DRAFT MANADO OCEAN DECLARATION FOR 2009 WORLD OCEAN

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 JAKARTA 001919

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

DEPT FOR OES AND EAP
COMMERCE FOR NOAA
USAID FOR ANE, EGAT
BANGKOK FOR RDM/A

E.O. 12598: N/A
TAGS: SENV KGHG EAID AORC EFIS PREL ID
SUBJECT: DRAFT MANADO OCEAN DECLARATION FOR 2009 WORLD OCEAN
CONFERENCE

REF: A. JAKARTA 1880

B. JAKARTA 1766

C. JAKARTA 1395


1. (U) This is an action request. See paragraph 5.


2. (SBU) Post has obtained an advance draft of the Manado Ocean
Declaration (MOD). The formal goal of the World Ocean Conference
(WOC),taking place from May 11-15, 2009 in Manado, Indonesia, is to
produce the Manado Ocean Declaration (ref C). To prepare for the
WOC, the Government of Indonesia (GOI),is hosting an International
Round Table Meeting from October 30-31, 2008 in Bintan, Indonesia.
The GOI will invite officials from interested countries, scientists,
and other subject experts to informally discuss the MOD text as well
as other preparations for the WOC. Post has obtained a draft of the
diplomatic note (with enclosures) that the Indonesian Ministry of
Foreign Affairs will be sending to formally invite partner countries
to the Bintan roundtable.


3. (U) The WOC and Manado Declaration are important opportunities
to support Indonesian leadership on environmental issues and,
through constructive engagement, further our bilateral and regional
Coral Triangle Initiative (CTI) priorities. Post is focused on the
success of the WOC and the CTI Summit in Manado, Indonesia. These
events offer a unique diplomatic opportunity to advance the
long-term environmental and scientific agendas of the CTI, both in
Indonesia and the wider Coral Triangle region (reftels).


4. (SBU) The unedited text of the draft MOD is reproduced in full
below.

INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND
--------------
Oceans and coastal areas are essential to ensure long-term human
prosperity; and the adverse impact of climate change on the marine
environment and marine biodiversity which poses serious threat to
sustainable development. We also need to take into account relevant
international agreements and decisions pertaining to ocean, coastal
and marine sectors.

The impacts of climate change:

The world's oceans have an enormous diversity of life and play a
vital role in the earth's life support system in regulating climate
and global bio-hydro-geochemical cycles through their capacity to
absorb atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2). Increasing levels of CO2
and other greenhouse gases pose major threats to our ocean as well
as our atmosphere and that the climate change causes adverse effects
to the physico-chemical parameters of the oceans, such as
temperature, strength of currents and chemistry. The increased
exposure to adverse impact of climate change will ultimately slow
the pace of progress towards Sustainable Development as well as the
attainment of Millennium Development Goals.

Roles of the oceans in regulating global climate change:

The ocean plays significant role in modulating global climate change
and moderating weather system as ocean-climate coupling regulates
and mitigates the exchange of heat as well as carbon and water
cycle. However, the potential role of coastal ecosystems such as
mangrove, algae and sea grass need to be further studied, and also,
we need to increase the scientific understanding of the
oceans/atmosphere interface as well as to promote information
exchanges and best practices.

Adaptation and mitigation:

Call upon States to enhance their efforts to reduce the emission of
greenhouse gases in order to reduce and tackle projected adverse
effects of climate change on the marine environment and marine
biodiversity and the predicted profound effects on ecosystems and
coastal community, especially among the developing countries and
Small Island Developing States. Encourage states to develop and
implement their action plans to adapt to the impacts of climate
change and to promote comprehensive adaptation measures and to urge
developed countries to assist the developing countries that are
particularly vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change in
meeting costs of adaptation to adverse effects.

JAKARTA 00001919 002 OF 002



Opportunities for regional and international cooperation:

Greater investment in coastal and ocean observing systems would
allow better measure of changes in the coastal ecosystem and ocean
environment and we need to urge international community to increase
knowledge on the effects of changing physical and chemical
characteristics of the ocean, especially through research and
monitoring programs. Express profound gratitude to the Government
of the Republic of Indonesia for its initiative to convene the World
Ocean Conference in Manado.


5. (SBU) Action request: Post requests information on potential USG
participants at the Bintan roundtable from Washington. This is an
early opportunity to comment substantively on the draft text of the
MOD. We welcome consolidated USG comments and suggestions regarding
the draft that we can convey to the GOI in advance of the
roundtable.


6. (SBU) Post has provided electronic copies of the draft
invitation, roundtable agenda and administrative arrangements, and
MOD to the Office of Ocean Affairs (OA/OES). Please contact Stephen
DeVincent for details. Please note that these are drafts and
subject to change, and should not be distributed outside the USG
until we receive the formal invitation from the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs.


HEFFERN