SM Lite Policy support and contributions Key international commitments Coral Triangle Initiative on Coral Reefs, Fisheries and Food Security The Coral Triangle Initiative on Coral Reefs, Fisheries and Food Security (CTI-CFF) is a multilateral partnership with six countries made up of Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, the Solomon Islands and Timor-Leste. It uses coral and reef fish biodiversity as the two main criteria to define the region of the Coral Triangle that these six countries’ boundaries define. The biogeographical conditions within the Coral Triangle may also enable the region to maintain its exceptional productivity in the face of future impacts of climate change, making it potentially the world’s most important “refuge” for marine life. According to scientific studies done in 2005, the Philippine archipelago contains higher species-per-unit area among all the other countries in the Indo-Malay-Philippines archipelago. It is in this light, that urgent and more attention is needed for conservation action in the Philippines and the rest of the CTI region. The Regional Plan of Action has been translated into National Action Plans by each of the six Coral Triangle countries. For the Philippine National Plan of Action (NPoA), Integrated Coastal Management (ICM) serves as the overall framework in pursuing the five regional CTI goals. Sustainable Development Strategy for the Seas of East Asia The Philippines is among the 12 countries in East Asia that adopted the Sustainable Development Strategy for the Seas of East Asia (SDS-SEA) by signing of the Putrajaya Declaration on December 12, 2003. The SDS-SEA is the first regional document that outlines a shared vision, collective strategies/approaches, and common objectives among countries of the region for sustainably managing the seas of East Asia. The issuance of Executive Order 533 in 2006 and Executive Order 797 are the Philippines’ response and demonstration of commitment to the CTI, and SDS-SEA, and other international commitments of the Philippines that directly relate to ICM such as the Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS); UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC); Agenda 21; Convention of Biodiversity (CBD); the Global Programme of Action for the Protection of the Marine Environment from Land-based Activities (GPA); the World Summit on Sustainable Development – Johannesburg Plan of Implementation; the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDG); and various International Maritime Organization (IMO) Conventions.
Achieving international commitments through a National ICM Program The Philippine Development Plan 2011-2016, or PDP, outlines the economic growth and social development goals and strategies of the country in the medium term. The PDP has twin goals of economic growth and poverty alleviation, and overall goal of “inclusive growth”. The goal of Chapter 4 (Competitive and Sustainable Agriculture and Fisheries Sector) of the PDP is to achieve prudent use of the agriculture and fisheries resources leading towards a) improved food security and increased rural incomes; b) increased sector resilience to climate change risks; and c) Social Marketing Lite Adaptation to Climate Change in Coastal Areas ACCCoast Project
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