Financial Resources Working Group

General Description of Financial Resources Working Group

• Chairperson: Philippines
• Vice Chair: Solomon Islands

The Financial Resources Working Group (FRWG) is leading efforts to establish a sustainable financial architecture for CTI-CFF, ensuring long-term funding for conservation and development programs across the Coral Triangle. The FRWG ensures that this fund is properly governed, financially viable, and aligned with national and regional conservation priorities.
The FRWG facilitates collaboration among CT6 member countries and development partners to operationalize the Coral Triangle Conservation Fund (CTCF) and other sustainable financing mechanisms. This includes securing initial capital from bilateral and multilateral donors, private sector contributions, and innovative financial tools such as blended finance, payment for ecosystem services, and public-private partnerships.
The key milestones for achieving financial sustainability and stability, as outlined in RPOA 2.0, are as follows:

• By 2023: Initiate at least two innovative financial options in collaboration with CT6 member countries and partners.
• By 2028: Fully operationalize at least four innovative financial mechanisms, including public-private financing arrangements.
• By 2030: Establish three new significant regional and international financial partnerships, along with at least two national-level partnerships per CT6 country, to secure long-term funding for conservation efforts.

Coral Triangle Conservation Fund (CTCF)
The Coral Triangle Conservation Fund (CTCF) is a regional trust fund established to provide long-term and sustainable financing for marine conservation, climate resilience, and community-based initiatives within the Coral Triangle. Designed as a financial mechanism supporting CTI-CFF’s conservation priorities, the CTCF mobilizes and manages funds from various sources. FRWG is part of the CTCF Grants Committee, responsible for nominating representatives from CT6 countries to oversee grant-making decisions.

Roles and Responsibilities

The role and responsibilities of the FRWG corresponds with the core elements / approaches to financial resources as per the Regional Plan of Action Section V on Financial Resources in the following tasks that are to be reported to the Council of Senior Officers and Council of Ministers for endorsement:

1. Provide strategic leadership in the development, implementation, and sustainability of financial resources of CTI RPOA and other relevant programs;
2. Guide the Regional Secretariat to engage and establish relationships with external funding institutions for implementation of the RPOA and NPOA;
3. Assess funding needs, gaps and options of the RPOA and the respective Member States’ NPOAs;
4. Mobilize funds for NPOA and RPOA implementation and other relevant programs;
5. Develop and implement a sustainable CTI-CFF Financial Architecture aligned with NPOAs and RPOA;
6. Monitor ongoing programs funded by external funders (e.g., Development Partners, collaborators).

The FRWG members are as follows:

Country	Name / Position
Indonesia	Mr. T.B.H. Witjaksono Adji
	Director for Asia-Pacific and Africa Intra-Regional and Inter-Regional Cooperation
	Ministry of Foreign Affairs
	Mr Raden Wisnu Sindhutrisno
	Ministry of Foreign Affairs
	Mr. Noor. E. Syahlani (contact point)
	Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Malaysia	Dato' Mohamad Razif Abd Mubin
	Deputy Secretary General
	Ministry of Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change
Papua New Guinea	Mr. Junior Hasu
	Senior Analyst for the Renewable Resources Branch
	Department of Treasury
Chair Philippines	Mr. Marcial C. Amaro Jr
	Assistant Secretary for International Affairs and OIC-Director in Concurrent Capacity
	Department of Environment and Natural Resources - Biodiversity Management Bureau
	Ms. Amida P. Andres (contact point)
	OIC Assistant Director, BMB and in concurrent capacity as Chief, Coastal and Marine Division BMB
Vice-Chair Solomon Islands	Ms. Ronnelle Panda
	Deputy Director, Policy and Planning Division
	Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources
Timor-Leste	Mr. Julio Da Cruz
	Senior Professional of General Directorate of Fisheries, Aquaculture, and Marine Resources
	Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Forestry

UPDATE ON CTI-CFF REGIONAL CONSERVATION TRUST FUND :

Date	Activity	Agenda
7 APRIL 2022	1ST STEERING COMMITTEE MEETING	TERM OF REFERENCE OF THE STEERING COMMITTEE REVIEW OF THE CTI-CFF CONCEPT: VALUE PROPOSITION, MISSION, STRATEGY FUNDRAISING AND DONOR ROUNDTABLE
15 JUNE 2022	2ND STEERING COMMITTEE MEETING	REPORT OF CTI-CFF PARTNERS MEETING IN BALI, 10-12 MAY 2022 COLLABORATIVE WORK WITH BLUE NATURE ALLIANCE AND MCKINSEY UN OCEAN CONFERENCE 2022 IN LISBON, PORTUGAL FUNDRAISING AND DONOR ROUNDTABLE
16 AUGUST 2022	3RD STEERING COMMITTEE MEETING	REPORT FROM 2022 UN OCEAN CONFERENCE IN LISBON DISCUS ON STRATEGY/POLICY COMMITMENT PREPARE FOR DONOR ROUNDTABLE
12 SEPTEMBER 2022	DONOR ROUNDTABLE	POSTPONED TO JAN OR FEB 2023
25 OCTOBER 2022	4TH STEERING COMMITTEE MEETING	FINALIZE STRATEGY DISCUSS GRANT-MAKING MODALITIES PROPOSED LEGAL STRUCTURE
NOVEMBER 2022	5TH STEERING COMMITTEE MEETING	FINALIZE GRANT-MAKING MODALITIES AND LEGAL STRUCTURE AGREE ON BOARD SELECTION PROCESS DISCUSS BOARD PROSPECTS
7 FEBRUARY 2023	6TH STEERING COMMITTEE MEETING	FINALIZE BOARD CANDIDATES
MAR 2023	7TH STEERING COMMITTEE MEETING	LAUNCH OF FUND SIGNING OF LEGAL DOCUMENTS “HAND-OFF” OF GOVERNANCE FUNCTION FROM STEERING COMMITTEE TO BOARD FIRST BOARD MEETING