CTC collaborated with the Pacific Forum to host a workshop on Cross-Border Cooperation on WPS & Maritime Environmental Crimes in the Coral Triangle, sponsored by the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command Office of Women, Peace & Security. The workshop was held at CTC’s Center of Marine Conservation in Sanur, Bali, on April 23-25, 2024. It concluded with significant strides toward developing gender-responsive policy recommendations for enhancing cross-border cooperation in combating maritime environmental crimes in the Coral Triangle. 

Defense and security experts and civil society stakeholders from Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and Timor-Leste convened both virtually and in person in Bali, Indonesia, to tackle maritime environmental crimes from a gender perspective. “Maritime issues are observed to be a very masculine issue. When fishers’ rights are infringed upon, it impacts the laborer’s rights. But the problem is, the decision-makers of all their rights are men, even though the problem also impacts the wife, daughter, or mother in their family. It is another problem when the solution is not based on the gender perspective,” explained Jeanny Siriat of Destructive Fishing Watch. 

The workshop aimed to develop a comprehensive list of policy recommendations incorporating Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) principles into cross-border responses to maritime environmental crimes, such as Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) fishing; wildlife trafficking; and pollution; ensuring effectiveness and inclusivity in addressing these crimes. The event commenced with an informal opening, setting the tone for collaborative discussions and interactive exercises. 

Attendees explored common maritime environmental crimes occurring in Indonesia, Timor-Leste, and Papua New Guinea, along with their co-illegalities and their impact on women and men. Distinguished speakers, including Hesti Widodo from Coral Triangle Center and Andreas Aditya Salim from the Indonesia Ocean Justice Initiative, provided insights into detection initiatives and case studies highlighting the intersection of gender and environmental security. 

Ruth Kissam of Advancing PNG Women Leaders Network commented: “There are many pressures on our maritime environments from our communities and other external pressures. What can we collaborate on and use our shared knowledge?” 

Discussions also delved into the role of customary laws in maritime environmental protection and the importance of indigenous knowledge systems in shaping legal frameworks. Speakers such as Nelson Carvalho Belo from Fundasaun Mahein and Joyce Mavera from Piku Diversity

Network shed light on the challenges and opportunities in enforcing customary laws and coastal tenure. Dr. Dedi S Adhuri of the Research Center for Society and Culture, National Research and Innovation Agency noted: “The government acknowledges the rights of the traditional and local communities, but the practice is being supported only after long and complicated process/steps of verification. The problem that arises is that there are a lot of practices, but only a fraction are formally recognized by the government.” 

“This unique workshop provided a forum specifically for maritime environmental practitioners to collaborate with others in the region to identify legal and policy gaps, opportunities, and resource requirements,” commented Dr. Delaina Sawyers, Senior WPS Analyst at USINDOPACOM.

Following the first session, a second workshop on Gender in Health and Climate Security Workshops Foster Global Collaboration for Disaster Preparedness was also held from April 29 to May 2, 2024. It marked a significant step forward in addressing gender disparities in disaster management. 

Spanning four days in Bali, Indonesia, civil society practitioners and defense and security stakeholders from Vietnam, Thailand, Philippines, Indonesia, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, and Vanuatu gathered in-person and virtually to explore innovative approaches to integrating gender perspectives into disaster preparedness and response efforts. 

The workshop provided space for in-depth discussions, interactive exhibits, and collaborative sessions aimed at enhancing gender mainstreaming in health and climate security initiatives. Participants engaged in comprehensive reviews of existing practices, sharing insights and experiences to develop actionable strategies for building more inclusive and resilient responses to climate- and health-related disasters. Dr. Priyatma Singh commented: “This was my first experience at a workshop, where I had an opportunity to interact with defense personnel. It provided a great platform to share knowledge and learn from each other’s experiences.” 

“The design of this type of workshop allows for the inclusion of individuals and groups often excluded from robust preparation for disaster mitigation and response. Through discussions, detailed product development, and cultural understanding, a more nuanced approach to regional crisis and disaster response evolved,” commented Dr. Delaina Sawyers of USINDOPACOM. “The desire for these countries to improve the education and awareness of the current challenges of their country’s climate security is a step in the right direction,” explained Amalia Hilliard, the WPS Security Cooperation Administrator for USINDOPACOM. “Our office of WPS looks forward to continuing our support of their efforts.” 

Throughout the workshop, attendees had the opportunity to delve into topics such as customary law, national and international legal frameworks, and best practices in civil-military cooperation. AdiVasu Levu from Fiji stressed that “Women’s security perspectives must be incorporated into decision-making.” Distinguished speakers and experts, including Priyatma Singh from the University of Fiji and Shebana Alqaseer of Bayi Inc. in the Philippines, shared their perspectives and insights, enriching the discussions with diverse viewpoints. 

One of the highlights of the event was the collaborative breakout sessions in which civil society representatives and defense and security personnel worked together to develop approaches to responding to health and disaster crises that take women’s needs and security into consideration. As Cathy Alex from Papua New Guinea shared her own country’s experience, “We were able to address a gender lens with our military forces by describing the relationship between women caring for children and soldiers caring for the people of the country.” 

The outcome will be a Gendered Risk Assessment Tool for Action Planning that can be used to contextualize gender-responsive strategies in any community. Civil society groups and defense personnel developed relationships that will benefit future collaboration in the wake of floods, cyclones or typhoons, mudslides, droughts, and more. 

The participants also contributed to the development of a Health Index for all seven partner countries which will be published alongside the Gendered Risk Assessment Tool for Action Planning. 

As the world continues to grapple with increasingly complex challenges of the impact of climate change on human and national security, events like these serve as vital platforms for fostering innovation, collaboration, and positive change. 

Moving forward, Pacific Forum remains committed to driving progress in gender-responsive disaster management strategies, building on the momentum generated by the Gender in Health and Climate Security workshops.