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Viewing cable 08JAKARTA2053, BINTAN ROUNDTABLE AND MANADO OCEAN DECLARATION

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
08JAKARTA2053 2008-11-06 08:30 2011-08-24 01:00 UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY Embassy Jakarta
VZCZCXRO7158
RR RUEHDT RUEHPB
DE RUEHJA #2053/01 3110830
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 060830Z NOV 08
FM AMEMBASSY JAKARTA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0552
INFO RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC
RHEHAAA/WHITE HOUSE WASHDC
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHINGTON DC
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 3249
RUEHOT/AMEMBASSY OTTAWA 1413
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 5579
RUEHML/AMEMBASSY MANILA 3266
RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW 0616
RUEHKL/AMEMBASSY KUALA LUMPUR 2523
RUEHPB/AMEMBASSY PORT MORESBY 4081
RUEHDT/AMEMBASSY DILI 1000
RUEHBK/AMEMBASSY BANGKOK
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 JAKARTA 002053 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR OES AND EAP 
COMMERCE FOR NOAA 
USAID FOR ANE, EGAT 
BANGKOK FOR RDM/A 
 
C O R R E C T E D  C O P Y  - ADDED ADDRESSEE AMEMBASSY BANGKOK 
 
E.O. 12598: N/A 
TAGS: SENV KGHG EAID AORC EFIS PREL ID
SUBJECT: BINTAN ROUNDTABLE AND MANADO OCEAN DECLARATION 
 
REF: A. Shishak-Hayes email, October 29, 2008. 
     B. JAKARTA 1919 
     C. JAKARTA 1880 
 D. JAKARTA 1766 
 
JAKARTA 00002053  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
1.  (SBU) Summary: The Government of Indonesia (GOI) hosted a 
roundtable meeting last week in Bintan, Indonesia, to prepare for 
the World Ocean Conference (WOC).  At the Roundtable, the GOI 
presented a draft Manado Ocean Declaration (MOD) that was 
substantially different from an earlier draft (ref B).  Many 
participants recommended that the MOD be shorter, more focused, and 
clearly differentiated from the UN Framework Convention on Climate 
Change (UNFCCC) process.  They also suggested that it list 
supportable actions that typically fall under the purview of 
Ministers of Oceans and Fisheries, in order to get political buy-in 
from many countries.  The GOI welcomed the "positive" comments of 
the USG and other participants, and welcomed additional comments on 
future iterations of the draft MOD.  The GOI will circulate a new 
draft in late November.  End Summary. 
 
Unexpected: The New Manado Ocean Declaration Text 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
2.  (SBU) Approximately 50 delegates took part in the International 
Roundtable on the World Ocean Conference (the Roundtable) from 
October 30-31, 2008.  (Note: The formal goal of the WOC, taking 
place from May 11-15, 2009 in Manado, Indonesia, is to produce the 
MOD.  End Note).  The participants received a new, substantially 
revised, draft MOD (ref A).  Surprised by this, most international 
participants were unable to provide detailed, substantive comments. 
However, they (in particular, the U.S., Canada, Australia, GEF and 
UNEP) recommended that the GOI carefully review it and alter the 
content and tone so that it reads like a document focused on the 
importance of oceans, in the context of climate change impacts, not 
one primarily about climate change.  They also asked the GOI to 
clearly differentiate the MOD from the UNFCCC process. 
 
3.  (SBU) Many participants recommended that the MOD be short and 
focused on several key themes.  They also suggested that the MOD 
list practical, achievable, supportable actions that typically fall 
under the purview of Ministers of Oceans and Fisheries.  Some hoped 
that the MOD would read more like a speech outlining a vision, 
rather than a "typical" UN document.  Priorities and opportunities 
should be clearly articulated in the MOD, participants stressed. 
Actions should be realistic and tangible and use existing mechanisms 
and processes. 
 
4.  (SBU) Post conveyed the consolidated USG comments provided by 
the Department on the earlier draft MOD. The GOI welcomed the 
"positive" comments of the USG, and said that participants' 
observations were encouraging and useful for the next step of 
redrafting the MOD.  GOI officials later also welcomed any 
additional comments on the new revised draft that the USG can 
provide before the end of November (see para 12). 
 
