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Viewing cable 09JAKARTA869, Coral Triangle Summit: Leaders Strengthen Commitments

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
09JAKARTA869 2009-05-19 10:17 2011-08-24 01:00 UNCLASSIFIED Embassy Jakarta
VZCZCXRO7756
RR RUEHCHI RUEHCN RUEHDT RUEHHM
DE RUEHJA #0869/01 1391017
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 191017Z MAY 09
FM AMEMBASSY JAKARTA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2359
INFO RUEHZS/ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS COLL
RHEHAAA/WHITE HOUSE WASHDC
RUEHBK/AMEMBASSY BANGKOK 8730
RUEHPB/AMEMBASSY PORT MORESBY 4195
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 3630
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 3048
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 5944
RUEHSV/AMEMBASSY SUVA 0235
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHINGTON DC
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 JAKARTA 000869 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR EAP, OES; USAID FOR EGAT, ANE, RDMA/BANGKOK; COMMERCE FOR 
NOAA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SENV EAID AORC EFIS KGHG BP ID PP RP TT XB XV
SUBJECT: Coral Triangle Summit: Leaders Strengthen Commitments 
 
REF: BANGKOK 0709 
 
JAKARTA 00000869  001.2 OF 003 
 
 
1.  Summary: Leaders from the six Coral Triangle countries (CT6) 
officially launched the Coral Triangle Initiative (CTI) on May 15. 
The CTI, first proposed by President Yudhoyono in 2007, highlights 
both Indonesia's leadership and the importance of a multilateral 
approach to issues that transcend national borders: marine 
conservation, food security, climate change adaptation.  During this 
first CTI Summit in Manado, Indonesia, the CT6 leaders pledged 
additional financial resources and/or announced new national-level 
actions to support the CTI.  The CT6 leaders committed to enhance 
cooperation and mobilize sustainable financing for the effective 
implementation of the CTI.  They expressed appreciation to CTI 
Development Partners, including the U.S. and Australia.  USAID 
announced $1.6 million in additional CTI funding for the National 
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to conduct capacity building 
efforts.  Australia also announced a "down payment" of $2 million in 
support of CTI.  End Summary. 
 
Background: The Coral Triangle Initiative and Summit 
--------------------------------------------- ------ 
2.  The "Coral Triangle" includes Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New 
Guinea (PNG), the Philippines, Timor Leste, and the Solomon Islands. 
This 5.7 million square km area has the highest marine biodiversity 
on earth and provides livelihoods for approximately 120 million 
people.  The area is threatened by over- and destructive fishing, 
land- and sea-based pollution, and climate change.  First proposed 
in August 2007 by Indonesian President Yudhoyono, the CT6 agreed in 
December 2007 to collaborate on this multilateral partnership.  The 
CTI is a transformative regional initiative with the potential to 
generate significant benefits across the region and globally, 
including supporting sustainable economic development, food 
security, and the conservation of globally significant marine 
resources.  The CTI builds on more than three decades of U.S. 
investment in coastal resource management, fisheries, and 
marine-protected area (MPA) work in the region. 
 
3.  The CTI Summit was the finale of the World Ocean Conference 
(WOC) hosted by Indonesia, May 11-15.  Preparatory CTI meetings and 
side-events took place concurrently with the WOC (septel).  The U.S. 
delegation to the WOC and CTI meetings (and the U.S. contributions 
to CTI) dominated media coverage throughout the week, earning 
front-page placement in many newspapers. 
 
Additional $1.6 Million from USG for CTI 
---------------------------------------- 
4.  USAID announced $1.6 million in CTI funding for the National 
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to conduct regional 
and national capacity building efforts in sustainable fisheries, 
coastal community adaptation to climate change and MPA management -- 
starting with Indonesia.  This is in addition to the existing, 
approximately $40 million USG commitment to CTI.  Other USG programs 
also support the goals of the CTI, including USAID's Global 
Conservation Program and its bilateral coastal-marine management 
programs in the Philippines and Indonesia. 
 
Senior Officials and Ministerial Meetings 
----------------------------------------- 
5.  Preparatory meetings for the Senior Officials were held on May 
12 and 13 to finalize the CTI Leaders Declaration, consider 
coordination and financial mechanisms, and prepare for the Summit. 
USAID's Regional Development Mission for Asia was requested to 
present a summary of the status of USG CTI programs, including 
funding, at these otherwise closed meetings.  The officials' 
recommendations were reviewed during a brief Ministerial Preparatory 
Meeting on May 13, followed by a CTI Ministerial Dinner to which 
high ranking partners were also invited. 
 
CTI Leaders Summit 
------------------ 
6.  All CT6 leaders emphasized the significance of their 
collaboration and the need to work regionally -- with support 
channeled through government mechanisms and toward identified 
priorities.  Their Leaders' Declaration calls for accelerated and 
collaborative action, affirms the Ministerial Statement signed in 
Port Moresby, PNG on March 10, 2009, adopts the CTI Regional Plan of 
Action (RPoA), and calls for the establishment of a permanent 
Secretariat (reftel). 
 
