Status of National Contingency Plans in Central American Countries

The Cartagena Convention and Protocol Concerning Co-operation in Combating Oil Spills in the Wider Caribbean Region comprise a legal commitment by participating governments in the Wider Caribbean Region to develop a response capability to spills in their common waters individually and jointly. The Convention provides a framework agreement that sets out the political and legal foundations for actions to be developed. The purpose of this study is to provide more specific guidance to the countries of Central America on implementing the spill response planning objectives addressed in the Cartagena Convention.