24 Jun CTC Marks Milestone with New Office in Timor-Leste
CTC marked a milestone on May 27, 2024, as we officially launched our field office in Dili, Timor-Leste—our first outside of Indonesia. Our new office signifies our long-term commitment to supporting the sustainability of marine biodiversity in Timor-Leste. The launch was attended by Timor-Leste Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Forestry, His Excellency Marcos Da Cruz, together with more than 40 individuals representing CTC’s partner organizations.
“It’s necessary to work together with local NGOs and the Ministry of Agriculture to protect our ocean because we know our sea has a lot of biodiversity. We are rich in marine resources that we can explore to produce food from fish resources and to develop as a place for tourists”, said Marcos Da Cruz, Timor-Leste Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Forestry.
During the event, CTC also signed its renewed cooperation agreement with one of its long-time partners, Roman Luan, a local NGO based in Atauro Island Marine Protected Area (MPA).
“In signing the agreement for collaboration between Roman Luan and CTC, we will focus on the management of the MPA in Atauro, capacity building, community socialization, and the preservation of biodiversity in Atauro MPA”, said Marcelo Belo Soares, director of Roman Luan.
Rili Djohani, CTC Executive Director, expressed enthusiasm in marking a significant milestone in their efforts in Timor-Leste, which commenced in 2012. She highlighted that their office symbolizes their clear mission and focus on supporting Timor-Leste in establishing marine protected areas and building local capacity. Additionally, she hopes that this office will enable them to strengthen collaborations within the wider community.
Since 2013, CTC has been collaborating with the Government of Timor-Leste to strengthen local capacity in managing its marine resources and helping establish marine protected areas. Working with local stakeholders, CTC has supported the establishment of the Atauro Island MPA and the Samba Sembilan Liquica MPA, the improved effectiveness of the Nino Konis Santana National Park as well as the establishment of a new MPA in Manufahi. CTC is currently supporting Timor-Leste in achieving its global commitment to protect 30% of its ocean by 2030 which would protect not only its marine resources but also the livelihoods of people who depend on it.
“The office launching and employing local staff will strengthen CTC’s operation and program implementation acceleration in Timor-Leste. CTC programs focus on MPA, capacity building, and marine spatial planning in Timor-Leste ” said CTC’s Lead Program for Timor-Leste, Marthen Welly.
We hope that the establishment of our new office will signify our presence and continue to strengthen marine resource management in Timor-Leste for many years to come.
Our office launch was also covered by the local media (see the coverage links below).
Media Coverage of CTC Office Launch in Timor-Leste:
- Radio-Televisão Timor Leste (RTTL) Online Live Streaming
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_FupVinz6c
- Radio-Televisão Timor Leste (RTTL)
https://rttlep.tl/diretora-ezekutiva-ctc-akompana-husi-mappf-inaugura-edifisiu-foun-ctc-iha-otel-garden-beach/ - Autoridade Administrativa de Ataúro Social Media
https://www.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=122150049872211732&id=61556351973718&mibextid=qi2Omg&rdid=JIOf2fvpxiA0lQ2t
Writers: Marthen Welly, Ernestina Andrade
Photos: Rili Djohari/CTC,Marthen Welly/CTC, Autoridade Administrativo de Ataúro
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