TropicalCoast 4th new indd

10

July 2008

The 13th of February 2004 marks 

a significant event for Indonesia, 

Malaysia and the Philippines. The 

date marks the signing of the 

Memorandum of Understanding 

(MOU) between the three countries 

on the adoption of the Ecoregion 

Conservation Plan (ECP) for the Sulu-

Sulawesi Marine Ecoregion (SSME).  

The signing of the MOU led to 

the creation of the Tri-National 

Committee on the SSME, composed 

of representatives of the designated 

national authorities of all three 

countries, which facilitates 

conservation efforts. The Committee 

serves as a forum to coordinate 

and harmonize the implementation 

of the ECP and  likewise reviews, 

updates and revises the ECP when 

necessary. The Committee also 

initiates, maintains and provides the 

mechanisms for consultation between 

the parties on the development and 

the implementation of conservation 

initiatives outside the scope of the 

ECP.  

The First Meeting of the Tri-National 

Committee elected a Chair with 

tenure of one year, after which 

subsequent Chairs are automatically 

designated on a rotational basis 

in alphabetical order: Indonesia, 

Malaysia, Philippines, with a tenure 

of two years. The Chair oversees all 

aspects of the work programs of the 

Committee and the Subcommittees. 

The Tri-National Committee is 

composed of a maximum of five 

members from each country. 

However, the host country is allowed 

one additional delegate. The heads 

of the delegations of the respective 

countries are senior officials. 

The Secretariat of the Tri-National 

Committee is also rotated with the 

Chairmanship. The incumbent Chair 

and the incoming Chair ensure the 

smooth transition of the Secretariat’s 

work. 

The first meeting of the Tri-National 

Committee was convened in 

Balikpapan, Indonesia, in 2006. 

During the Meeting, the Committee 

Tri-National Governance of 

the Sulu-Sulawesi Marine 

Ecoregion

By   Sulu-Sulawesi Marine Ecoregion Tri-National Secretariat in Malaysia (Department of Fisheries-Sabah)

Jüer

gen F

reund

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Tropical Coasts

formed three (3) subcommittees and 

the Task Group on the Directory of 

Experts. The three subcommittees 

were: the Subcommittee on 

Threatened, Charismatic and 

Migratory Species; the Subcommittee 

on Sustainable Fisheries; and the 

Subcommittee on Marine Protected 

Areas and Networks. 

It was agreed that each country shall 

lead one subcommittee for a two-year 

period. The Republic of Indonesia 

holds the position as the focal point 

of the Subcommittee on Threatened, 

Charismatic and Migratory Species, 

while the Malaysian and Philippine 

governments lead the Subcommittee 

on Sustainable Fisheries and the 

Subcommittee on Marine Protected 

Areas and Networks, respectively. All 

subcommittees are represented by 

members from all three countries. 

Every year, the Tri-National 

Committee convenes and discusses 

the achievements, progress and 

lessons learned from the work 

programs of each Subcommittee and 

Task Group. All activities reflect and 

address the ECP as well as the Terms 

of Reference (TOR) and work plans of 

each Subcommittee.

At the recent Tri-National Committee 

Meeting in Manila, Philippines, on 

14 June 2008, work progress and 

gaps were discussed and identified. 

Among the issues raised was the 

need for strengthening marine and 

coastal resources management 

programs, including improvements in 

conservation management through 

capacity building of stakeholders, and 

the development 

of regulations to effectively 

implement, raise awareness and 

strengthen enforcement. Such 

initiatives are designed to beef 

up efforts in addressing illegal, 

unregulated and unreported (IUU) 

fishing activities. 

The Subcommittee spearheading 

marine protected areas (MPA) 

conservation recommended 

coordination of activities and studies 

with the other subcommittees, e.g., 

collaborative fisheries management 

for shared stocks as well as species 

protection and control of flagship 

species. This may involve in-depth 

studies of fisheries as well as 

sustainable aquaculture resulting in 

the development of guidelines for 

more efficient and effective resource 

management in the region. 

The same meeting also unanimously 

agreed on the establishment 

and maintenance of lines of 

communication as well as the 

promotion of collaboration with other 

relevant regional initiatives such as 

the Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, 

Malaysia, the Philippines-East 

ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA), 

Bismarck-Solomon Seas Ecoregion 

(BSSE), Melanesian Spearhead Group 

(MSG), Arafura-Timor Seas Experts 

Forum (ATSEF), and the Coral Triangle 

Initiative (CTI). Parallel to this, a 

resolution calling for a clarification 

between the Sulu-Sulawesi Marine 

Ecoregion (SSME) Tri-National 

Committee and the CTI secretariat for 

programmatic consolidation was 

signed. It was noted that the First 

Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM 1) 

for the CTI, held in Bali, Indonesia, 

last December 2007, declared 

that programs and projects to be 

implemented under the six-country 

initiative should be based and built 

on existing and relevant forums, 

agreements and programs. This 

was articulated in the following 

Guiding Principles: that CTI should 

use existing and future forums to 

promote implementation; that CTI 

should be aligned with international 

and regional commitments; and 

that CTI should emphasize priority 

geographies.

 Jüergen 

Freund

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