1	REGIONAL COOPERATION AND PARTNERSHIPS IN THE MESOAMERICAN BARRIER REEF Status – Challenges – Mistakes – Opportunities
2	CRITERIA FOR IDENTIFYING REGIONAL COOPERATION Issues that support integration among two or more countries Actions that support the formulation and adoption of policies for a common position against third parties Actions that specifically address transboundary issues Actions that pomote joint resolution of conflicts using shared resources, resulting in economies of scale Actions that can elevate the importance of certain issues if treated regionally Opportunity of diluting counterpart responsibility while improving investments of incremental costs
3	Satus of Regional Coooperation Typically North to South South to South coperation still has not matured Existing south to south cooperation not independent of support from north Efforts strangled by limitations in human capacity to effectively negotiate Primitive organizational and political structures do not attract potential partners - Vulnerability Skewed conditions of partnership disguised by attractive elements
4	Challenges and Mistakes Not having identified one’s own agenda and piorities Having one’s own agenda is like a distant wish Improper valuation of one’s contribution at the negotiating table It all starts with our inability to be effective when the rules of the game are being defined Shared agenda, different priorities, incompatible pace
5	Existing Cooperation and Opporunities Access and possibilities defined by partner contributing the “bigger share” Bilateral, Multinational, Regional MBC MBRS PROARCA GEF, EU, USAID through ‘imposed’ intermediaries Bilateral with European partners limited; bilateral with Japan impossible Thematic areas – international waters, deep-sea exploitation, bio-prospecting, watershed management, land-ocean interaction, environmental management, capacity building
6	I N D I C A T I V E M A P 5
7	Management Structure of Tri-National Park
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