GREAT BAY (DCOMM):--- A press conference was the culmination of the conference where Ministers of Jamaica, St. Kitts, Antigua St. Maarten and Dominica updated the public on the two day "Man and the Biosphere Conference" (MAB) which yielded a Small Island States Action Plan for the next three years which would ensure that at least one MAB reserve would be established in each country through cooperation within the Caribbean region and with UNESCO.
The objectives of the action plan are to create a network of Biosphere reserves in the Caribbean Small Islands States and the promotion of Biosphere Reserves as tools for innovative projects bringing added value to the local socio-economical activities.
The St. Kitts & Nevis Declaration was also agreed upon by all ministers, UNESCO representatives and experts to that effect. Including empowering UNESCO to identify and secure extra-budgetary funds to facilitate the Caribbean island states to execute the action plan.
