To further strengthen partnerships across various sectors, CTC joined the Asian Development Bank (ADB) Annual Meeting on September 28, 2022. CTC Executive Director Rili Djohani joined a side event entitled ‘Building sustainable blue economies for food security and livelihoods’ jointly organized by WWF and Worldfish.

Ms. Djohani presented on the Scaling Up Capacity and Collaboration Via Peer Learning Networks Lessons Learned from the Women Leaders Forum in the Coral Triangle Region and shared the important role of women in ocean sustainability.

This panel presented how aquatic foods, healthy diets, and nature-based solutions promote a sustainable blue economy and resilient communities. It was part of the  Civil Society Program, which is considered an essential component of the ADB Annual Meeting which brings together key civil society organizations including nongovernment organizations, to discuss important development issues in Asia and the Pacific.

ADB’s annual meetings are a premier forum for the discussion of economic and social development issues in Asia and the Pacific. The meetings create opportunities for interaction among finance ministers, central bank governors, and senior officials from member governments; ADB Management and senior staff; civil society; media; and representatives from the private sector, observer countries, and international organizations.

This year’s ADB Annual Meeting where held over four days from September 26-30, 2022. It was the first in person meeting after the pandemic and generated over 4,000 onsite and virtual participants.

The meeting discussed the Asia-Pacific region’s path to recovery and the new uncertainties facing our developing member countries including food security, inflation, and debt crises while linking these challenges to the ongoing threat of climate change.