Our Ocean Conference (OOC) took place in Athens, Greece from April 15th – April 17th 2024. It is an event that aims to foster collaborative efforts for impactful actions that ensure the sustainability and protection of our seas and oceans.
The conference was attended by our Coral Triangle Conservation Fund (CTCF) delegation consisting of Dr. Yang Mee Eng, CEO of the CTCF and technical partners from Wildlife Conservation Society, Conservation Finance Alliance and Coral Triangle Initiative on Coral Reefs, Fisheries and Food Security Regional Secretariat.
Over the two days at OOC, there were calls for greater momentum towards the Global Biodiversity Framework’s 30×30 target which aims to protect 30% of marine ecosystems by 2030. Only 8% of our global oceans have been protected as of today. Coincidentally, the timing of the OOC also aligned with the fourth global coral bleaching event, which intensified calls for urgent joint conservation efforts as well as increased and better protection of climate-resilient coral reefs.
The mission of the CTCF is to ensure that Priority Marine Protected and Conserved Areas (MPCAs) in the Coral Triangle are effective, climate resilient, and sustainable while benefitting nature and communities, is perfectly aligned to the 30×30 goal. It is also aligned with the calls to look beyond size to ensure effective MPCA management, integrate climate resilience and guarantees the access to rights, equity and justice for all communities and stakeholders involved. As the first regional conservation trust fund to focus on the Coral Triangle – a marine region stretching across the oceans of Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Solomon Islands and Timor Leste which contains 1/3 of the global coral area – the CTCF is specially designed to make great strides in achieving the 30×30 goal.
The delegation met up with other members from the CTCF Advisory Group attending the conference and were able to reaffirm their individual commitment to the fund, and the goalsthe fund is committed to delivering. The delegation also met up with existing and potential funders, who agreed with the intensity of the issues relating to marine conservation of the Coral Triangle, as well as the urgent need to invest more in this globally important and under invested region.