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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 
 
 
¶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