine protection in the country, was showcased by representatives from the Blue Bond and Finance Permanence Unit. Further discussions covered the innovative Resilient Bold Belize (RBB) initiative, a collaboration between the Government of Belize and WWF, which is set to raise over $160 million to promote nature-based livelihoods and climate resilience through an inclusive stakeholder approach. 

Beyond finance, the exchange included detailed sessions on Sustainable Fisheries Management by the Belize Fisheries Department and the country's Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) Process led by the Coastal Zone Management Authority & Institute. Participants gained insights into transformative Marine Protected Area (MPA) Management, including innovative blue finance and the use of technology for enforcement and adaptive management, presented by the Turneffe Atoll Sustainability Association (TASA). TASA's work at the Turneffe Atoll Marine Reserve (TAMR) served as a practical example of strong stakeholder engagement and collaboration in MPA management. 

To close the exchange, a meeting was held with the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism to identify cross-regional synergies for future collaboration between the African Commission and the CRFM. 

On-the-Ground Conservation and Community Engagement 

The mission also included an exceptional site visit to the Sapodilla Cayes Marine Reserve (SCMR), where colleagues observed the Toledo Institute for Development and Environment (TIDE)'s work on MPA management and community engagement. A major focus was on the establishment of Fishery Replenishment Zones (FRZs) in the SCMR, a crucial activity implemented through a partnership with the Mesoamerican Reef Fund (MAR Fund) and TIDE, co-financed by the PROCARIBE+ Project. This work, which includes the legal designation of new Fish Spawning Aggregation (FSA) sites, will contribute significantly to Belize’s coral reef protection targets.  

New friendships were forged, and our colleagues from the African SIDS Project are returning home with concrete ideas on how to implement these best practices and financing mechanisms in their own countries. The exchange was a first step in solidifying South-South and SIDS to SIDS collaboration between the organizations involved. 

Partners Involved in the Exchange 

We would like to thank all the partners and organizations involved in making this transformative peer-to-peer exchange a success: 

• Ministry of Blue Economy and Marine Conservation (MBEMC)  
• Coastal Zone Management Authority & Institute  
• Belize Fisheries Department  
• Turneffe Atoll Sustainability Association  
• Blue Bonds and Finance Permanence Unit 
• World Wildlife Fund (WWF) 
• Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM) 
• Toledo Institute for Development and Environment (TIDE) 
• African Union Commission 
• UNDP/UNEP/GEF IW:LEARN 
• UNDP/GEF African SIDS Blue Economy Project 
• UNDP/GEF/UNOPS PROCARIBE+ Project 

About the project

The PROCARIBE+ project is a five-year, regional initiative focused on Protecting and Restoring the Ocean's natural Capital in the Caribbean and North Brazil Shelf Large Marine Ecosystems (CLME+ region) to catalyze investments and actions that foster a climate-resilient, sustainable Blue Economy for the region. Implemented by UNDP and executed by UNOPS, the project builds on previous regional efforts to achieve integrated ocean governance. A cornerstone of the project is the establishment and operationalization of the Ocean Coordination Mechanism (OCM), a groundbreaking regional governance platform that provides a permanent, inclusive platform for aligning action, sharing knowledge, and optimizing the use of limited resources by enhancing coordination and collaboration across the Wider Caribbean Region.