So while the Belizean media is on an intense ICJ crash course in The Hague, here in Belize, discussions on other matters related to Belize and Guatemala were held. Yesterday top diplomats met at the O.A.S. office in the adjacency zone. This was for the fourth regular meeting of the Joint Commission on Belize-Guatemala. They discussed environmental issues; specifically, implementing the bilateral agreement on protection of the environment and sustainable use of resources signed almost four years ago. With help from each country's top technical and official representatives, they hammered out plans to combat forest fires; explore the possibility of a bi-national technical mechanism for the monitoring of water quality; tackle trafficking in wildlife; mapping and coordination of work done by environmental Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) that operate in both countries; the establishment of a Working Group to monitor and manage the effects of climate change on the forest and natural resources; as well as to explore ways to set up a centralized system of information for corresponding institutions to gather information on the studies being conducted at various levels and of challenges facing the Selva Maya area. The joint commissioners are the Ambassador of Belize in Guatemala, H.E. Alexis Rosado and the Ambassador of Guatemala in Belize, H.E. Georges de La Roche.
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