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Message to the Senate Transmitting the Protocol to the Caribbean Environmental Convention

April 20, 1993

To the Senate of the United States:

I transmit herewith, for the advice and consent of the Senate to ratification, the Protocol Concerning Specially Protected Areas and Wildlife to the Convention for the Protection and Development of the Marine Environment of the Wider Caribbean Region, done at Kingston on January 18, 1990. Included for the information of the Senate is a Proces-verbal of Rectification correcting technical errors in the English and Spanish language texts. I also transmit, for the information of the Senate, the Annexes to the Protocol which were adopted at Kingston June 11, 1991, and the report of the Department of State with respect to the Protocol.

The Protocol elaborates and builds on the general obligation in the Convention for the Protection and Development of the Marine Environment of the Wider Caribbean Region, which calls for parties to establish specially protected areas in order to protect and preserve rare or fragile ecosystems, as well as the habitats of threatened or endangered species of fauna and flora. Species of plants and animals that the parties believe require international cooperation to provide adequate protection are listed in three Annexes developed in implementation of the Protocol. The initial version of the Annexes was adopted in 1991. Annexes I and II list species of special concern, including endangered and threatened species, subspecies, and their populations of plants (Annex I) and animals (Annex II). Species included in these Annexes are to receive protection within the geographic area of the Protocol comparable to that for species listed as endangered or threatened under the Endangered Species Act, or protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act. Annex III lists plants and animals requiring some management, but not necessarily full protection.

The Protocol is considered a major step forward in protecting wildlife and habitats of special concern in the Caribbean. Early ratification will demonstrate our continued commitment to the goal of sound regional environmental management and protection. I recommend that the Senate give early and favorable consideration to the Protocol and give its advice and consent to ratification, subject to the understanding and reservations described in the accompanying report of the Secretary of State.

WILLIAM J. CLINTON

The White House,

April 20, 1993.

William J. Clinton, Message to the Senate Transmitting the Protocol to the Caribbean Environmental Convention Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/219874

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