Cablegate: Cti Ministerial Consensus Reached to Locate Regional

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SUBJECT: CTI Ministerial Consensus Reached to Locate Regional
Secretariat in Indonesia

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1. SUMMARY: At the 2nd Ministerial Meeting held in Gizo, Solomon
Islands on November 19, 2009, Ministers from the six countries of
the Coral Triangle Initiative on Coral Reefs, Fisheries and Food
Security (CTI-CFF) unanimously agreed to locate the Permanent
Regional Secretariat in Indonesia. Other major decisions agreed to
by the Ministers include 1) approval of the structure and functions
of the Permanent Regional Secretariat, 2) selection of Indonesia to
serve as Chair and the Solomon Islands to serve as Deputy Chair of
the CTI Council of Ministers, and 3) adoption of a Joint Communiqu
on Climate Change to be presented at the United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Copenhagen in December
2009. END SUMMARY

The Coral Triangle Initiative

2. The "Coral Triangle" includes the Philippines, Malaysia,
Indonesia, Solomon Islands, Timor-Leste, and Papua New Guinea. This
5.7 million square km area of ocean and islands has the highest
marine biodiversity on earth. It provides livelihoods for 240
million people and food for many more. The area is threatened by
over- and destructive fishing, land- and sea-based pollution, and
the impacts of climate change. The Leaders of the six Coral Triangle
countries launched the CTI and endorsed the implementation of the
CTI Regional Plan of Action (RPOA) at the May 2009 CTI Summit in
Manado, Indonesia. The Coral Triangle countries have made steady
progress finalizing their respective CTI National Plans of Action
(NPOA) and mobilizing National CTI Coordination Committees (NCCs).

3. The US CTI Support Program builds on over a decade of U.S.
investment in coastal resource management, fisheries and
marine-protected area work in the region. The US CTI Support Program
is implemented by a consortium of NGOs (World Wildlife Fund,
Conservation International and The Nature Conservancy), NOAA, and a
USAID Program Integrator contractor. The USAID Regional Development
Mission for Asia (RDMA) provides overall management of the program,
in coordination with U.S. Embassies and other USAID missions in the
Philippines, Indonesia, and Timor Leste, and the U.S. State
Department.

Major Decisions from the Second Ministerial Meeting (MM2)

4. Ministers from the six nations of the CTI-CFF met in Gizo,
Solomon Islands on November 19, 2009 to review and approve the
recommendations from the Senior Officials Meetings previously held
in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia (REF 2777) and Honiara, Solomon Islands.
The agreements reaffirmed the CTI-CFF governments' commitment to
effectively preserve and sustainably manage the world's epicenter of
marine biodiversity. The major agreements described in the Joint
Ministerial Statement from the 2nd Ministerial Meeting in Gizo are
as follows

5. The Permanent Secretariat in Indonesia. The Ministers unanimously
agreed to locate the Permanent Regional Secretariat in Indonesia.
While hosted by the Indonesia Government, the Secretariat will
remain an independent body governed by the six Coral Triangle
nations under the direction of the CTI-CFF Senior Officials.
Indonesia's Minister for Marine Affairs and Fisheries Honorable Dr.
Fadel Muhammad reiterated his government's commitment to host the
Secretariat and provide the physical infrastructure and office
support services. He also indicated that the office would be located
in either Bali or Jakarta, and that construction of the facility
will commence in January 2011 after the approval of Indonesia's
Office of the President. The CTI implementation is one of the first
100-day deliverables of the newly re-elected President of Indonesia
Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

6. Structure of the Secretariat. The Secretariat will be headed by
an Executive Director supported by a Deputy Director for Corporate
Services and a Deputy Director for Programs. The Corporate Services

BANGKOK 00003033 002.2 OF 002

Unit will be responsible for finance, administration and
coordination. The Programs Unit will be responsible for program
implementation, coordination, communications and knowledge services.
All positions will be recruited based on merit and will only include
citizens from the CT6 member countries. Country funding
contributions to support the Secretariat will be determined by the
ministers in the governing document (i.e. Charter or Memorandum of
Understanding) authorizing the creation of the Secretariat.

7. Appointment of Chairman of CTI Council of Ministers. The
Ministers selected Indonesia to serve as Chair and for the Solomon
Islands to serve as Deputy Chair of the CTI Council of Ministers.
The CTI Council of Ministers creates and aligns policies and governs
implementation of the CTI Regional Plan of Action. Terms will be for
two years, rotating in alphabetical order.

8. Joint Communiqu on Climate Change. The Ministers agreed to
present a unified position on Climate Change at the December 14
"Ocean Day Event" in Copenhagen. The communiqu affirms that the
oceans play a critical role in the lives of 240 million people in
the Coral Triangle, emphasizing that impacts of climate change have
already severely threatened the marine, coastal and small islands
ecosystems of the six countries.

9. The Joint Communiqu also requests the inclusion of a marine
element into the negotiation text of the UNFCCC which urges the
leaders of all nations to recognize and address the threats to the
marine environment, particularly on coral reefs, fisheries and food
security. It affirms the CTI countries' commitment to address
climate change adaptation programs as stated in the CTI-CFF RPOA
adopted by the CT6 Leaders in Manado, and calls for increased
funding support from the global community. It closes with a reminder
that while the CT6 leaders are committed to leading their people in
building natural, social and economic resilience, these efforts
would be futile unless sufficient mitigation measures are put into
effect to reduce greenhouse gas emissions below 1990 levels by
2020.

10. Next Steps. The Ministers in closing agreed on the following
actions 1) Immediately begin the CTI Regional Secretariat transition
process including the drafting of legal documents to be led by the
host government Indonesia 2) Hold a regional planning program
workshop in April 2010 to define CTI-CFF regional priorities and
implementation workplans 3) Hold follow-up meetings of the Working
Groups for Financial Resources and Monitoring and Evaluation in June
and July 2010, respectively and 4) Hold the 6th Senior Officials
Meeting and 3rd Ministerial Meeting, tentatively scheduled in August
2010, to agree on collaborative actions and sign the charter
establishing the Regional Secretariat

JOHN

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