LBS Protocol (English)  LBS Protocol (Spanish)  LBS Protocol (French) 

LBS Final Act (English) LBS Final Act (Spanish) LBS Final Act (French) 

Model Cabinet Memorandum for LBS Protocol Accession/Ratification 

LBS Protocol Overview

SPAW Protocol (English) SPAW Protocol (Spanish) SPAW Protocol(French) 

The Convention for the Protection and Development of the Marine Environment in the Wider Caribbean Region (WCR) or Cartagena Convention is comprehensive, umbrella agreement for the protection and development of the marine environment. 

The Convention was adopted in Cartagena, Colombia on 24 March 1983 and entered into force on 11 October 1986, for the legal implementation of the Action Plan for the Caribbean Environment Programme (CEP). It also provides the legal framework for cooperative regional and national actions in the WCR.

The Convention is supported by three additional technical agreements or Protocols on Oil Spills, Specially Protected Areas and Wildlife (SPAW) and Land Based Sources of Marine Pollution (LBS).

1. The Protocol Concerning Co-operation in Combating Oil Spills in the Wider Caribbean Region was adopted in 1983 and entered into force on 11 October 1986.
2. The Protocol Concerning Specially Protected Areas and Wildlife (SPAW) in the Wider Caribbean Region was adopted on 18 January 1990 and entered into force on 18 June 2000.
3. The Protocol Concerning Pollution from Land-Based Sources and Activities was adopted on 6 October 1999 and entered into force on 13 August 2010.

The Regional Coordinating Unit (UNEP-CAR/RCU), established in 1986, was designated to be the Secretariat to the Convention. This Secretariat is based in Kingston, Jamaica.

In addition, each Protocol of the Cartagena Convention is served by a Regional Activity Centre (RAC). These centres are based in Curacao (Regional Marine Pollution Emergency Information and Training Centre for the Wider Caribbean, RAC REMPEITC Caribe) for the Oil Spills Protocol; in Guadeloupe (SPAW RAC) for the SPAW Protocol; and in Cuba, (Centre of Engineering and Environmental Management of Coasts and Bays) and in Trinidad & Tobago, (Institute of Marine Affairs), both for the LBS Protocol. These RACs provide technical support and expertise to assist Contracting Parties in meeting their obligations to the Convention and its Protocols. Other regional partner agencies provide further assistance as part of a Regional Activity Network (RAN).

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The Cartagena Convention has been ratified by 25 United Nations Member States in the Wider Caribbean Region. Its area of application comprises the marine environment of the Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean Sea and the areas of the Atlantic Ocean adjacent thereto, south of 30 north latitude and within 200 nautical miles of the Atlantic Coasts of the States.

The legal structure of the Convention is such that it covers the various aspects of marine pollution for which the Contracting Parties must adopt measures. These measures are aimed at preventing, reducing and controlling pollution from several sources including:

• pollution from ships
• pollution caused by dumping
• pollution from sea-bed activities
• airborne pollution
• pollution from land-based sources and activities 

In addition, the Parties are required to take  measures to protect and preserve rare or fragile ecosystems, habitats of depleted, threatened or endangered species; and to develop technical and other guidelines for the planning and environmental impact assessments of important development projects in order to prevent or reduce harmful impacts within the Wider Caribbean Region. 

The Cartagena Convention works in support of other related UNEP administered global conventions and agreements such as the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), RAMSAR Convention on Wetlands, CITES Convention on trade in endangered species, Stockholm Convention on chemicals management and the Basel Convention on hazardous as well as those of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) including the MARPOL, Ballast Water and London Conventions. Many regional projects and activities complement actions required under these other agreements.  

State	Cartagena Convention		Oil Spill		SPAW		LBS
	Date of Signature	Ratified / Acceded	Date of Signature	Ratified / Acceded	Date of Signature	Ratified / Acceded	Date of Signature	Ratified / Acceded
Antigua and Barbuda		11-Sep-86		11-Sep-86	18-Jan-90			13-July-10
Bahamas		24-Jun-10		24-Jun-10		24-Jun-10		24-Jun-10
Barbados	05-Mar-84	28-May-85	05-Mar-84	28-May-85		14-Oct-02
Belize		22-Sep-99		22-Sep-99		04-Jan-08		04-Feb-08
Colombia	24-Mar-83	03-Mar-88	24-Mar-83	03-Mar-88	18-Jan-90	05-Jan-98	02-Oct-00
Costa Rica		01-Aug-91		01-Aug-91			06-Oct-99
Cuba		15-Sep-88		15-Sep-88	18-Jan-90	04-Aug-98
Dominica		05-Oct-90		05-Oct-90
Dominican Republic		24-Nov-98		24-Nov-98		24-Nov-98	03-Aug-00	06-Sept-12
France	24-Mar-83	13-Nov-85	24-Mar-83	13-Nov-85	18-Jan-90	05-Apr-02	06-Oct-99	04-May-07
Grenada	24-Mar-83	17-Aug-87	24-Mar-83	17-Aug-87		05-Mar-12		05-Mar 12
Guatemala	05-Jul-83	18-Dec-89	05-Jul-83	18-Dec-89	18-Jan-90
Guyana		14-July-10		14-July-10		14-July-10		14-July-10
Haiti
Honduras	24-Mar-83		24-Mar-83
Jamaica	24-Mar-83	01-Apr-87	24-Mar-83	01-Apr-87	18-Jan-90			5-Nov-2015
Mexico	24-Mar-83	11-Apr-85	24-Mar-83	11-Apr-85	18-Jan-90
Netherlands	24-Mar-83	16-Apr-84	24-Mar-83	16-Apr-84	18-Jan-90	02-Mar-92	06-Oct-99
Nicaragua	24-Mar-83	25-Aug-05	24-Mar-83	25 Aug-05
Panama	24-Mar-83	06-Nov-87	24-Mar-83	06-Nov-87	16-Jan-91	27-Sep-96		09-Jul-03
St. Kitts and Nevis		15-Jun-99		15-Jun-99
Saint Lucia	24-Mar-83	30-Nov-84	24-Mar-83	30-Nov-84	18-Jan-90	18-May-00		30-Jan-08
St. Vincent and the Grenadines		11-Jul-90		11-Jul-90		26-Jul-91
Suriname
Trinidad and Tobago		24-Jan-86		24-Jan-86	18-Jan-90	10-Aug-99		28-Mar-03
United Kingdom	24-Mar-83	28-Feb-86	24-Mar-83	28-Feb-86	18-Jan-90
United States of America	24-Mar-83	31-Oct-84	24-Mar-83	31-Oct-84	18-Jan-90	16-Apr-03	06-Oct-99	13-Feb-09
Venezuela	24-Mar-83	18-Dec-86	24-Mar-83	18-Dec-86	18-Jan-90	28-Jan-97
European Economic Commission	24-Mar-83

Last Updated: September 2015

N.B. The International Treaties Group updates this information periodically on the website of the Colombian Ministry of Foreign Affairs which may be accessed using the following link: http://www.cancilleria.gov.co/juridicainternacional/tratados/depositarios