CTI-CFF Strengthens Cooperation with Australian Government

The CTI-CFF Interim Regional Secretariat met with representatives from the Australian Government on March 7, 2012, in Jakarta to strengthen cooperation in promoting CTI-CFF goals. The Australian Government was represented by Travis Bover, Director for Marine Policy Development, Marine Division, Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities, while the CTI-CFF Interim Regional Secretariat was represented by its Executive Chairman Suseno Sukoyono.

During the meeting, the two parties discussed the establishment of a formal mechanism for Australian Government assistance to the CTI-CFF, which includes support in the recruitment of staff members and mobilization of technical experts in the field of international law. Additional human resource capacity is expected to strengthen the CTI-CFF Interim Regional Secretariat’s role in implementing the CTI-CFF roadmap and facilitating the various CTI-CFF structural and thematic working groups, such as the inter-government coordination mechanism, financial resources, and monitoring and evaluation working groups, as well as the marine protected areas, climate change, and fisheries working groups. The Australian Government also presented a proposal detailing other activities that will assist the CTI-CFF in the establishment of a permanent regional secretariat and the implementation of other key decisions made by senior officers and ministers at the last CTI-CFF Senior Officials and Ministerial Meeting in November 2011.