1. MESOAMERICA Steps forward in 2010

2. Last year was especial because:  We were recognized as a region within CEESP  We were supported to discussed the governance views and advances in the Mesoamerican Parks Congress.  Where able to incidence on the Climate Change issues through incorporating gender as an important issue in the Regional Strategy of Climate change  We have been a real pain to the traditional way of doing marine conservation without people at the regional level.

3. March 2010: III Mesoamerican Congress on Protected Areas ( Merida-Yucatan)  Session: Contributions by Indigenous People nd Community Conservation Areas to food security, cultural identity, territoriality and biodiversity conservation.  Steps forward:  Incidence in resolutions  Discussions on the global advances on governance of natural resources  Presence of indigenous representatives and local communities in the Congress.

4. Womens proposals to main stream the gender approach into regional climate change policies.  The regional climate change strategy did not consider that climate changes affect differently men and women and that this differences need to be discussed and consider in a clear and effective matter in policy making.  Steps forward:  Strenghthening local capacities to cope with climate change impacts  Policy incidence  Cancún final agreement and gender

5. Marine conservation with the people  Work in Panama, Costa Rica, Honduras, Guatemala, Nicaragua dealing with marine conservation and local communities.  Exchanges between fishermen and facilitation of workshops and discussions concerning the issue, responsible fishing and tourism.  Working towards new community governance models for the marine ecosystems.  Steps forward:  Streghthening human rights approach, food security issues and concern about addictions in relation to the coastal and marine areas.

6. Governance Training  With the University of International Cooperation in Costa Rica, we gave the first virtual course on Governance of protected areas…..to 40 guardparks from all over the country.  The CD would have been very useful  The experience was indeed very relevant to reinforce the importance of this type of initiatives.

7. Others:  Participation in the Newsletter  Support on follow up on COMET project ( CEESP will be part of the coordination commitee)  Closer work with the Secretariat on CEESP work and concerns. We need to approach members still.

8. Follow up issues:  Who does Mesoamericas CEESP Vice-chair represents?.  How can we work better and together with Secretariat and members in the region?  How can we bring lessons learn from the region to the CEESP structure (themes and regional offices)?  Preparation of CEESP Mesoamaerican members concerning the next World Congress.

9. GRACIAS!!