Member Type Country

Sweden

Sweden is one of the eight founding countries of the International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI), established in 1994 to protect and conserve coral reefs and related ecosystems around the world. Sweden’s involvement in ICRI reflects its long-standing commitment to global marine conservation and sustainable management of marine ecosystems, recognising the vital role that coral reefs play in biodiversity, coastal protection, and supporting livelihoods.

During 2017, 2018, 2019, 2023 and 2024, the Swedish government, made a voluntary financial contribution to the ICRI Secretariat. In 2017, this was administered by the French Foundation for Research on Biodiversity (FRB). In 2018 and 2019 the contribution was administrated by the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation. The 2023 and 2024 contribution has been administered by the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation (NMSF).

These contributions have been instrumental in supporting the implementation of the ICRI Plan of Action, which focuses on key areas such as coral reef monitoring, capacity-building, and international collaboration on coral conservation efforts.

Main Contributions and Activities Supported:

ICRI Secretariat: Sweden’s support has been instrumental in driving the day-to-day operations and administration of the ICRI Secretariat, ensuring effective coordination and implementation of activities. This has included supporting ICRI General Meetings (GM), as well as providing support to Official Development Assistance (ODA) countries to attend the GM’s.
Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network (GCRMN): Sweden’s contributions have significantly supported the development of global standards for coral reef monitoring, as well as the production of regional and global status reports on coral reefs.
Raising Awareness and Policy Engagement: Financial support from Sweden has also gone towards advocacy efforts, raising awareness among decision-makers and the public on the importance of protecting coral reefs as part of broader marine conservation efforts.
Capacity Building and Workshops: Funds have been allocated to conduct regional workshops aimed at building capacity for coral reefs, particularly by providing financial and travel support for attendance of Official Development Assistance (ODA) countries.

Reports of the Swedish Contributions