15 December 2015: Participants at the 11th Coral Triangle Initiative on Coral Reefs, Fisheries and Food Security (CTI-CFF) Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM-11) agreed on a number of decisions, including on the admission of Brunei Darussalam as a CTI-CFF member, a report on activities of the CTI-CFF since SOM-10 and the 2016 budget.

SOM-11 reviewed the implementation of National Plan of Actions (NPOAs), acknowledging the efforts of Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea (PNG), the Philippines, Solomon Islands and Timor-Leste in achieving the goals of their NPOAs in relation to the Regional Program of Action (RPOA). They requested the Secretariat to compile and publish the country reports and evaluate NPOA implementation in relation to the RPOA goals.

The meeting reviewed and endorsed thematic working group reports, including recommendations for implementation of the respective group mandates. Participants endorsed the Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries Management (EAFM) Working Group’s planning for a regional workshop on Sustainable Management of Tunas in 2016 and endorsed the Group’s plans for sustainable fisheries management activities and programs in the region. The meeting also endorsed the Threatened Species Working Group’s recommendation to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) for a joint turtle conservation project. On the Monitoring and Evaluation Working Group, participants adopted a goal and indicators on EAFM and encouraged the Seascapes and Threatened Species groups to finalize their indicators.

The meeting agreed that SOM-12 will be held back-to-back with the Sixth Ministerial Meeting in Papua New Guinea (PNG) in 2016. The meeting endorsed Brunei Darussalam as a new CTI-CFF member subject to its submission of required documents.

SOM-11 also agreed on, inter alia: a host country agreement on privileges and immunities between the Government of Indonesia and the CTI-CFF Regional Secretariat; and an amendment of the CTI-CFF Rules of Procedure on the accession of a new member party. The meeting also discussed procedural issues, including on the ratification of the agreement on the establishment of the CTI-CFF Secretariat and the appointment of Deputy Executive Directors for Corporate and Program Services.

The meeting convened from 2-3 December 2015 in Manado, Indonesia. [CTI-CFF Press Release] [Chairman’s Summary] [SOM-11 Provisional Agenda]