Coral Triangle Initiative Member Countries Target Launch of Permanent Secretariat by 2014

To further strengthen their commitment to protecting and sustaining the world’s epicenter of marine biodiversity, the member countries of the Coral Triangle Initiative on Coral Reefs, Fisheries, and Food Security (CTI-CFF) have pledged to launch its Permanent Secretariat and appoint an Executive Director by mid-2014.

This commitment was made by more than 70 CTI-CFF government representatives at the 9th CTI-CFF Senior Officials Meeting (SOM9), held in Manila from November 26–27, 2013. Officials agreed to establish an Appointments Committee by February 2014 and to engage an independent recruitment expert to serve as Facilitator for the hiring of the Executive Director.

The Permanent Secretariat will be hosted by Indonesia and will serve as the main coordinating body for implementing the initiative’s Regional Plan of Action. The CTI-CFF members—including Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Solomon Islands, and Timor-Leste—have also committed that at least four countries will have ratified the Agreement on the Establishment of the CTI-CFF Regional Secretariat by early 2014, allowing it to enter into force.

The two-day SOM9 incorporated outcomes from previous meetings of the Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries Management Technical Working Group, the Financial Resources Working Group, and the Coordination Mechanisms Working Group on November 25, 2013. A CTI-CFF Partner Meeting was also conducted on November 28, 2013.

CTI-CFF officials also took steps to expand membership, partnerships, and collaborative arrangements. In particular, the meeting considered Brunei-Darussalam’s expression of interest to join CTI-CFF, the Coral Triangle Center’s application to be recognized as an official CTI Partner, and proposed cooperation arrangements with other international organizations, specifically the Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center (SEAFDEC) and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).