VZCZCXRO2260
OO RUEHCHI RUEHCN RUEHDT RUEHHM
DE RUEHJA #1395/01 2030816
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 210816Z JUL 08
FM AMEMBASSY JAKARTA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9591
INFO RUEHZS/ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHINGTON DC
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHINGTON DC
RUEHBK/AMEMBASSY BANGKOK 8489
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 2254
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 5223
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 2799
RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL 4756
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC

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