The Secretariat of the Caribbean Environment Programme (CEP) works with Member States and the Contracting Parties of the Cartagena Convention and its three Protocols through various governing and technical bodies. To increase the impact of their actions in the Wider Caribbean Region (WCR), the six Strategic Directions for the Regional Seas formed the framework for the five year strategy of the Caribbean Environment Programme, as approved by the 11^th IGM in Montego Bay on 2 October 2004 (UNEP(DEC)/CAR IG.24/3).  This strategy has been used to guide the further development and implementation of CEP Projects and Activities for the 2005/2006 biennium.

    Actions are taken through the coordination between the Secretariat and global, regional and national partners through the execution of technical projects to support the implementation of the Convention and the Protocols; and through the work of the governing bodies and the Scientific and Technical Advisory Committees, sometimes with the assistance of working groups.

    The Secretariat has sought to increase its effectiveness on the ground through the active involvement of specialized Regional Activity Centres (RACs) that support the implementation of the three technical Protocols and through an informal network of collaborating agencies known as the Regional Activity Network (RAN).  These agencies support programme and project development, capacity building and training, technical assistance and technology transfer, and project execution.