CTC supported the Coral Triangle Initiative on Coral Reefs, Fisheries and Food Security’s 15th Senior Officials Meeting (SOM) and Pre-SOM meetings held in Honiara, Solomon Islands, from November 4-8, 2019.  CTC Executive Director Rili Djohani led the discussions and presentations on the proposal to set the CTI-CFF Regional Business Forum into the CTI-CFF Sustainable Business Forum. The proposal received a unanimous endorsement from the six Coral Triangle member countries – Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Solomon Islands and Timor-Leste, and will be implemented next year in collaboration with other CTI-CFF partner organizations. Apart from the Sustainable Business Forum, CTC also supported the CTI-CFF Women Leaders Forum and the Maritime Local Government Network during the presentation of their recommendations to the inter-governmental body that works to protect the Coral Triangle’s marine resources. CTC also co-sponsored the closing dinner in collaboration with the Solomon Islands’ Ministry of  Environment, Climate Change and Disaster Management. 

The closing dinner served as a welcome to CTI-CFF Regional Secretariat’s new Executive Director, Dr Mohd Kushairi Mohd Rajuddin from Malaysia, and a farewell to outgoing Interim Executive Director Dr. Hendra Siry from Indonesia. “I am thrilled how CTI-CFF engaged more stakeholders in the implementation of the regional and national plans of action over the past ten years such as coastal communities, local governments, women leaders, universities, development partners and collaborators,” Ms Djohani noted during her remarks at the dinner. “Starting in 2020, we are facing another defining decade to abate the threats in the Coral Triangle region: climate change, overfishing, uncontrolled development, pollution. Let’s continue to work together and keep this wonderful spirit and expand our CTI-CFF community with more leaders, entrepreneurs, young people and partners to preserve the Coral Triangle for future generations” she added.