Press Release

PRESS RELEASE Belize City, April 26, 2023 The Belize Fund for A Sustainable Future (Belize Fund) celebrated its First Awards Ceremony on April 25th, 2023, recognizing the recipients of the Government Strategic Allocation (GSA) and the Grants Awards Program (GAP). The Belize Fund awarded grant funding to governmental and non-governmental entities that proposed projects to conserve marine and coastal life and build a sustainable future for Belize. Over the next three years, the Belize Fund will allocate BZ $14,768,913.50 to these initiatives. The GSA is crucial funding for the government and its agencies to enable the Marine Spatial Plan through enhanced governance, management, and monitoring of Belize’s coastal and marine resources. The Blue Bond & Finance Permanence Unit (BBFP) was granted BZ $11,692,815.20, with the funds disbursed across six implementing agencies: the Belize Fisheries Department with BZ $3,040,000.00, Belize High Seas Fisheries Unit with BZ $1,151,565.00, Belize Coast Guard with BZ $1,000,000.00, Coastal Zone Management Authority & Institute with BZ $2,030,000.00, Belize Forest Department with BZ $1,759,639.00, and the Blue Bond & Finance Permanence Unit with BZ $2,711,611.00. The GAP awards are selected based on a competitive application process where proposals undergo a technical review to align with and support the Conservation Funding Agreement (CFA). Six non-governmental organizations received BZ $3,076,098.30 to safeguard Belize’s marine and coastal resources: Wildtracks was granted BZ$150,000, Sarteneja Alliance for Conservation and Development (SACD) with BZ $350,000.00, Turneffe Atoll Sustainability Association (TASA) with BZ $831,788.00, The University of Belize Environmental Research Institute (UB-ERI) with BZ $290,598.30, Fragments of Hope with BZ $801,370.00, and MarAlliance (MAR) with BZ $652,342.00. This accomplishment is a testament to the Belize Fund’s commitment to enhancing marine conservation and sustainability in Belize, promising a better tomorrow for the nation. The Belize Fund for A Sustainable Future looks forward to continuing its important work in nurturing a sustainable future for Belize. END

This morning, the Belize Fund for a Sustainable Future (Belize Fund) awarded grants amounting to $559,563.00 BZD to five (5) non-government agencies for the management of eight (8) protected areas across Belize.  At a signing ceremony held at the office of the Belize Fund for a Sustainable Future in Belmopan, the Chair of the Belize Fund’s Board of Directors – CEO Kennedy Carrillo of the Ministry of Blue Economy and Civil Aviation – executed these first ever awards under the Belize Fund.  The recipients of the awards are: The funds will be used towards the effective management of these marine protected areas, which comprise critical habitats for marine species and include iconic natural heritage sites within the Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Commenting on the significance of these first grant awards, CEO Kennedy Carrillo noted that, “The Belize Fund has achieved its targets for 2022, the first year of its existence.  True to our commitments, we have put in place a competent team and operationalized the fund, as evidenced by this first disbursement of just over half a million Belize dollars to non-government agencies who manage our marine protected areas.”  Dr. Leandra Cho-Ricketts advised that this is just the start of the Grant Awards Program, which will be granting approximately $3.6 million Belize dollars per year to non-government, community-based, and private sector entities through annual funding cycles.  She elaborated that, “On December 16th, we issued a Call for Proposals.  Eligible agencies are invited to submit proposals by January 31st of 2023.  After careful evaluation, proposals which fit the criteria and align with our strategic objectives will be awarded grants in April of 2023.  In December, we also launched our website, www.belizefund.bz, where you can find all the information needed to develop winning proposals as well as download and submit application forms.” The Belize Fund’s four thematic areas of the Grant Awards Program are: The Belize Fund was legally established in March 2022 as an independent, non-profit fund. It is the mechanism that will manage the funds generated by Belize’s Blue Bond debt conversion agreement, which was finalized in November 2021 through the efforts of the Government of Belize and The Nature Conservancy.  This ground-breaking agreement has allowed Belize to convert its national debt into a conservation fund that will generate an estimated BZ$360 million dollars for marine conservation and the sustainable development of Belize’s marine resources over the next 20 years.   In addition to the Grant Awards Program, the Belize Fund will also provide funding to government agencies through the Government Strategic Allocation program to support government agencies in fulfilling Belize’s conservation commitments under the Blue Loan Agreement and the Conservation Funding Agreement, which effected the blue bond debt conversion transaction. ENDS. For more information, please contact us at: info@belizefund.bz Updated on January 24, 2024.