5.  (SBU) GOI officials at the Roundtable said unofficially that 
they hope to have all Parties to the United Nations Convention on 
the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) sign the MOD.  USG and other 
participants noted that this was highly ambitious and that even a 
smaller group of signatories would be challenging given the short 
timeframe, but that having a simpler, more focused text is even more 
important if this is the goal. 
 
Government of Indonesia Perspectives 
------------------------------------- 
6.  (U) In introductory remarks, Minister of Marine Affairs and 
Fisheries (MMAF) Freddy Numberi challenged participants to "protect 
marine resources that we all share" and to help craft a declaration 
and conference that would change mindsets about the importance of 
oceans.  "No one country alone can address climate change", he said, 
and the MOD should lead to practical action. Let us change what we 
can, he concluded, bearing in mind differences between countries' 
circumstances. 
 
7.  (U) The MFA's Director General for Legal Affairs and 
International Treaties sent written remarks that focused on oceans 
as the missing element in climate change talks, and on the need to 
 
JAKARTA 00002053  002 OF 002 
 
 
discuss the "positive interplay" between oceans and climate change. 
Other MFA officials stated that the objective of the MOD was to 
build consensus on practical actions to address the adverse impacts 
of climate change on ocean ecosystems, complementing the existing 
climate change framework.  They would register the MOD as a UN 
document to serve as a future reference on ocean and climate 
issues. 
 
Role of Global Forum on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands 
--------------------------------------------- ------ 
8.  (U) Dr. Biliana Cicin-Sain, Co-Chair of Global Forum on Oceans, 
Coasts, and Islands (Global Forum) gave a presentation emphasizing 
the importance of understanding--and developing policy responses 
to--global ocean changes, encouraging a wide range of adaptation 
efforts, and properly studying mitigation efforts that propose to 
use the ocean (e.g. iron fertilization). 
Dr. Cicin-Sain noted that the WOC is a government-led effort but 
that the Global Forum is providing expert input and helping to 
coordinate the program for Global Ocean Policy Day (see below). 
 
Structure of the World Ocean Conference 
--------------------------------------- 
9.  (U) Presentations by the GOI and Global Forum indicated that 
they are still working on the structure and content of the WOC, and 
are open to suggestions.  A bare-bones structure was outlined: 
 
May 11: Presentation to senior officials by experts on the two 
sub-themes, climate change impacts on the ocean and the role of the 
ocean, followed by discussion of the draft MOD. 
May 12: Discussion and finalization of draft MOD by senior 
officials, presentation of draft to Ministers. 
May 13: Global Ocean Policy Day.  Hold several workshops on key 
climate-ocean topics, possibly making use of some Working Groups 
under the Global Forum. 
May 14: Ministers deliberate over the draft MOD and issue the 
Declaration. 
May 15: Coral Triangle Initiative Summit. 
 
Participation and Next Steps 
---------------------------- 
10.  (U) The GOI invited 25 States as well as academic experts and 
international organizations to the Roundtable.  Eight countries 
attended: U.S.A., Canada (Department of Fisheries and Oceans), China 
(State Oceanic Administration), Russia (represented by its embassy), 
Australia (Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the 
Arts), Vietnam (Administration for Seas and Islands), Seychelles 
(Special Advisor to the President), and the Philippines (Department 
of Environment and Natural Resources). 
 
11.  (U) Other international participants included the Global 
Environment Facility, United Nations Environment Program, Ocean 
Policy Research Foundation (Japan), Advisor for Maritime Strategy, 
Emirate of Abu Dhabi (UAE), and the Global Forum on Oceans, Coasts, 
and Islands.  GOI representatives included officials from the 
Ministries of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, Environment, Foreign 
Affairs, and Coordinating Ministry for People's Welfare. 
 
12.  (SBU) The GOI will circulate a revised draft of the MOD in late 
November for further comment.  It will make additional changes based 
on the feedback received and then distribute this refined draft by 
the end of December.  The GOI intends to begin the first round of 
consultations with States in mid-to-late January 2009.  A pre-WOC 
meeting in February (date and venue to be determined) would 
constitute the second round of consultations with States. 
 
12.  (SBU) GOI representatives also floated the idea of a side 
meeting about the WOC and MOD during COP-14 in Poznan, Poland, this 
December.  Participants suggested that this could be difficult, 
given the already busy schedule. 
 
HUME