White Water to Blue Water Partnership Conference, Miami, Florida, March 22, 2004

Under Secretary of State for Global Affairs, Paula Dobriansky, delivered welcoming remarks to kick off the White Water to Blue Water Partnership Conference in Miami on March 22, 2004, a gathering to encourage collaboration to protect the Caribbean ecosystem. Under Secretary Dobriansky noted that the conference demonstrates the power of partnerships and capacity building. She added that the White Water to Blue Water Partnership is a tangible example of a paradigm for development advanced by the Bush Administration and articulated during the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg. By bringing together the talents and knowledge of all stakeholders, Under Secretary Dobriansky explained that we create a team empowered with the tools for sustainable solutions. NOAA Administrator Vice Admiral Conrad Lautenbacher is at left (DoC photo)

Vice Admiral Conrad Lautenbacher, Undersecretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere and NOAA Administrator, briefed the press on opening day of the White Water to Blue Water Press Conference. NOAA and the United Nations Environment Programme signed a collaborative agreement Monday to establish an office in NOAA's National Ocean Service to help provide effective follow-up support to the White Water to Blue Water activities in the wider Caribbean Region. The office will provide answers to questions, information on marine ecosytem management, and as resources allow, 'training or on-site expert assistance.' (DoC photo)