The Belize Fund for a Sustainable Future Reveals Winning Logo Belize City, Belize.  December 5th, 2022. The Belize Fund for a Sustainable Future (BFSF) is pleased to announce that it has chosen a logo to represent this newly established fund.  A public logo competition was launched on October 13th, 2022, inviting persons to submit up to three original logo designs.  By engaging the public in designing our logo, we aimed to tap into the wide variety of artistic styles, creative interpretations, and fresh perspectives of the Belizean public and to stimulate public interest in the purpose of the BFSF.  Participants were asked to create a logo that was simple, memorable, and versatile. Most importantly, the winning logo should reflect the purpose of the BFSF which is to support the conservation and sustainable use of Belize’s marine resources. At the close of the competition at 5 PM on October 28th, 2022, the BFSF had received 65 unique, diverse, and attractive logo submissions. After much deliberation, the BFSF chose the following logo submitted by Demois Williams.  Demois Williams has been awarded a prize of $500 Belize dollars for her contribution.  A second prize of $250 Belize dollars was awarded to Edlin Cantun, who also submitted an outstanding logo. The selection of the name was announced in a short social media event held at 11:00 AM on Monday, December 5th, 2022.  Speaking at the event, Executive Director, Dr. Leandra Cho-Ricketts, thanked the public for their participation saying that: “The BFSF is committed to engaging the public to ensure all Belizeans are familiar with the fund and that there is ready access by Belizeans to the fund, and in so doing, participate in the conservation of Belize’s marine resources and the development of a sustainable blue economy.  As we reviewed these entries, we were impressed at the creativity and diversity of the entries.  We sincerely thank all participants for the energy you invested, and we invite all Belizeans to remain engaged as we launch our first grant cycle on December 16th 2022.” The Belize Fund for a Sustainable Future was legally established in March 2022 as an independent, non-profit fund to support the sustainable development of our marine resources aligned with Belize’s conservation commitments. It is governed by a Board of Directors comprising nine (9) members, of which five (5) are non-government, who form the majority, and four (4) are government.  Starting in 2022, the BFSF will manage approximately $7.2 million Belize dollars per year, generated from Belize’s pioneering blue bond debt conversion agreement, officially known as the Blue Loan Agreement and the Conservation Funding Agreement.  This debt conversion has allowed Belize to convert national debt into marine conservation financing over the next 20 years.  The BFSF will provide conservation grants to non-government, government, and private sector agencies. The BFSF also aims to attract funds from other sources to support sustainable livelihoods and the preservation of our marine resources. ENDS.   For more information, please contact us at: info@bfsf.bz

The Belize Fund for a Sustainable Future Announces Appointment of its Executive Director FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Belize City, 16 September 2022 – The Belize Fund for a Sustainable Future (Belize Fund) is pleased to welcome on board its first Executive Director, Dr. Leandra Cho-Ricketts. Her appointment is a critical step forward in operationalizing this new conservation fund for Belize.  Since the Blue Bonds debt conversion was agreed in November 2021, the Ministry of Blue Economy and Civil Aviation (MBECA) and The Nature Conservancy (TNC) have been working to legally establish the fund and set in place the necessary governance mechanisms.  The Belize Fund was incorporated as a 501(c)3 charitable organization in March 2022.  It is governed by a Board of Directors comprising nine members, of which five are non-government, who form the majority, and four are government.  The selection of a qualified Executive Director, who will lead the operationalization of this fund, has been a priority for the new Board of Directors. Dr. Leandra Cho-Ricketts is exceptionally qualified to assume leadership of the new Belize Fund.  She earned a Ph. D. in Marine Sciences from the Centre for Marine Sciences at the University of the West Indies, Jamaica. Over the past two decades, she has applied this expertise to advance marine conservation and scientific research in Belize.  Dr. Cho-Ricketts brings decades of experience in marine conservation science, management, developing multi-stakeholder partnerships, strategic planning, and fundraising.  Key achievements in her career include co-founding the University of Belize Environmental Research Institute which is dedicated to building scientific capacity for the sustainable use and conservation of Belize’s natural resources, and serving as Director of the Coastal Zone Management Institute and Authority from 2002 to 2004. The Executive Director will be responsible for the development, management and implementation of long-term strategic plans, annual operating plans, and grant award programs as well as the day-to-day management of the Belize Fund.  Dr. Cho-Ricketts assumed her new post as Executive Director on August 22nd, 2022. ENDS. Updated January 24, 2024.