Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09MANILA248
2009-02-05 23:34:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Manila
Cable title:  

Coral Triangle States Reaffirm Commitment to Conserve

Tags:  SENV EAID AORC EFIS KGHG BP ID PP RP TT XB XV 
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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 MANILA 000248 

SIPDIS

EAP FOR AWYCKOFF, WBEHN; OES FOR CDAWSON; USAID EGAT FOR BBEST,
CBARBER ANE FOR JWILSON, MMELNYK, MTS/MLS FOR DESKOFFS; COMMERCE FOR
NOAA

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: SENV EAID AORC EFIS KGHG BP ID PP RP TT XB XV
SUBJECT: Coral Triangle States Reaffirm Commitment to Conserve
Marine Biodiversity CABLE IS RESENT DUE TO TRANSMISSION ERRORS

Ref: A) State 103448; B) Jakarta 03355; C) Kuala Lumpur 736; D)
Jakarta 1990; E) Kuala Lumpur 0869; F) Kuala Lumpur 0668; G) 07
State 83478

MANILA 00000248 001.2 OF 002


UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 MANILA 000248

SIPDIS

EAP FOR AWYCKOFF, WBEHN; OES FOR CDAWSON; USAID EGAT FOR BBEST,
CBARBER ANE FOR JWILSON, MMELNYK, MTS/MLS FOR DESKOFFS; COMMERCE FOR
NOAA

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: SENV EAID AORC EFIS KGHG BP ID PP RP TT XB XV
SUBJECT: Coral Triangle States Reaffirm Commitment to Conserve
Marine Biodiversity CABLE IS RESENT DUE TO TRANSMISSION ERRORS

Ref: A) State 103448; B) Jakarta 03355; C) Kuala Lumpur 736; D)
Jakarta 1990; E) Kuala Lumpur 0869; F) Kuala Lumpur 0668; G) 07
State 83478

MANILA 00000248 001.2 OF 002



1. Summary: Officials from the six nations of the Coral Triangle
Initiative on Coral Reefs, Fisheries and Food Security (CTI) signed
the "Manila Resolution" at the second CTI Senior Officials Meeting
in Manila on October 23. The Manila Resolution reaffirms commitment
by the six states to conserve the Earth's greatest marine
biodiversity zone while effectively managing fisheries, food
security, and poverty reduction. The delegates adopted a framework
for a CTI Regional Plan of Action that they committed to finalize at
a ministerial meeting set for February 2009 and to present as a
deliverable at a May 15, 2009 CTI summit meeting in Manado,
Indonesia. 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 livelihood for 120
million people and food for many more. The area is threatened by
over- and destructive fishing, land- and sea-based pollution, and
climate change (Ref A). The CTI has made steady progress since
Indonesian President Yudhoyono first proposed this multilateral
partnership in August 2007 to preserve the area's resources, to
manage at-risk fisheries, and to ensure regional food security. The
CTI builds on over a decade of U.S.-investment in costal resource
management, fisheries and marine-protected area work in the region,
through programs such as the USAID Sulu-Sulawesi Seas Marine
Ecoregion Program, USAID bilateral programs in Indonesia and the

Philippines, and State-funded marine and coastal programs in the
South Pacific.

Senior Officials Meetings and USG Funds
--------------


3. The USG initially announced intended CTI support of $4.3 million
during the first CTI Senior Officials Meeting, held in Bali in
December 2007 (Ref B). In recognition of the CTI's potential, USG
pledges have grown and now approach $40 million. In addition to
those pledges, other USG programs support the CTI, including USAID
bilateral coastal-marine management programs in Indonesia and the
Philippines. Post's International Visitor and Science Fellows
Programs have both focused on the CTI. National Science Foundation
and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration scientists
support CTI-related research involving U.S. universities.


