The Convention for the Protection and Development of the Marine Environment of the Wider Caribbean
Region, known as the Cartagena Convention, is a legally binding regional agreement for the protection and
development of the Wider Caribbean Region. The Convention focuses on land-based sources of pollution,
dumping of wastes at sea, pollution from ships, biodiversity protection, and airborne pollution among other
things. Within the Convention, three protocols have been developed to deal with these issues: the Oil Spills
Protocol; the Specially Protected Areas & Wildlife Protocol (SPAW); and Land-Based Sources and Activities
Protocol (LBS).