Jakarta, 25/10 (ANTARA) - The Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, Sharif C. Sutardjo asked the senior officers of Coral Triangle Initiative (CTI) and Coral on Fisheries and Food Security (CFF) member's countries to enhance the partnership as a fundamental of law in forming the permanently CTI-CFF Regional Secretariat. As told by Sharif when opening the 7th CTI-CFF Senior Official Meeting which also attended by CTI-CFF countries and donor organization, such as America, Australia, and non-profit organizations today (25/10) in Jakarta. According to Sharif, by building the partnership, CTI-CFF together with its working partner will be able to determine further steps to get the recognition in intenational community, particularly those which are related with the handling of coral reef, fisheries, and food security. By agreeing the legal document in to form the Regional Secretariat, CTI-CFF are able to mobilize financial resources from both the member's countries or donor's countries.

"After agreeing and signing the legal document to form CTI-CFF Regional Secretariat, I wish that in this meeting, the senior officers are also able to determine work instrument mechanism so that the secretariat can run its function immediately and well done," said Sharif. Furthermore, Sharif stated that the President of Republic of Indonesia has repeatedly asked the Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries to report on the development related with CTI-CFF Regional Secretariat forming located in Manado, Indonesia. "For that reason, in this Senior Official Meeting, I emphasize that any issues related to Secretariat forming are able to be completed and agreed together, so in this Friday morning (28/10) these things can directly deliver to the President," said Sharif. He also added that CTI-CFF will lose the important momentum if this meeting failed to solve strategic issues related to fundamental of law in forming Regional Secretariat that feared could break the spirit of many parties, both internal or eksternal in CTI-CFF.

7th CTI-CFF Senior Official Meeting will be held for two days from October 25 to 26 2011 in Jakarta with main agenda to agree the legal document in forming CTI and CFF (Coral on Fisheries and Food Security) Regional Secretariat which will be located in Manado. After Senior Official Meeting, the meeting will continue to the 3rd Minister Official Meeting on October 28th 2011 which attend by ministers of CTI-CFF member's countries including Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Solomon Island, and Timor Leste. In addition to CTI-CFF member, the Minister Official Meeting will be attended by the USA Government and Australian Minister as its partner country as well the Asian Development Bank (ADB), Conservation International, The Nature Conservation, and World Wild Fund as non-profit organization partner. President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono will receive input from ministers from CTI-CFF member's countries before the Minister Official Meeting.

For more information, please contact Dr. Yulistyo Mudho,M.Sc, Head of Data, Statistics and Information Center, The Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (HP.0811836967).

Reporter: Oktavia Herawati
Editor: PR Wire
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