7.  The Summit's host, Indonesia President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, 
 
JAKARTA 00000869  002.2 OF 003 
 
 
pledged $5 million for Indonesia's CTI programs as well as a 
doubling of the national CTI budget within three years.  He 
committed to implementing the RPoA and offered to host the CTI 
Regional Secretariat in Indonesia, with full financial support for 
the day-to-day operations of the Secretariat.  Yudhoyono also 
announced that a national committee of ministers will meet annually 
and discuss progress of the CTI.  In addition, Yudhoyono also 
announced the establishment of the 4.5-million hectare Savu Sea 
National Marine Fisheries Sanctuary bordering Timor Leste, which 
takes Indonesia beyond its target of 10 million hectares of MPAs by 
2010.  He reiterated Indonesia's target of 20 million hectares of 
MPAs by 2020, all of which would be sustainably financed and 
properly managed.  In addition, Yudhoyono stated he had instructed 
his ministers to work with other CT6 ministers to prepare unified 
positions on climate change adaptation for the climate talks in 
Copenhagen this December. 
 
8.  Philippines President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo announced $5 
million toward the Philippine national efforts under CTI, primarily 
to manage important species and establish MPAs.  She highlighted 
efforts to manage priority seascapes using government-NGO 
partnerships and the need to expand opportunities to engage the 
private sector.  She noted efforts to strengthen bilateral 
activities with PNG and the Solomon Islands on fisheries as well as 
the need to manage the live reef food fish trade. 
 
9.  Timor Leste President Jose Ramos-Horta emphasized the need to 
use the oceans in a more sustainable way.  He called for the 
establishment of a regional task force on maritime security and 
fisheries enforcement, noting that illegal fishing results in 
significant financial loss to a small and poor state like Timor 
Leste. 
 
10.  PNG Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare announced Cabinet 
approval of $2 million for PNG's CTI activities.  He emphasized the 
need to strengthen human capacity and for partners to transfer 
appropriate technology, in particular to address climate change and 
land-based sources of pollution. 
 
11.  Solomon Islands Prime Minister Derek Sikua announced the 
establishment of a staffed CTI unit within the Ministry of 
Environment, Conservation and Meteorology and the creation of a 
National Coordination Committee (NCC) that includes representatives 
from relevant ministries and NGOs.  His cabinet has also endorsed 
the National Plan of Action (NPoA) with a commitment to mainstream 
CTI activities into the 2010 budget.  They will specifically fund a 
major national activity on building the resilience and adaptive 
capacity of small low-lying outer islands to face the impacts of 
climate change. 
 
12.  Malaysia Prime Minister Yab Dato'Sri Mohd Najib Tun Abdul Razak 
emphasized the need for more ocean research at a regional level and 
sustainable management of ecosystems.  He noted the importance of 
working through the CT6 based on national priorities and existing 
initiatives and the recognition of local communities and culture in 
integrating interventions.  The Prime Minister highlighted one 
priority project, the Prime Scientific Sailing Expedition 2009 that 
will include mapping and other research in the South China Sea and 
the Sulu Sulawesi Marine Ecoregion.  This pilot would launch their 
CTI program. 
 
CTI Partners Dialogue 
---------------------- 
13.  A Partnership Dialogue between the CT6 and the U.S. and 
Australian governments, multilateral agencies and international NGOs 
followed the CTI Summit and was attended by Ministers and senior 
officials.  The discussion focused on the need to support the CT6 
priorities in their regional and national plans, to develop 
appropriate funding mechanisms, and to establish and enhance 
effective coordination and communication (centered on the Regional 
Secretariat) between -- and among -- CT6 countries and partners. 
Australia also announced its "down payment" of $2 million in support 
of CTI, focusing on Indonesia and Papa New Guinea. 
 
Next Steps 
----------- 
14.  The CT6 laid out a number of next steps.  Each country would 
launch their respective NCC (with defined resources);  each NCC 
would move towards full operations, including the implementation of 
NPoAs; the interim Regional Secretariat would continue to function 
 
JAKARTA 00000869  003.2 OF 003 
 
 
pending a decision on the location of the permanent Secretariat; and 
each country  would formally adopt the CTI as national policy by 
August 2009. 
 
15.  Between August and early October, the three working groups for 
Coordination Mechanisms, Financial Resources and Monitoring and 
Evaluation will prepare for and meet in conjunction with the Fourth 
CTI Senior Officials Meeting (SOM4) in order to formulate and decide 
on key recommendations.  This will be followed by a Second CTI 
Ministerial Meeting to finalize recommendations and decisions from 
SOM4 and to prepare for the Copenhagen Climate Change Conference in 
December. 
 
HUME