A Healthy Marine Environment for Better Lives

Learn about the project ↓ OCM home page →

 

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WELCOME TO PROCARIBE+

Protecting and Restoring the Ocean’s natural Capital, building Resilience and supporting region-wide Investments for sustainable Blue socio-Economic development.

UNDP/GEF/UNOPS PROCARIBE+ Project

The “CLME+ region”

The biodiversity-rich Caribbean and North Brazil Shelf Large Marine Ecosystems provide a multitude of goods and ecosystem services to the nations and peoples that share this region, and far beyond.

In doing so, they hold enormous potential to support sustainable and climate-resilient “blue” socio-economic development. Yet, the region faces numerous challenges and threats that, if left unaddressed, will progressively degrade its marine and coastal natural assets and ability to underpin our common development aims.

Ocean Image

Caribbean and North Brazil Shelf Large Marine Ecosystems. 


Successor to the CLME and CLME+ Projects.

Ocean Image

PROCARIBE+ therefore seeks to:

Protect, restore and harness the natural coastal and marine capital of the Caribbean and North Brazil Shelf Large Marine Ecosystems to catalyze investments in a climate-resilient, sustainable Blue Economy, through strengthened regional coordination and collaboration, and wide-ranging partnerships.

PROCARIBE Project+

One of a series of projects that support the implementation of the 10-year regional Strategic Action Programme (“CLME+ SAP”, 2015-2025).

0 years

Duration

May 2023 - April 2028

$ 0 million

Funds

from the Global Environment Facility (GEF)

funded by

GEF logo

implemented by

UNDP logo

executed by

UNOPS logo

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GEOGRAPHIC SCOPE

The region

0 States
0 Small Island Developing States (SIDS)
0 Overseas Territories

Making it one of the most geopolitically complex regions in the world.

The primary geographic focus of PROCARIBE+ is on the Caribbean and North Brazil Shelf Large Marine Ecosystems, jointly also referred to as the “CLME+ region”. This region comprises 26 States and 18 Overseas Territories, of which 16 are Small Island Developing States (SIDS), making it one of the most geopolitically complex regions in the world.

In this region, PROCARIBE+ will not work in a vacuum. Instead, it will be able to mainstream many of its activities into the work programmes of existing regional initiatives and organizations, such as the UNEP Regional Seas Programme/Cartagena Convention, the IOCARIBE Sub-Commission of the IOC of UNESCO, and the Regional Fisheries Bodies, to just name a few.

CLME map

Project Philosophy and Approach

The “SDG Wedding Cake” is an alternative representation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development of the United Nations, that highlights the interdependencies between the “biosphere” and the “social” and “economic” Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

SDG Wedding Cake
Source: Stockholm Resilience Centre

SDG Wedding Cake

This concept reflects the spirit of PROCARIBE+: a well-protected and restored ocean as the core of a healthy biosphere that underpins sustainable and climate-resilient socio-economic development.

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THEMATIC SCOPE

Acknowledging the need for investments in both strengthened ocean governance and on-the-ground action for marine ecosystem protection and sustainable Blue Economies, the PROCARIBE+ Project activities have been structured around 4 thematic components:

Regional Coordination & Collaboration

Regional Coordination & Collaboration

Implementing action programmes and plans through a regional Ocean Coordination Mechanism

National Enabling Conditions

National Enabling Conditions

Enabling national capacity and commitments for ecosystem approaches and Blue Economy development

Action by all Sectors of Society

Action by all Sectors of Society

Catalyzing actions for small grants, blue carbon credits, marine spatial planning, and improved fishing practices and traceability

Knowledge Management & Exchange

Knowledge Management & Exchange

Developing a regional marine data, information and knowledge management sharing mechanism

Cross-Cutting Issues

Cross-Cutting Issues

Integrando cuestiones de género, juventud, salvaguardias y clima en todas las actividades del proyecto

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INTERACTIVE TIMELINE

The operationalization - with the support of the UNDP/GEF/UNOPS PROCARIBE+ Project under its Project Component # 1 - of the regional “Ocean Coordination Mechanism” (OCM) constitutes a flagship project output and a major milestone on the Wider Caribbean region's path towards regional-level, integrated, interactive ocean governance. Key achievements and events, both from the past and those currently planned and leading to the OCM's operationalization and beyond, are visualized in the interactive timeline below:

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SELECTED PROJECT TARGETS

1 regional

Ocean Coordination Mechanism

7 countries

with improved marine spatial planning

5 NDCs

with better integration of marine environment

4,368,052  hectares

of new MPAs or with enhanced management effectiveness

34  small grants

invested

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STRATEGIC ALIGMENT 

PROCARIBE+ aligns with key global sustainability initiatives, including the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021–2030) and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The UN Ocean Decade Actions endorsement of PROCARIBE+ recognizes it as a Decade Programme, contributing to generating and applying ocean knowledge to support sustainable blue economies, ecosystem protection, and climate resilience in the Caribbean region.  