4. USG support has helped to leverage other financing. The Asian
Development Bank (ADB) will administer a four-year $63 million
Global Environment Facility grant that includes projects from UN
agencies. A "Program Integrator" will support and help coordinate
the programs and activities of USG CTI partners and other
multilateral and bilateral donors to the CTI. USAID in Bangkok
hosted the CTI Development Partners meetings prior to the Manila
meeting, and the ADB hosted a Partners meeting in Manila during the
Senior Officials Meeting. The USG, ADB, Australian Government, NGO
partners, and international organizations worked to harmonize
approaches to CTI support and developed a partnership plan to build
capacity.

Manila Senior Officials Meeting Accomplishments
-------------- -


5. The "Manila Resolution" acknowledged threats to Coral Triangle
resources and the need for action; it confirmed that key goals of
the ministerial (February) and summit (May) meetings will be to
adopt national plans, announce programs, and finalize a regional
action plan. The delegates agreed to retain text noting the vital
need to synchronize CTI with existing regional fisheries management
organizations. The parties also affirmed that the CTI's geographic
coverage may include the territorial waters within their exclusive
economic zones. There had been concern that Malaysia might not
participate in the CTI (Refs C and F). Its policy had been to
address CTI goals through its Sulu-Sulawesi Seas Marine Ecoregion
Initiative (initiated with a State Department, and later

MANILA 00000248 002.2 OF 002


USAID-funded grant to Conservation International and World Wildlife
Fund - Refs D and E). USAID's Regional Development Mission/Asia and
World Wildlife Fund privately met with the Malaysian CTI delegation
and persuaded the Malaysians to participate on the condition that
CTI activities in Malaysia are properly coordinated with the
appropriate national government agencies.

USG and Donor Partners Achievements
--------------


6. During the opening ceremony of the second Senior Officials
Meeting, U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines announced approximately
$40 million in USG pledges for the CTI, a significant increase from
the initial USG announcement of $4.3 million in December 2007. The
Manila Resolution specifically welcomes the support of the CTI
Development Partners, which include the ADB, the Global
Environmental Fund, the United States, Germany, Australia, and
international NGOs. The CTI Development Partners' key contributions
include ongoing development of common performance indicators in a
consolidated matrix and an electronic database for use by all the
CTI donors, member nations, and NGOs. The Development Partners have
also examined coordination mechanisms used by the Partnerships in
Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia. The Development
Partners' working groups, with extensive participation by USAID, are
developing plans for coordination mechanisms, national and regional
financing mechanisms, monitoring/evaluation indicators, and
database/information management systems.

Remaining Challenges
--------------


7. Delegates called for another coordination meeting to ensure
proper development of the national action plans and committed to
announce at least one concrete national program per party at the May
2009 CTI summit during the World Oceans Conference. Three member
countries agreed to lead the following working groups: coordination
(Indonesia),monitoring/evaluation (Philippines),and financial
management/resources (Indonesia). The CTI NGO consortium is using
the funding from the Department of State to provide expert
information management and financial planning staff to the
Secretariat.

Next Steps and Calendar
--------------


8. Participants laid out the following calendar:

NOVEMBER 10-14, 2009 - The Government of Australia hosted a workshop
in Townsville, Australia that brought together policy, management
and technical participants from the member countries to discuss
national and regional priorities and needs and challenges in
implementing the CTI Regional and National Plans of Action. The
participants left Townsville with a specific action agenda to
establish their National CTI Coordination Committees and to finalize
their National Plans of Action in time for the next CTI Coordinating
Meeting in January 2009.

JANUARY 2009 - The fourth CTI Coordination Committee Meeting will be
held in Malaysia or Indonesia, to finalize a Regional Plan of Action
and draft CTI Summit Declaration.

FEBRUARY 19, 2009 - Ministerial Meeting in Madang, Papua New Guinea
to endorse a Regional Plan of Action, produce elements of a CTI
Leader's Declaration, formally launch the CTI Development Partners
working group with Government donors, NGOs, international
organizations, and others.

MAY 15, 2009 - An Inaugural Summit (following the World Oceans
Conference) would adopt the Regional Plan of Action and announce at
least one concrete initiative of each country.


9. This is a joint State-USAID cable.

KENNEY