S GEORGE’S GRENADA- JUNE 4, 2025-The Partnership Initiative for Sustainable Land Management (PISLM) will host two High-Level events in Grenada, bringing together Caribbean leaders and key stakeholders to advance the agenda of sustainable land and soil management across the region from June 17-18th, 2025.
Fourth Session of the First Ministerial Council of the Partnership Initiative for Sustainable
Land Management
A ceremonial signing of the Headquarters Agreement between the Government of Grenada and the PISLM will be completed at the High-Level Gala on June 17, 2025. This will allow Grenada to become the host country for the PISLM Secretariat. At the High-Level Gala, Mr. Calvin James, who has held the position of Executive Director for over 20 years and provided leadership and service to the PISLM, will be honored. James will be recognized for his sterling contribution to advancing the regional agenda of the Inter-Governmental Organisation (IGO).
Fourth Session of the First Ministerial Council of the Partnership Initiative for Sustainable
Land Management
This pivotal gathering on June 18, 2025 will bring together the ministers from the Caribbean responsible for the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, where they will give strategic vision and provide new policy direction to the future of sustainable land and soil management across Caribbean Small Island Developing States (CSIDS).
The meeting will focus on producing concrete decisions to guide the next steps for the PISLM, including land restoration, sustainable land and soil management to guide project development and implementation. Among the key outcomes anticipated are:
- Decision on the Institutional Arrangement of PISLM which will approve a package of updated institutional documents to guide the administration of PISLM.
- Decision on Staffing of the PISLM Secretariat.
- Decision on LDN Transformative Project, which will allow PISLM Secretariat to serve as the executing agency.
- Decision on the Caribbean Sand & Dust Storm Initiative, which will encourage parties to establish and invest in early warning systems, as appropriate, to help communities mitigate the impacts of extreme sand and dust events.
- Decision on the launch of Phase II of the CSIDS SOILCARE Project, which will expand to include six additional Caribbean countries, building on the success of Phase I.
- The introduction of the Caribbean Drought Initiative, a new regional effort to address the increasing threats posed by prolonged dry periods and water scarcity.
These initiatives are expected to significantly enhance regional collaboration and strengthen the Caribbean’s capacity to adapt to the challenges of land degradation and climate change. The council meeting decisions and outcomes will be presented by the ministers during a special press conference at the end of the meeting on June 18th, 2025.
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)
