December 2012: The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and the European Commission have released the latest issue of the newsletter on the Multilateral Environment Agreements in African, Caribbean and Pacific countries (ACP MEAs) Project.

The newsletter features a guest article by Luz Romero, the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM) Secretariat, outlining the Quick Start Programme’s (QSP’s) efforts to finance chemicals management initiatives in developing countries. Romero notes that, to date, 26 QSP projects amounting to US$5.9 million have supported the implementation of the MEAs in 39 countries worldwide.

The newsletter also contains information on recently completed activities in each regional project hub. Activities implemented at the African Hub, housed at the African Union Commission (AUC), included an awareness-raising workshop held in collaboration with the Government of Botswana on enhancing information exchange and on MEA implementation and communication strategies. As part of ongoing efforts to build capacity of African negotiators, the hub also held training for UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) negotiators.

At the Pacific Hub, housed at the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP), activities included the development of guidelines on gender mainstreaming, in collaboration with UN Women. A Pacific clearinghouse mechanism has also been launched. The Caribbean Hub, housed at the Secretariat of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), conducted a capacity building workshop to prepare Caribbean negotiators for the 11th Conference of the Parties (COP 11) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). [Publication: ACP-MEAs Newsletter, Volume 4, Issue 4] [ACP-MEAs Website]