𝐂𝐈 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐄𝐔 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐁𝐢𝐨𝐝𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐲

On Wednesday, 19 August, Conservation International Timor-Leste (CI-TL), led by 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐲 𝐃𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐮𝐞𝐥 𝐌𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐬, held a meeting with 𝐄𝐮𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐧 𝐔𝐧𝐢𝐨𝐧 (𝐄𝐔) 𝐀𝐦𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐝𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐨𝐫-𝐋𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐞 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧 𝐁𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐞 at the EU Delegation Office at Palm Business Center, Hudi-Laran. The meeting focused on key priorities related to marine conservation, biodiversity, protected areas, and sustainable blue economy development.

During the meeting, the CI-TL Country Director introduced and shared the organization’s key initiatives and conservation efforts in Timor-Leste, including the 𝐊𝐢𝐰𝐚 𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐄 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭, which is supported by the EU as the donor, as well as Marine 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐀𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐬 (𝐌𝐏𝐀𝐬), 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐏𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐬, 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐚 𝐫𝐚𝐲𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐝𝐮𝐠𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐬. He also emphasized the importance of community participation in management and conservation of marine resources.

CI-TL and the EU also discussed transboundary cooperation between Timor-Leste and Indonesia, particularly in relation to the 𝐌𝐨𝐭𝐚-𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐓𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐮-𝐋𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐰𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐝𝐬, as well as opportunities to strengthen the monitoring and management of shared marine resources, including addressing threats from 𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐥, 𝐮𝐧𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐝, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐮𝐧𝐫𝐞𝐠𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 (𝐈𝐔𝐔) 𝐟𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠. The CI-TL Country Director also presented the organization’s work under the 𝐆𝐄𝐅-𝟖 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭, which aims to 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐬𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐰𝐞𝐭𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐧 𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐨𝐫-𝐋𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐞, with a focus on biodiversity conservation and reducing human-crocodile conflict.

The meeting reaffirmed a shared commitment to protect biodiversity, strengthen protected area management, and promote sustainable marine conservation through continued partnership between CI-TL, the EU, and other partners.

The CI-TL Country Director also presented the organization’s work under the 𝐆𝐄𝐅-𝟖 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭, which aims to 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐬𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐰𝐞𝐭𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐧 𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐨𝐫-𝐋𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐞, with a focus on biodiversity conservation and reducing human-crocodile conflict.

The meeting reaffirmed a shared commitment to protect biodiversity, strengthen protected area management, and promote sustainable marine conservation through continued partnership between CI-TL, the EU, and other partners.

The meeting was also attended by CI-TL Program Manager Animesh Kar, IKI SOMACORE Project Manager Anselmo Amaral, IKI-SOMACORE Project Coordinator Delio Da Costa, and IKI-SOMACORE Communications Assistant Judelio da Silva.