ACS Secretary General addresses Sargasso crisis at COP28
The Secretary General of the Association of Caribbean States (ACS), H.E. Rodolfo Sabonge, participated in the conference "Cooperation Efforts to Mitigate the Effects of Sargasso on Caribbean Coasts" at the Dominican Republic Pavilion during COP28 and emphasised the urgency of adopting measures to address this phenomenon that has affected the coasts of the region since 2011.
The event brought together countries and agencies committed to channelling financial resources to counteract the effects of Sargasso upwelling on Caribbean coastal and marine ecosystems, as well as associated coastal communities.
"The recent declaration of the Sargasso crisis as a top priority during the Summit of Heads of State in Antigua Guatemala underscored the urgency of this issue for our members," said the Secretary, underscoring the ACS commitment to work towards finding solutions to this problem. This problem, exacerbated by the effects of climate change, requires a comprehensive approach and dedicated financial resources to mitigate its effects.
Secretary General Sabonge emphasised the importance of regional cooperation and access to sustainable financing to comprehensively address the socio-economic and environmental impacts of Sargasso.
The integration of the Sargasso Sub-Commission into the ACS Caribbean Sea Commission was noted as a strategic step towards a coordinated and regional management of this interconnected challenge.
The Association of Caribbean States is the organization for consultation, cooperation and concerted action in trade, transport, sustainable tourism and natural disasters in the Greater Caribbean. Its Member States are Antigua & Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Mexico, Jamaica, Nicaragua, Panama, St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad & Tobago and Venezuela. Its Associate Members are Aruba, Curacao, (France on behalf of French Guiana, Saint Barthelemy and Saint Martin ), Guadeloupe, Martinique, Sint Maarten, (The Netherlands on behalf of Bonaire, Saba, and Sint Eustatius ), Turks and Caicos.