The following are eligible to be a member of the Initiative:
- Any member state of the United Nations or grouping of such members;
- Any state or economy with significant coral reef ecosystem;
- Any specialised agency or program of the United Nations;
- Any specialised public agency or program dealing with coral reefs;
- Any international, intergovernmental, or non-governmental organisation with significant national, regional, or global coral reef programs or interests.
The existing membership consists of states and organisations that issued or endorsed the ICRI Call to Action or the Renewed Call to Action and the Framework for Action. New members should attend a General Meeting and make a statement of their support for the Renewed Call to Action and the Framework for Action.
The ICRI membership will continue to implement the Framework for Action and the Renewed Call to Action by continuing activities in support of coral action at the local, national, regional, and international levels as appropriate.
Continued membership requires an up-to-date written report of ongoing activities in support of the Initiative and the designation of two points of contact. Members should endeavour to attend at least one General Meeting for every term of a Host Secretariat. Any organisation whose activities are disruptive may lose their standing by a decision of the members attending a General Meeting.