The Global Environment Facility (GEF) Implementing Sustainable Low and Non-Chemical Development in Small Island Developing States (ISLANDS) Programme aids in the safe and sustainable management of hazardous chemicals and waste in Small Island Developing States (SIDS). Under the ISLANDS Programme, Component 4 relates to Coordination, Communication and Knowledge Management (CCKM), where the aim is to amplify the results of the ISLANDS child projects within and throughout each region. This is being executed under the GEF ISLANDS 10266 Communications, Coordination and Knowledge Management Project. Under this project, a two-part training series was held to foster communication among participating countries and build capacity as it relates to Stakeholder Engagement and Gender Mainstreaming.
On March 31st, 2022, the first session on Stakeholder Engagement was held in collaboration with the CCKM team. Participants representing Caribbean Countries and international organizations collaborated in an interactive session and shared ideas to improve the efficiency, equity and effectiveness of the GEF ISLANDS program through Stakeholder Engagement. The workshop was interactive and engaging, encouraging stakeholders to participate and share their knowledge on topics such as sustainable procurement, legislation, labelling standards and extended producer responsibility as it relates to chemicals and waste management.
On April 6th, 2022, the second part of the training series was held. This workshop on Gender Mainstreaming followed a similar format to the first, encouraging interaction between participating countries on the themes of Gender Inequality in the Caribbean, mainstreaming gender and applying the Gender Action Plan. The session closed with discussions on the ways to support ongoing capacity building for both stakeholder engagement and gender mainstreaming across Caribbean islands participating in the GEF ISLANDS Programme.