The United Kingdom’s Ocean Country Partnership Programme (OCPP) and International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) supported the Government of Belize (GOB) in “Achieving Fair and Effective Marine Protected and Conserved Areas through the IUCN Green List”

The UK’s OCPP, in collaboration with the Ministry of Blue Economy and Civil Aviation (MBECA) and the Belize Fisheries Department (BFiD), hosted the IUCN in Belize for a transformative five-day workshop focused on Green Listing of marine protected areas (MPAs) as part of Belize’s marine conservation ambitions.
The GOB, as part of its broader marine conservation initiatives under the Belize Blue Bond Agreement, has committed to apply for the Green List Programme for at least three of its marine protected areas by 2027. The OCPP is delighted to be partnering with MBECA and BFiD to support the delivery of this ambition and foster a lasting partnership between the GOB and the IUCN.
The workshop introduced the IUCN Green List to familiarise the MPA management representatives with the Green List Programme, including the Standard Criteria and Indicators, through a rapid practical desk-based exercise and case study discussions. The practical exercise involved the Green List benchmarking tool, where the participants had a group discussion to conduct a self-assessment of their site performance against the Green List Standard at the indicators level. The Standard consists of 4 components, 17 criteria and 50 indicators. To meet the Green List (certification phase), a site is expected to meet all adapted indicators.
The OCPP, is a UK Government programme that is partnering with the Government of Belize to deliver technical assistance across thematic areas such as marine biodiversity, marine pollution and sustainable seafood for Belize’s marine environment to deliver positive impacts on the livelihoods of coastal communities that depend on healthy marine ecosystems.
The IUCN, a globally recognized network of nature conservation experts, leads the certification programme of the IUCN Green List Standard for Protected and Conserved Areas. The IUCN Green List is a unique global standard for measuring protected and conserved areas effectiveness. It aims to provide an international benchmark for quality that motivates improved performance and achievement of conservation objectives. The Green List participating sites undergo independent assessments to verify that they meet criteria that ensures the effectiveness and fairness of protected and conserved areas, leading to area-based conservation results.
This extended partnership holds the promise of continued collaboration and support to ensure Belize’s marine conservation aspirations are not just met but upheld over the long term.