Havana, 13th December, 1996

The Second Regular Meeting of the Ministerial Council of the ACS reiterates the unwavering commitment of its Members and Associate Members to the sustainable development of our region.

Aware of the fragility of the Caribbean ecosystem, both insular and marine, as well as of the adjacent States, the ACS registers its grave concern over the continued use of the Caribbean Sea as a transshipment route for hazardous nuclear wastes.

These shipments continue to pose a severe threat to our peoples, because of the inherently dangerous properties of the material being transported and the high vulnerability of the Caribbean region to natural desasters.

The Ministerial Council will continue to give appropriate attention to this question. We urge the countries involved to respect the legitimate concerns of the peoples of the Caribbean and to fully implement the provisions of the legal framework approved by the IMO in this regard.