The Coral Triangle Center (CTC) joined government leaders and regional partners in Bali for the 20th Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM-20) and Pre-Senior Officials Meeting of the Coral Triangle Initiative on Coral Reefs, Fisheries, and Food Security (CTI-CFF), reaffirming our role as an official development partner supporting regional marine conservation and sustainable fisheries. The series of meetings were held on December 8-11, 2025.

At the highest-level CTI-CFF meeting of the year, SOM-20 brought together senior officials from Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Solomon Islands, and Timor-Leste to review progress, address challenges, and endorse strategic priorities guiding regional action into 2026 and beyond. Discussions covered key technical and governance areas, including seascapes, ecosystem approach to fisheries management, marine protected areas (MPAs), climate change adaptation, threatened species, and cross-cutting initiatives.

In 2025, CTC highlighted regional efforts focused on implementing the CTI-CFF Capacity Building Roadmap to strengthen capacity development across the Coral Triangle. These efforts included the MPA Managers Learning Exchange and IUCN Green List Workshop, which supported shared learning, peer-to-peer exchange, and improved effectiveness of marine protected area management, as well as the CTI-CFF Women Leaders Forum (WLF) Regional Exchange held in the Solomon Islands. These initiatives empower women leaders and champions, advancing ocean conservation across the region.

During SOM-20, CTC formally accepted its nomination as Co-Chair of the Women Leaders Forum for the next two years, serving alongside Malaysia and the newly appointed WLF Chair. This builds on CTC’s continued leadership within the forum, having previously served as WLF Co-Chair for the past four years, working alongside Timor-Leste and Solomon Islands as Chairs during their respective terms.

CTC also showcased progress from our country-level work throughout the year.

In Indonesia, CTC highlighted its work in supporting the establishment of the National Committee on Fish Resources Conservation, launched a new online communication platform to strengthen coordination, and contributed to improved MPA management in Nusa Penida and the Banda Islands MPA Network. In Timor-Leste, CTC  highlighted its work in supporting the development of two key national policies—the MPA Establishment Guideline and the MPA Management Effectiveness Tracking Tool (METT)—and strengthened site-level management in Atauro Island MPA and Samba Sambilan Liquica MPA, laying a solid foundation for long-term, sustainable ocean protection.

Looking ahead, CTC presented upcoming priorities under the SOMACORE Program and the COAST initiative, with a focus on deeper regional collaboration to implement the CTI-CFF Capacity Building Roadmap, stronger marine and conserved areas management, and scaling solutions that protect marine biodiversity while supporting coastal livelihoods.

“As a long-standing partner of the CTI-CFF, CTC will continue strengthening regional capacity through our upcoming programs, including:

• expanded MPA training,
• support for the IUCN Green List process,
• regional learning exchanges, and
• deeper investment in women’s leadership.

Looking ahead, we will work with governments and partners to scale practical solutions that advance effective marine protection and resilient coastal communities across the Coral Triangle,” CTC Executive Director Rili Djohani noted during the meeting.

SOM-20 concluded with the endorsement of the Chair’s Summary by all six member countries, reaffirming collective commitment to coordinated, science-based action. As a long-standing CTI-CFF development partner, CTC remains committed to advancing inclusive leadership, effective MPAs, and resilient coastal communities across the Coral Triangle.

Photo: Kayla Azzahra/CTC