Indonesian Vice President Visits CTI Centre

Indonesia’s Vice President Boediono on May 16 was given a preview tour of the facility that will house the CTI-CFF Regional Secretariat.

Located in Grand Kawanua International City (GKIC) in Manado, North Sulawesi, Indonesia, the new, 1.5-hectare CTI Centre Complex was built by the Indonesian Government to serve as the regional hub of the CTI-CFF.

The Vice President was accompanied by the CTI-CFF Ministers and other dignitaries who attended a series of activities, including the 5th CTI-CFF Ministerial Meeting, held on May 15 in conjunction with the World Coral Reef Conference.

During the tour, Vice President Boediono expressed his optimism that the CTI Centre would serve its purpose as the coordination center for the CTI-CFF countries, Ankara News reported (external link).

Indonesia’s Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, Mr. Sharif C. Sutradjo said the building will also serve as a venue for facilitating collaborative activities among the CTI-CFF Member States and as a center of excellence for coral reef biodiversity study and scientific activities.

The building has two main components – a dome-shaped five-story structure that contains office space for the CTI-CFF Regional Secretariat and a convention hall, and a seven-story structure that will include a library, meeting room and an education, training and research center, which will have as main feature a giant aquarium and exhibition room designed to showcase the Coral Triangle’s world-renowned marine biodiversity.