President promises to fund CTI secretariat's daily operations

Adianto P. Simamora ,  The Jakarta Post ,  Manado   |  Fri, 05/15/2009 1:19 PM  |  World Ocean Conference

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono offered to host a permanent secretariat of the Coral Triangle Initiative (CTI) to support newly launched regional plans of action in safeguarding coral reefs against the severe impact of climate change.

Yudhoyono made a statement in his opening speech at the CTI summit, which was also attended by head of states from the other five members’ countries of Malaysia, the Philippines, the Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea and Timor Leste.

“If other coral countries accept this offer, we are prepared to provide full financial support for day to day operations of that Secretariat,” Yudhoyono said.

The CTI summit in Manado in North Sulawesi failed to reach an agreement on which country will host the CTI secretariat.

Currently, the CTI interim office is in Jakarta.

The CTI was launched in Bali on the sidelines of the climate change conference in 2007 to foster management, conservation and adaptation to climate change for the region.

President Yudhoyono, Malaysian Prime Minister Mohd Najib Tun Abdul Razak, Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea Sir Michael Somare, the Philippines’ President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, the Solomon Islands Prime Minister Derek Sikua and Timor Leste President Jose Ramos Horta also signed leaders’ declarations at the CTI to address threats to marine, coastal and small island ecosystem within the CTI region through collaborative actions.

 

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