Experience Note: Opening Opportunities for Cooperation Frameworks on the Environment Among Lusophone Countries
The workshop, “Seas of the Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries (CPLP)” constituted a historic meeting where high-level representatives of the CPLP Member States discussed, for the first time, the sustainable management of oceans; prioritized common major issues on oceans management; and identified avenues for cross-national collaboration to address these issues. The participants drew up an action plan for enhanced cooperation among member states, including the holding of a high-level officials workshop for awareness raising on oceans management in Brazil. This experience demonstrates that it is possible to have cooperative initiatives formed among developing nations as a result of multistakeholder dialogues such as The Ocean Policy Summit. There is a resulting strong sentiment among the participants to continue sharing information and to take action on the issues discussed and recommendations put forward regarding all aspects of the topics addressed, including areas on which further work is needed. However, for this experience to happen, a lead country, with substantial interest and experience in the issues being addressed and resources to make things happen is needed. This experience is important to GEF and to its transboundary water resources management initiatives for the valuable model it presents of South-South cooperation on environmental issues.
Experience Note: Opening Opportunities for Cooperation Frameworks on the Environment Among Lusophone Countries.pdf