PACT and APAMO Sign Strategic Partnership Agreement

The Protected Areas Conservation Trust (PACT) and the Association of Protected Areas Management Organizations (APAMO) have teamed up, signing a strategic partnership agreement during a ceremony at the Ministry of Sustainable Development’s Auditorium in Belmopan. The main goal of this partnership is to boost the management effectiveness and operational capacity of community-based organizations that oversee critical protected areas in Belize.

 

Dr. Kenrick Williams, Chair, Protected Areas Conservation Trust

“We’ve been looking at, how do we, as PACT, continue to support and strengthen the community-based organizations to be able to do the work, the critical work that they need to do on a daily basis.  How do we invest in building the capacities of these organizations consistently?  How do we ensure that we’re meeting the targets of the protected areas system in terms of those biodiversity monitoring, in terms of the data research.  How do we move towards financial sustainability?  I think those are some of the key areas that we’ve looked at in terms of supporting these community-based organizations over time.  Now, the Association of Protected Areas Management Organizations, APAMO, has been a critical bridging organization in providing that function to the system.  And so, the bridging organizations help us then to meet those national objectives.  They help us to provide the capacity building.  They help us to build the financial management and financial sustainability in these smaller community-based NGOs because, really and truly, what you have from these CBOs is heart and soul.”