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Appoint ministry/department to lead SBE agenda
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- Clarify leadership within GORTT, including the THA, to provide strategic steer and drive progress towards an SBE transition.
- The lead ministry or department requires a clear mandate, terms of reference and standard operating procedure (linked to an operations manual) that enables it to:
- steer the SBE agenda and co-ordinate across relevant stakeholders and sectors, possibly through a secretariat role to the MoPD;
- channel resources to areas where they are most needed, building capacities, and facilitating co-ordinated actions by supporting collaborative action; and
- ensure allocation of sufficient human and financial resource required for SBE agenda co-ordination and leadership.
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Awareness-raising across government
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- The ministry/department appointed to lead the SBE agenda should undertake activities to advocate across the government to raise awareness and ensure participation of relevant departments.
- In the interim, this could be taken up by representatives already engaged in SBE decision-making, such as IMA and the Maritime Services Division in GORTT, and the Coastal Zone Management Unit in THA.
- Detailed analysis is needed to understand and articulate:
- the scope of the SBE in Trinidad and Tobago;
- the full range of sectors and policy areas that intersect with the SBE and their role within decision-making; and
- the long-term benefits and opportunities that an SBE can deliver for the economy, the environment and society in Trinidad and Tobago.
- Advocacy should also include political engagement to secure SBE champions at the highest decision-making levels.
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Reappoint the Inter-ministerial ICZM Committee
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- Reappoint the Inter-ministerial ICZM Committee with representation from all key government ministries/departments that intersect with the SBE (including relevant representation from the THA) to co-ordinate the development and delivery of the SBE agenda in Trinidad and Tobago.
- An equivalent committee should be established to take ownership of the SBE agenda in Tobago but with a clear relationship to the national ICZM Committee.
- Both committees should have a cabinet/THA-approved mandate and terms of reference that enables them to:
- steer the SBE agenda and co-ordinate across relevant stakeholders and sectors; and
- channel resources to areas where they are most needed, building capacity and facilitating co-ordinated actions through stakeholder coalitions.
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Agree on SBE definition and vision
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- Undertake workshops and consultation to develop a shared vision which sets out the aspiration for an SBE and guides SBE planning and decision-making.
- This activity should be led by the Inter-ministerial ICZM Committee and developed in consultation with representatives of non-governmental organisations.
- This process should form part of a wider campaign of awareness-raising, engagement and advocacy for an SBE transition with stakeholders across Trinidad and Tobago.
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Accelerate cabinet approval of relevant legislation, possibly through creation of a ‘SBE Omnibus Bill’
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- There are several laws and policies relevant to the SBE that require urgent approval to improve policy coherence and facilitate implementation:
- draft National Maritime Policy and Strategy (NMPS) (2021)
- Shipping Bill (2019)
- Fisheries Management Bill (2020)
- Draft ICZM Policy Framework (2020)
- Shipping (Marine Pollution) Bill (in draft)
- Packaging these instruments together as an ‘Omnibus Bill for SBE’ would create a clear mandate for the SBE in Trinidad and Tobago.
- An SBE Omnibus Bill could:
- include a preamble that explains how the instruments relate to the SBE and each other;
- enshrine an agreed SBE definition and vision; and
- expand the mandate of the Inter-ministerial ICZM Committee to include co-ordination and delivery of an SBE transition.
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Stakeholder engagement
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- Co-ordinated advocacy and awareness-raising on the SBE agenda activities are needed with key stakeholders to improve understanding of what an SBE means for Trinidad and Tobago, and the benefits of a transition and their role within it, and to encourage ongoing participation, support and stewardship.
- Once approved, adopting participatory processes to implement the ICZM Policy Framework would demonstrate action and may help assuage stakeholder fatigue.
- The GORTT, including the THA, should work with key non-governmental actors, such as CANARI and Environment Tobago, to support stakeholder coalition building and ensure inclusive and equitable processes and outcomes.
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Develop an SBE strategic action plan/SBE roadmap for Trinidad and Tobago
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- The respective committees mandated to deliver an SBE transition should co-ordinate the development and delivery of an SBE roadmap for Trinidad and Tobago and associated strategic action plan (informed by the draft Tobago Blue Economy Roadmap), including appropriate stakeholder engagement.
- Working groups could be established by the Inter-ministerial ICZM Committee to lead on key deliverables and cross-cutting priorities such as overseeing the delivery of MSP.
- The action plan should detail a prioritised list of necessary steps over the short-, medium- and long-term, detailing the accountable agency or department in Trinidad and Tobago and the resources required. An accompanying monitoring and evaluation plan should be developed to ensure progress, with a financial plan and strategy for capacity-building as required.
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Improving access to existing finance
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- Improve accessibility of existing funding streams, inter alia:
- streamline the application process and expand eligibility for the Green Fund;
- promote project funding calls across key stakeholder groups; and
- enhance capacity-building for funding applications.
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