Strengthening the technical cross-border coordination and cooperation is becoming increasingly important for the conservation of the Selva Maya in the three countries that share it. In this regard, on February 8 and 9, 2018, the 5th Trinational Meeting of the Operative Coordination Group – GOC for the Conservation of the Selva Maya was held.  Santa Elena de la Cruz and Yaxha – Nakum – Naranjo National Park, in Guatemala, hosted this meeting. Simultaneously and at the same place, the 4th Meeting of the Strategic Coordination Group – GEC of the Selva Maya was held, during which the pro-tempore presidency was transferred from Mexico to Guatemala.

The convergence of both groups opened the opportunity to hold a joint session. During which the Plan TRIFINIO, a regional integration initiative by the governments of Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador, that seeks to strengthen environmental and territorial management processes with the ultimate goal of improve the living conditions of border communities, was presented. The joint session also allowed for a reflection on ways to strengthen the coordination of cross-border cooperation and territorial development actions in the Selva Maya. In addition, the Annual Work Plans of the german cooperation, implemented by GIZ and KfW / IUCN, were presented.

For its part, the GOC conducted a review of the progress in the implementation of the Joint Action Plan 2017-2018, as well as the definition and establishment of roles and responsibilities for the focal points of the three countries. Among the activities reported for the second half of 2017 are joint patrols, training workshops on SMART monitoring methodology and exchanges of technical experiences between the Protected Natural Areas of Bala’an K’aax, Mexico and the Corozal Sustainable Future Initiative (CSFI) in Belize.