Being registered on the SDG Action Platform highlights PROCARIBE+’s role in advancing the 2030 Agenda, fostering regional partnerships, and strengthening actions that contribute to multiple SDGs, including SDG 14 (Life Below Water) and SDG 13 (Climate Action).  

 

Global Agenda Diagram

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FEATURED CONTENT

Twinning Exchange in Belize and Cartagena
Nov 11, 2025
🌊 Caribbean and African SIDS Unite: PROCARIBE+ Hosts Blue Economy Twinning Exchange in Belize and Cartagena

The PROCARIBE+ Project facilitated a successful Blue Economy Twinning Exchange, a peer-to-peer learning mission that strengthened SIDS-to-SIDS collaboration between the Caribbean and Africa. Jointly supported by GEF IW:LEARN, PROCARIBE+, and the African SIDS Blue Economy Projects, the mission aimed at transferring knowledge and experiences on sustainable ocean management and innovative financing. Participants included Mrs. Shamiso Mlilwana, Project Coordinator of the African SIDS Blue Economy Project; Mr. Vianey Assonfack Ndemasse from the African Union Commission; and Ms. Sonia Gautreau, Senior Project Officer of the PROCARIBE+ Project.

Read the full article
OCM Press Release-Hurricane Melissa
Nov 07, 2025
Hurricane Melissa Message of Solidarity

Hurricane Melissa has once again underscored the Caribbean’s profound vulnerability to the impacts of the global climate crisis. At the same time, it reaffirms the urgent need to strengthen resilience, enhance preparedness, and foster unity and cooperation among nations.

Read the full article
Building Pathways for Ocean Governance in the Wider Caribbean (and beyond): The First Joint Workshop of the OCM Working Groups and First Regional Partnership Forum
Nov 05, 2025 News articles
Building Pathways for Ocean Governance in the Wider Caribbean (and beyond): The First Joint Workshop of the OCM Working Groups and First Regional Partnership Forum

The First Joint Workshop of the Wider Caribbean Ocean Coordination Mechanism (OCM) Working Groups and the First Regional Partnership Forum — Our Sea, Our Source, Our Future: The Wider Caribbean (and Beyond): United in Action — from Analysis to Decision-Making and Implementation were successfully held in Cartagena, Colombia, on October 29–30, 2025. These two events marked a significant step forward in advancing regional cooperation towards an interactive and integrated ocean governance across the Wider Caribbean Region.

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Joint Workshop of the Working Groups of the OCM and First Regional Partnership Forum of the Alliance for the Oceans
Oct 28, 2025

The Secretariat of the Wider Caribbean Ocean Coordination Mechanism (OCM), together with partner organizations and in coordination with the Chairs of the MCO Steering Group and Executive Group, will hold the First Joint Workshop of the OCM Working Groups and the First Regional Partnership Forum: "Our Sea - Our Source - Our Future. The Wider Caribbean (and beyond): United in Action, from analysis to decision-making and implementation".

Read the full article
Partnerships to reduce ghost fishing in Honduras
Sep 23, 2025
Partnerships to reduce ghost fishing in Honduras

We are pleased to announce that Honduras has established the National Working Group for the Reduction of Ghost Fishing in the Caribbean Spiny Lobster fishery.

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PROCARIBE+ beneficiary countries

Countries and territories that are eligible for direct financial support from the GEF and that are full PROCARIBE+ participants.

Antigua and Barbuda
Bahamas
Belize
Brazil
Colombia
Costa Rica
Cuba
Dominican Republic
Guatemala
Guayana
Haiti
Honduras
Jamaica
Panama
Saint Lucia
St Kitts and Nevis
Suriname
Trinidad and Tobago
Venezuela

Countries and territories that can participate in and stand to benefit from the regional-level project activities

Anguilla
Aruba
Barbados
Bonaire
British Virgin Islands
Cayman Islands
Curaçao
Dominica
France, Guadeloupe, Saint Barthélemy, Saint Martin
French Guiana
Grenada
Martinique
Mexico
Montserrat
Netherlands
Nicaragua
Puerto Rico
Saba
Sint Eustatius
Sint Maarten
St Vincent and the Grenadines
Turks and Caicos Islands
United Kingdom
United States of America
United States Virgin Islands

Lead Agencies

Co-Executing Partners