Miami Conference Aims To Unite Efforts To Protect Caribbean Ecosystems

See fact sheet: White Water to Blue Water: A Partnership to Link Freshwater and Oceans

Under Secretary of State for Global Affairs Paula J. Dobriansky will represent the  U.S. Department of State next week in Miami at a conference sponsored by the U.S. Department of State and other government agencies to forge partnerships to safeguard the Caribbean's marine and coastal ecosystems.  Representatives from 31 countries of the Wider Caribbean region and other coastal nations, the travel and tourism industry, academia, international organizations, the private sector and environmental groups will participate.  The 600 conference participants will spend the week attending "how-to" workshops that cover topics such as managing oil spills, fighting coral diseases, promoting environmentally sound marine transportation, and instituting a reef-friendly mooring buoy program.

Other senior U.S. officials participating in the Miami event include: Vice-Admiral Conrad Lautenbacher, Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; John F. Turner, Assistant Secretary of State, Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs; and Benjamin Grumbles, Acting Assistant Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Water.  Co-chairs of the conference include: the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (UN-ECLAC), the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), and the Comision Centroamericana de Ambiente y Desarrollo (CCAD).

The Conference, which takes place March 22-26, kicks off the White Water to Blue Water Partnership, an initiative announced at the World Summit on Sustainable Development in 2002.  The White Water to Blue Water Partnership is another tangible example of the Bush Administration's integrated approach of promoting environmental conservation, social development and more secure economies in the developing world.  

Media is invited to attend the conference, which will take place at the Hyatt Regency Miami, 400 South East Second Avenue, Miami.  Announcements regarding a press briefing and additional media availability will follow.

For further information prior to the conference please contact:

State Department: Susan Povenmire (202-647-3486)
State Department: Megan Sowards  (202-647-1169)
NOAA: David Miller (202-482-6090)
NOAA: Ben Sherman (301-713-3066)
EPA: Pamela Grant (202-564-5777)

During the conference, you can reach a press officer at 305-679-3270 or by email at ww2bwpress@yahoo.com <mailto:ww2bwpress@yahoo.com.  Further information about the conference can be found at www.umiami.edu/ww2bw, www.international.noaa.gov/ww2bw and www.ww2bw.org.

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