The third General Meeting under the French-Samoan co-secretariat was held from the 12-15 December 2011, in La Réunion. France and the United States of America provided financial support to several countries to enable their participation.
Download the minutes of the 26th General Meeting.
Ad Hoc Committees
New terms of reference for the Ad Hoc committee on the Caribbean Regional Response to Lionfish Invasion were adopted (download amended terms of reference, PDF File).
Participants agreed on extending the work for the Ad Hoc Committee on Coral Reef Associated Fisheries, with the same terms of reference.
New terms of reference will be developed, to be proposed at the next ICRI General Meeting, for the following Ad Hoc committees:
- Economic Valuation of Coral Reef Ecosystems
- Enforcement & Investigation
Following Ad Hoc Committees were dissolved:
- The East Asia Regional Workshop. However, the Initiative will continue to report under ‘Regional Initiatives’
- Ad Hoc Committee on Coral Disease
- Ad Hoc Committee on the Pacific Day
- Ad Hoc Committee on ITMEMS 4
- Ad Hoc Committee on the International Coral Reef Action Network
Motions
Two resolutions were adopted. One on the International Coral Reef Action Network, that suspends the Network, and the other one on the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development that encourages ICRI members to support the inclusion of references to the conservation and sustainable management of all coral reefs, and their importance to sustainable development in the final outcome document of the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD), as well as any statement of commitments which may also include the blue economy and integrated oceans management.
- Resolution on the International Coral Reef Action Network (ICRAN)
Download Document - Resolution on the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD)
Download Document
Indian Ocean Day
In an effort to improve regional cooperation and enhance the regional focus of ICRI’s work, a full day of the 26th ICRI General Meeting was devoted to issues in the Indian Ocean Region, focusing on three themes:
- Regional Coordination
- Monitoring of Coral Reefs in the region
- Management and conservation of coral reefs in the Indian Ocean in the light of climate change
The day ended with a special session by UNESCO World Heritage Marine Programme, on a regional comparative assessment of new potential sites in the Indian Ocean. At the end of the day, a draft recommendation was proposed and adopted (PDF File).
Download the report of the Indian Ocean Day (PDF File).
Networks
The International Coral Reef Action Network (ICRAN) is now suspended.
The participants welcomed the proposed direction for the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network (GCRMN).
Call to Action
The work to ‘refresh’ ICRI’s Call to Action will be continued by the ICRI secretariat under the next hosting period.
Next Secretariat
Australia presented an outline of the work of the upcoming Secretariat (to be co-chaired by Australia and Belize). The dates for the next ICRI General Meeting were announced, it will be held in Cairns, Australia, in July, 2012, just after the International Coral Ref Symposium (ICRS).
All the meeting documents and presentations are available on the this page.