The Arafura and Timor Seas Ecosystem Action (ATSEA) program is a regional initiative that brings together Arafura and Timor Seas (ATS) littoral nations to address priority transboundary marine environmental challenges. Guided by the shared Strategic Action Programme (SAP) 2024–2033, ATSEA supports coordinated marine governance, ecosystem-based management, and inclusive policy development across the region.
ABOUT ATSEA
The ATSEA Program grew from a small scientific dialogue into a long-term regional collaboration for protecting and managing one of the most important marine ecosystems in the world. This is how the four countries came together to secure the future of the Arafura and Timor Seas.
OUR HISTORY
Laying the Foundation – A Platform for Shared Knowledge
In 2003, the Arafura and Timor Seas Expert Forum (ATSEF) created a space for scientists and policymakers from Australia, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and Timor-Leste, and to exchange knowledge on the conditions and issues in the Arafura and Timor Seas region. They raised early concerns about declining fish stocks, marine pollution, and illegal fishing. These discussions built a shared understanding of the region’s challenges and laid the groundwork for regional action. Over the following years, ATSEF became a platform for continued collaboration and shared learning.
ATSEA–1 – A Vision Backed by Science and Strategy
With support from the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), ATSEA Program entered its first project phase in 2009 (ATSEA-1). This phase produced the region’s first Transboundary Diagnostic Analysis (TDA) in 2011, which outlined key environmental threats facing the ATS region.
ATSEA-1 culminated with a Ministerial Declaration in 2014, signed by representatives of Australia, Indonesia, and Timor-Leste, in support of the region’s first set of ATS Strategic Action Programme (SAP) and National Action Programmes (NAPs), and the establishment of a regional governance mechanism with broad stakeholder participation to coordinate their implementation. This agreement set out a joint plan and blueprint for multi-stakeholder collaboration in the sustainable management of shared marine resources in the ATS region. Papua New Guinea took part in the first phase as an observer.
The scientific findings in the TDA helped shape national policies, including:
These actions marked a turning point on how countries could use shared data and information to develop practical management tools.
ATSEA–2 – Strengthening Regional Action and Inclusion
ATSEA’s second project phase (ATSEA-2) began in 2019 and brought Papua New Guinea on board as a full partner, strengthening regional ownership. ATSEA-2 supported the implementation of the first ATS SAP and the supporting NAPs for Indonesia and Timor-Leste, and the development of the ATS Regional Governance Mechanism (RGM). Considering developments and evolving and emerging threats in the ATS region, the project also supported the updating of the TDA and the development of a new SAP for 2024 to 2033, with supporting NAPs for Indonesia, Timor-Leste and Papua New Guinea. The new 10-year SAP facilitated the countries’ endorsement of the RGM and the proposal to transition from the ATSEA-2 project arrangements to a long-term regional collaboration mechanism for the sustainable development of the ATS region.
In 2024, ATSEA-2 was recognized as one of the 30 most effective initiatives in the Global Environment Facility’s International Waters portfolio. The story was featured in a global interactive map launched at the 10th International Waters Conference.
ATSEA as a Regional Program – Commitment That Endures
In 2024, ministers from the ATS countries signed the Sydney Declaration. This formalized the countries’ commitment to implement the new SAP and to institutionalise the ATSEA RGM as a permanent regional coordination mechanism. It marked a shift from project-based cooperation to a long-term structure supported by national mandates.
Today, ATSEA provides the foundation for regional leadership, joint action, and sustainable marine governance in the Arafura and Timor Seas.
VALUES
Vision and Mission
Our Vision
A healthy, resilient, and productive Arafura and Timor Seas that supports both human wellbeing and nature.
Our Mission
To foster social, ecological, and economic progress through a blue economy–oriented regional partnership in the Arafura and Timor Seas region.
