The first Regional Steering Committee (RSC) Meeting of the GEF/UNDP Project on Implementation of Arafura and Timor Seas (ATS) Regional and National Strategic Programs: Second Phase of the Arafura-Timor Seas Ecosystem Action Program (ATSEA 2) was held at the Swiss-Belresort Watu Jimbar, Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia on 19 November 2019.

The RSC Meeting was exclusive to the programme’s country partners, UNDP and PEMSEA. The first RSC firmed out the proposed Project Work Plans and Budgets for the year 2020. The RSC also reviewed and adopted the Terms of Reference (TOR) of the RSC, and provided suggestions to guide the development of the TOR for the National Project Boards. 

Throughout the discussions, the meeting emphasized the importance of strong in-country and cross-country collaboration to achieve the regional goals and targets set by the project. The Meeting expressed hope for ATSEA-2, given its strong country components, to carry out more meaningful impacts on the ground.

The event was hosted by the Government of Indonesia through the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (MAFF). Representatives from Indonesia, Timor Leste, Papua New Guinea, and Australia were present together with representatives from the UNDP Bangkok Regional Hub and respective Country Offices. Stakeholder partners from Indonesian Seas Large Marine Ecosystem (ISLME), Coral Triangle Center (CTC), World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Indonesia, and Yayakan Conservasi Alam Nusantara (YKAN) were present at the Inception Workshop.

Details of the proceedings of the RSC Meeting can be downloaded through this link.