Coral Triangle Initiative names new Executive Director and Deputy Executive Director for Corporate Services of CTI Regional Secretariat

Press Release

Coral Triangle Initiative Names New Executive Director and
Deputy Executive Director for Corporate Services of the CTI-CFF Regional Secretariat

8th November 2019, Honiara, Solomon Islands – The Coral Triangle Initiative on Coral Reefs, Fisheries and Food Security (CTI-CFF) named Dr. Mohd Kushairi bin Mohd Rajuddin as the new Executive Director (ED) and Mr. Gustaf Adolf Lumiu as the new Deputy Executive Director for Corporate Services (DED CS) of its Regional Secretariat. The inauguration ceremony of the new ED and DED CS took place during the 15th Senior Officials Meeting in Honiara, Solomon Islands on 8th November 2019.

Prior to joining the CTI-CFF Regional Secretariat, Dr. Mohd Kushairi was a Professor of Science at the University of Selangor, a private university under the Selangor State of Malaysia. With over 35 years of working experience, Dr. Mohd Kushairi has specialized in coastal ecosystem management, rehabilitation, and conservation—particularly coral reef and island ecosystems.

He graduated from Universiti Putra Malaysia with a Bachelor of Science in Fisheries in 1983 and received his Master’s and Doctoral Degrees from the University of Newcastle upon Tyne, England.

During his inauguration, Dr. Mohd Kushairi said that the contribution of each member country is essential to support CTI-CFF’s existence, but emphasized the need to explore ways to reduce contributions while keeping them sufficient to sustain operations.

“One of the ways is to involve the industrial players of each member country to share the role in sustaining the ecological importance of the Coral Triangle. Recognizing the importance of ecological sustainability and joint involvement in maintaining it will create a win-win situation that strengthens the relationship between governments and industries, benefits corporate social responsibility efforts, and supports the coastal communities of the Coral Triangle at large,” Dr. Kushairi said.

On the other hand, the new Deputy Executive Director for Corporate Services, Mr. Gustaaf Lumiu, emphasized the need to mobilize resources by tapping various financial solutions and mechanisms such as corporate social responsibility initiatives of private businesses, green mutual funds, and similar approaches.

Mr. Lumiu has expertise in fiscal management and financial reporting of international aid programs, both bilateral and multilateral, such as those supported by USAID, the World Bank, AUSAID, and UNDP, among others.

He holds a Master of Development Management degree from the Asian Institute of Management in Manila, Philippines.

Both the ED and DED CS were appointed by the Senior Officials of the CT6 Member Countries for a term of four years. The Executive Director and Deputy Executive Director for Corporate Services are selected from the nationals of CT6 Member Countries, with the Executive Director chosen based on alphabetical rotation.

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About CTI-CFF

The Coral Triangle Initiative on Coral Reefs, Fisheries, and Food Security (CTI -CFF) is a multilateral partnership of six countries: Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Solomon Islands, and Timor-Leste (CT6).  The CT6 countries work together to sustain extraordinary marine and coastal resources by addressing crucial issues such as food security, climate change, and marine biodiversity. The CTI-CFF was established formally during the Leaders’ Summit in 2009 with approval of the leaders from the CT6 countries. They adopted the CTI Regional Plan of Action (CTI RPOA) which is a strategic action plan with five goals: (1) designation of effectively managed seascapes; (2) application of an ecosystem approach to fisheries management; (3) establishment of a fully functional marine protected area system; (4) strengthening climate change adaptation and resilience; and (5) improving the status of threatened marine species.

About Regional Secretariat

The Regional Secretariat (RS) of the CTI-CFF is mandated to promote regional cooperation, knowledge sharing, and learning facilities within the six member countries of the Coral Triangle Initiative on Coral Reefs, Fisheries, and Food Security (CTI-CFF). It serves as the coordinating and facilitating body that supports the implementation of regional plans of action, ensuring synergy among member countries to achieve common goals in sustainable marine and coastal resource management across the Coral Triangle region.

Media Contact:

Janet Rosalie Anne H. Polita
Communication & Information Manager
CTI-CFF Regional Secretariat
www.coraltriangleinitiative.org 

Email: jpolita@cticff.org 
and regional.secretariat@cticff.org