INDONESIA: WORLD OCEANS CONFERENCE TO COMPLEMENT UNFCCC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 JAKARTA 001395 SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPT FOR OES AND EAP COMMERCE FOR NOAA USAID FOR ANE, EGAT BANGKOK FOR RDM/A NSC FOR CEQ CONNAUGHTON, VAN DYKE, KUSKA E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAGR EAID KGHG SENV PGOV ID SUBJECT: INDONESIA: WORLD OCEANS CONFERENCE TO COMPLEMENT UNFCCC NEGOTIATIONS REF: JAKARTA 1294 ¶1. (SBU) Summary: The Government of Indonesia (GOI) intends for the May 2009 World Oceans Conference (WOC) to complement and support the December 2007 Bali Plan of Action and the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change. The Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries describes a process for developing the Manado Ocean Declaration (MOD) that includes multiple opportunities for the USG to influence the MOD's content. The GOI will invite the USG to send the NOAA ship Okeanos Explorer to the WOC, and Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries Numberi has committed to facilitating the ship permit application. End Summary. Manado Ocean Declaration and WOC Objectives -------------- ¶2. (SBU) During a July 18 meeting with Ambassador Hume, Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries Freddy Numberi summarized the purpose of the 2009 World Oceans Conference (WOC) as "building an international commitment for sustainable management of marine resources." Specifically, the GOI intends that the WOC and the Manado Ocean Declaration (MOD): -- Complement and support the December 2007 Bali Plan of Action and the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) process by focusing on adaptation; -- Elevate awareness of the ocean's critical importance in climate change and to successful policies to adapt to climate change; -- Provide a global context for the Coral Triangle Initiative and similar regional programs; -- Encourage other nations to work with Indonesia in developing effective ocean policy; and -- Demonstrate Indonesia's commitment to the Coral Triangle Initiative (CTI) and CTI successes to date. Indonesia is hosting the WOC in Manado, North Sulawesi, from May 11-15, 2009. The Government of Indonesia would like the WOC to serve as the backdrop for a Summit Meeting of CTI country leaders, who will officially adopt the CTI Action Plan (reftel). Process: Drafting the MOD -------------- ¶3. (SBU) The Indonesia World Oceans Conference (WOC) National Committee is charged with planning the WOC and preparing the MOD. Minister Numberi chairs the committee, which includes representatives from 17 GOI agencies. An advisory committee of 23 agencies and institutions provides guidance, and an implementation committee will develop the MOD and WOC program. The implementation committee chair Dr. Indroyono Soesilo (who was also in the meeting with Ambassador Hume and Minister Numberi) described a process for developing the MOD that includes multiple opportunities to influence the MOD's content: 1) circulating a draft MOD to the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) this September; 2) convening an international roundtable to revise the draft MOD in October 2008 in Bintan (Riau Islands, Indonesia); 3) sending envoys to key countries (including the U.S.) between November 2008 and the WOC in May 2009 to develop a consensus on the MOD; 4) a two-day working meeting before the WOC to finalize the MOD. ¶4. (SBU) The GOI introduced the WOC proposal to the States Parties to the U.N. Convention on Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) meeting in June 2008 and the UNESCO Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) Executive Council meeting, also in June 2008. DKP representatives state that Indonesia is committed to linking the MOD to relevant U.N. processes and activities through the UNFCCC, UNESCO/IOC, UNCLOS, and others. Opportunities for US involvement: Short-Term Strategy -------------- -------------- ¶5. (SBU) The GOI explicitly requests that the USG advise the National Committee as it drafts the Manado Ocean Declaration. The Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (DKP) is committed to share a draft of the MOD with the USG before the Declaration is submitted to the General Assembly in September 2008. Minister Numberi, Dr. Soesilo, and other DKP contacts indicate that the National Committee will seek USG advice informally throughout the MOD drafting process and invite the USG to participate formally in the international JAKARTA 00001395 002 OF 002 roundtable in October. The WOC planning leadership welcomes USG involvement and seeks USG support and endorsement of these efforts. Embassy Jakarta will serve as point of contact for the WOC National Committee. NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer to Manado? -------------- ¶6. (SBU) The National Committee will invite the USG to send the NOAA ship Okeanos Explorer to the WOC and to conduct a research cruise in Indonesia following the conference. While stating that the permit process requires six months, Minister Numberi committed that the ship permit application would win timely approval from the GOI. The Minister noted that sending the Okeanos Explorer under the NOAA-DKP MOU signed in September 2007 would be an important signal of U.S. commitment to partnering with Indonesia on ocean-related issues, including the Coral Triangle Initiative. WOC and Related Events -------------- ¶7. (U) The Indonesian National Committee intends to use the WOC events and media attention to highlight the Coral Triangle Initiative Summit. The Summit will formally launch the CTI. The CTI heads of state and country partners (U.S. and Australia) are expected to participate, along with the NGO consortium that has worked to develop CTI. The Committee is also planning an International Ocean Science, Technology, and Policy Symposium and an International Ocean Science, Technology, and Industry Exhibition to complement the WOC program. ¶8. (U) Minister Numberi seeks a strong commitment from NOAA and other U.S. technical agencies to participate actively in the International Ocean Science, Technology, and Policy Symposium, and, with U.S. companies, in the Policy Symposium and the International Ocean Science, Technology, and Industry Exhibition. The Ambassador agreed to encourage appropriate American businesses to participate in the Exhibition. Bunaken as World Heritage Site -------------- ¶9. (U) DKP also intends to use the WOC to promote UNESCO designation of Bunaken National Park as a World Heritage site. Bunaken includes a rich coral ecosystem of almost 90,000 hectares. Indonesia nominated Bunaken National Park as a World Heritage site in July ¶2005. The site is on the UNESCO Tentative List, the first step in the process for designation as a World Heritage site. ¶10. (SBU) Comment: The USG has an opportunity to work closely with Indonesia to ensure the USG can support the WOC and that the draft MOD is consistent with USG positions. The Okeanos Explorer represents a unique public diplomacy opportunity for the USG and could be used to leverage broader international media coverage in support of GOI and USG priorities for the region and the contribution of technical agencies like NOAA to achieving our foreign policy objectives. End Comment. HUME