CTI-CFF Confirms the Establishment of Its Regional Secretariat by 30 November 2014

Jakarta, Indonesia

After Indonesia, as the depository country, accepted the ratification instruments of the Agreement on the Establishment of the Regional Secretariat of the Coral Triangle Initiative on Coral Reefs, Fisheries, and Food Security (CTI-CFF) submitted by four member countries—Malaysia, Indonesia, Solomon Islands, and Timor-Leste—the date for the agreement’s entry into force was confirmed as November 30, 2014. The six member countries of CTI-CFF officially recognized the entry into force of the agreement establishing its Regional Secretariat.

The confirmation was made during the 10th CTI-CFF Senior Officials Meeting (SOM-10), held in Dili, Timor-Leste, from November 5–7, 2014. The meeting was attended by senior government officials from CTI-CFF member countries—Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Solomon Islands, and Timor-Leste—as well as representatives from various development partner organizations and Brunei Darussalam, which has expressed interest in joining the regional initiative.

Prof. Sjarief Widjaja, Chairman of the Interim Regional Secretariat (IRS) of CTI-CFF, said, “The entry into force of the agreement establishing the Regional Secretariat marks a significant momentum to move forward in developing a strong permanent regional secretariat that will provide greater benefits for sustaining the marine resources of its member states.”

Prof. Widjaja added that significant progress has been made in ratifying the agreement and expressed appreciation for the ratifications by Malaysia (15 April 2013), Indonesia (9 May 2014), Solomon Islands (8 October 2014), and Timor-Leste (31 October 2014). He also highlighted progress made by the Philippines and Papua New Guinea in signing the Agreement on the Establishment of the Regional Secretariat of CTI-CFF.

As part of its commitment to host the CTI-CFF and support coral reef conservation areas with the highest marine biodiversity in the world, the Government of Indonesia has constructed the new CTI-CFF Regional Secretariat Building and CTI Center. The building complex is located in Manado, at the historical site where the leaders of the six Coral Triangle countries came together for the CTI Summit and World Ocean Conference in 2009.

Prof. Widjaja noted that the Government of Indonesia invested USD 5.5 million in constructing the center, covering 6,084 square meters. Additionally, the government has allocated 15,000 square meters of land for the center’s future expansion and supporting facilities. The CTI Center has been designed and built as a hub for central coordination, facilitation, and collaboration among the six CTI member countries—Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Timor-Leste, Papua New Guinea, and the Solomon Islands—as well as CTI-CFF partners, aligning with Indonesia’s initiatives.