[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 29, Number 16 (Monday, April 26, 1993)]
[Pages 628-629]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Message to the Senate Transmitting the Protocol to the Environmental 
Convention for the Caribbean

 April 20, 1993

To the Senate of the United States:

    I transmit herewith, for the advice and consent of the Senate to 
ratification, the Protocol Concerning Specially Protected Areas and 
Wildlife to the Convention for the Protection and Development of the 
Marine Environment of the Wider Caribbean Region, done at Kingston on 
January 18, 1990. Included for the information of the Senate is a 
Proces-verbal of Rectification correcting technical errors in the 
English and Spanish language texts. I also transmit, for the information 
of the Senate, the Annexes to the Protocol which were adopted at 
Kingston June 11, 1991, and the report of the Department of State with 
respect to the Protocol.
    The Protocol elaborates and builds on the general obligation in the 
Convention for the

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Protection and Development of the Marine Environment of the Wider 
Caribbean Region, which calls for parties to establish specially 
protected areas in order to protect and preserve rare or fragile 
ecosystems, as well as the habitats of threatened or endangered species 
of fauna and flora. Species of plants and animals that the parties 
believe require international cooperation to provide adequate protection 
are listed in three Annexes developed in implementation of the Protocol. 
The initial version of the Annexes was adopted in 1991. Annexes I and II 
list species of special concern, including endangered and threatened 
species, subspecies, and their populations of plants (Annex I) and 
animals (Annex II). Species included in these Annexes are to receive 
protection within the geographic area of the Protocol comparable to that 
for species listed as endangered or threatened under the Endangered 
Species Act, or protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act. Annex 
III lists plants and animals requiring some management, but not 
necessarily full protection.
    The Protocol is considered a major step forward in protecting 
wildlife and habitats of special concern in the Caribbean. Early 
ratification will demonstrate our continued commitment to the goal of 
sound regional environmental management and protection. I recommend that 
the Senate give early and favorable consideration to the Protocol and 
give its advice and consent to ratification, subject to the 
understanding and reservations described in the accompanying report of 
the Secretary of State.
                                            William J. Clinton
The White House,
April 20, 1993.