Panama City, Panama, May 29, 2025 – The Partnership Initiative for Sustainable Land Management (PISLM) has reaffirmed its commitment to transboundary cooperation and ecosystem restoration during the recent Peace Forest Initiative (PFI) Workshop, held from May 27–29, 2025, at the Sortis Hotel in Panama City.
The PFI, which is a flagship program of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), aims to rehabilitate vital land, soil, water, and forest ecosystems in fragile and conflict-affected regions, fostering stability through shared environmental stewardship. This workshop provided a platform for regional and international stakeholders like the PISLM- a regional Inter Governmental Organization (IGO) to co-develop innovative strategies that promote ecosystem restoration as a catalyst for trust and peace among neighboring communities.
Mr. Calvin James, Executive Director of PISLM, emphasized the dedication to sustainable land management and the organization’s readiness to support the PFI’s core objectives, as he presented on how the organisation is transforming land and soil management from the ground up.
During his presentation, the Executive Director shared insights on the several projects that are being carried out in the Caribbean and pointed possible areas of collaboration that can build a sustainable and peaceful future, fully aligned with Land Degradation Neutrality goals.
The three day event which ran from May 27,2025-May 29,2025 event featured participation from key regional figures, including a diverse assembly of experts, including the Commissioner of the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission- Enrique Monize and, Eder Audate-Director of the Department of Forests and Renewable Energy (DFER) in Haiti, who highlighted the broad coalition forming to address shared environmental challenges through initiatives like the PFI.
The discussions emphasized the importance of integrating efforts across environmental conventions and sectors, a principle PISLM actively champions.
PISLM firmly supports the PFI’s vision of cultivating peace through the shared stewardship of natural resources. The organization looks forward to continued collaboration on future initiatives that advance the Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) targets and improve Caribbean Small Island Developing States (CSIDS).
About the Partnership Initiative for Sustainable Land Management (PISLM)
The PISLM for CSIDS is the only independent IGO with a mandate from CARICOM to help Caribbean SIDS meet their obligations under the UNCCD and land and soil areas of the Barbados Programme of Action (BPOA)
