By Agnes Gianni Putri P.
Port Moresby, 5 November 2022 – From 2-3 November 2022, the GEF/UNDP/PEMSEA ATSEA-2 Project held the 4th Regional Steering Committee (RSC) Meeting in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea (PNG). Hosted by the National Fisheries Authority (NFA), the event provided an opportunity to review progress, discuss and address challenges, and agree on best ways forward for the ATSEA-2 Project, mainly in view of the programmatic and sustainability recommendations from the recently completed Project Midterm Review and the need to ensure timely deliverable of crucial targets.
The main objectives of the 4th RSC Meeting were to review the progress of regional and national components, in line with the implementation of Annual Work Plan (AWP) 2022; to discuss and address challenges in project implementation, including remaining challenges associated with COVID-19; to build on NPB discussions and recommendations for project extension (ATSEA-3); and to agree on ways forward, including review and approval of a proposed Work Plan and Budget for 2023 for the regional and national components.
The meeting was also convened in order to review and endorse a number of key documents, including the Regional Governance Model (RGM) consolidated model and proposed transition plan; the Regional Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries Management (EAFM) Plan for Red Snapper; the Climate Change Guide for Facilitators and Decision Makers; the initial consolidated updated Transboundary Diagnostic Analysis (TDA) report and work plan; and the Roadmap/Work Plan for the updating of the Strategic Action Program (SAP).
“We resolve to build on past successes to move ahead,” said Dr. Handoko Adi Susanto, ATSEA-2 Regional Project Manager. “In the spirit of mutual trust, we agree to inclusiveness, cooperation and mutual benefit, shaping the future through the finalization of the ATS TDA, endorsement of roadmaps toward completion of a Regional Governance Mechanism and other sustainability mechanisms that will support long-term collaboration in the region.”
The 4th RSC Meeting was chaired by Mr. Noan Pakop, National Project Director of ATSEA-2 in PNG and Deputy Managing Director of NFA, PNG and co-chaired by Mr. Iwan Kurniawan, Program Manager for Natural Resources Management Cluster and the ATSEA-2 Principal Project Representative, from United Nations Development Program (UNDP) Indonesia. Over the course of two days in PNG, the event was attended by representatives from ATSEA littoral nations, along with members of the UNDP, Partnerships in Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia (PEMSEA), National Coordination Units (NCUs) and Regional Project Management Units (RPMU) of ATSEA-2, international expert consultants and other partners in PNG.
Collaboration between these groups is essential to the future health of the Arafura and Timor Seas (ATS) region, its biodiversity and the communities relying on its continued productivity for survival. Collaborative networks established by the ATSEA-2 Program are helping to build a sustainable future for the ATS.
“As we celebrate World Fisheries Day this November,” explained Dr. Handoko in his address to the RSC during the meeting, “we fully share the view and commitment to pursue integrated improved management of red snapper fisheries throughout the ATS region that is built around the three widely accepted pillars of EAFM: ecosystem well-being, human well-being, and good governance.”
About the RSC
The RSC serves as the ultimate decision-making body with regard to issues affecting the achievement of the ATSEA-2 project’s overall objectives, its main components and target outputs. It provides the necessary guidance and direction to steer the project towards achieving target outcomes on time and of required quality.
About the ATSEA-2 Program
ATSEA-2 is the second phase of the Arafura & Timor Seas Ecosystem Action (ATSEA) program; a regional partnership involving the governments of Indonesia, Timor-Leste and Papua New Guinea, with the support of the Australian Government. Its objective is to collectively manage high marine and fisheries resources in the Arafura and Timor Seas (ATS) region. Since its inception in 2019, the program has been working to promote sustainable development in the ATS region and improve the quality of life of its inhabitants through a combination of restoration, conservation and sustainable management of marine-coastal ecosystems. The ATS is an area of high productivity in the region and ATSEA-2 is committed to safeguarding the livelihoods and prosperity of coastal people, particularly in its transboundary areas, through the implementation of sustainable integrated concepts.
ATSEA-2 is a Global Environment Facility (GEF)-funded program, managed and executed under the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Partnerships in Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia (PEMSEA) Resource Facility (PRF) is an implementing partner.
Discussion about this post