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  • 03 Jun 2021

A special meeting of senior officials from six member states of the Coral Triangle, commonly known as the Coral Triangle Initiative on Coral Reefs, Fisheries, and Food Security (CTI-CFF), concluded on Friday, 28th May 2021.

The extraordinary annual meeting was held virtually due to travel restrictions imposed by member countries as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

A statement from the National Coordinating Committee said the meeting was rescheduled for this year after it could not be hosted in November last year during the height of COVID-19.

The decision to hold this meeting was taken in light of important matters such as the annual budget, staffing, and recruitment that require the attention of senior officials.

The CTI-CFF multilateral partnership was formed in 2009 by six countries within the Coral Triangle, namely Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, and Timor-Leste.

Speaking during the opening on Thursday, the Chair of the Committee of Senior Officials and Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change, Disaster and Meteorology, Dr. Melchior Mataki, said 2020 and 2021 have been difficult years for the organization because it has become almost impossible to do anything without dealing with the effects and impacts of COVID-19.

Despite these challenges, Dr. Mataki urged member countries to draw strength from the pandemic to grow the organization and remain committed to its objectives of serving the communities, economics, and livelihoods of the people within the Coral Triangle region.

He thanked the Executive Director and his team at the Regional Secretariat for doing a splendid job in maintaining connections and ensuring open and transparent communication links to all CT6 member countries and partners.

The purpose of the Senior Officials Meeting is to make decisions that enable the business of the CTI-CFF to be carried out efficiently and in accordance with the decisions of the CTI Council of Ministers (COM).

The Solomon Islands delegation to this special senior officials’ meeting was led by Karl Kuper, Deputy Secretary of Corporate Services in the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change, Disaster Management, and Meteorology.

Other delegates included technical officers from the Environment and Fisheries sectors.

(Article written by Mr. Sosimo Narasia; Published in Solomon Star)