37th ICRI
General Meeting

The United States of America will host the 37th General Meeting the week of September 18^th 2023. This will be the second General Meeting of the United States of America’s third tenure chairing the International Coral Reef Initiative, which will be held in Kailua-Kona, Hawai’i.

ICRI is a global partnership working to preserve and protect coral reefs and associated ecosystems and the 37th General Meeting will bring together ICRI members from around the world face-to-face for the first time since the 34^th General Meeting in Townsville 2019 to discuss the achievements of ICRI and members, share knowledge and experiences, and drive the implementation of the 2021 – 2024 Plan of Action: Turning the Tide for Coral Reefs.

The meeting will also include key discussions and sessions regarding the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network (GCRMN). The Secretariat are developing the respective agendas and administrative details, including the exact location of the meeting and will provide further information with you in due course. In the meantime, we invite you to mark your calendar and save the date for this important event.

• To be developed

Hawaii is a state in the Western United States, about 2,000 miles from the U.S. mainland in the Pacific Ocean. As such, in most cases, a visa is required. A citizen of a foreign country who seeks to enter the United States generally must first obtain a U.S. visa, which is placed in the traveler’s passport, a travel document issued by the traveler’s country of citizenship.

Certain international travellers may be eligible to travel to the United States without a visa if they meet the requirements for visa-free travel.

Details of the process and type of visa that you will require can be found here: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas.html 

Citizens of participating countries may travel to the United States for short visits for temporary business without a visa through the Visa Waiver Program. Travel to the United States under the Visa Waiver Program requires ESTA approval.

Should you require a letter of invitation, contact information will be provide in due course. We recommend all participants apply for their VISAs well in advance

Kailua-Kona is located on the island of Hawai’i, one of six major islands in Hawaiʻi: Kauaʻi, Oʻahu, Molokaʻi, Lānaʻi, Maui, and the island of Hawaiʻi. The island of Hawaiʻi is the youngest and largest island in the Hawaiian chain. Nearly twice as big as all of the other Hawaiian Islands combined (hence, its nickname, “Big Island”). The island all but four of the world’s different climate zones here, ranging from Wet Tropical to Polar Tundra, a result of the shielding effect and elevations of the massive volcanoes Maunakea and Maunaloa. From the many geological features at Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park to the snow-capped heights of Maunakea; from the lush valleys of the Hilo and Hāmākua Coasts to the jet-black sands of Punaluʻu Beach, the island of Hawaiʻi is an unrivaled expression of the power of nature.

The Kona District stretches almost two-thirds of the entire West side of the island of Hawaiʻi—from south of ʻAnaehoʻomalu Bay (Waikoloa Beach Resort) to Manukā Park (Kaʻū). Kailua-Kona within the Kona district and hosts Hulihee Palace, a former royal vacation home dating from 1838 and reconstructed thatched houses at Kamakahonu National Historic Landmark mark King Kamehameha I’d residence on Kailua Bay. Rich and diverse coral reefs are located along the coastline of Kailua-Kona contributing to the 4,504 of coral reefs within the Hawai’ian islands (6% of the total Pacific reef area).

Hawai’i Island (or “Big Island”) offers two commercial airports that serve travellers, including Kona International Airport on the west side of the island, and Hilo International Airport. You can find more information on both airports below:

Weather in The Hawaiian Islands is very consistent, with only minor changes in temperature throughout the year. There are really only two seasons in Hawaiʻi: summer (kau) from May to October and winter (hoʻoilo) from November to April. The average daytime summer temperature at sea level is 85° F (29.4° C), while the average daytime winter temperature is 78° (25.6° C). Temperatures at night are approximately 10° F lower than the daytime.

Read more about the climate across the Hawaiian Islands here.

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Should you have any questions or need more information, do not hesitate to contact Francis Staub