Antara 7 Aug 10;
Ambon, Maluku (ANTARA News) - The results of the International Symposium On Small Islands and Coral Reefs as contained in the Ambon Statement will be disseminated to the world, the chief organizer said.
"We hope that this document would not be kept only but be disseminated to the world in order to arouse the awareness of various sides regarding the importance of the management of small islands," the symposium committee chairman Prof. Jamaludin Jompa said here.
The dissemination of the `Ambon Statement 2010` is also expected to benefit Indonesia`s island provinces, including Maluku, which is also an island province.
The International symposium on small islands and coral reefs was held in Ambon`s SwissBell Hotel on August 4 - 5, 2010 and was held as part of `Sail Banda 2010` activities being held in Maluku from July 12 to August 17, 2010.
The symposium presented speakers and experts from overseas and from home who were concerned with matters relating to small islands and coral reefs, such as those from Australia, the Philippines, the United States and Germany.
The Indonesian government itself was in the symposium represented by officials the ministry of maritime and fisheries affairs and from various provinces` maritime and fisheries services, including those coming from Maluku province.
Jamaluddin Jompa expressed hope that the presence of the government representatives in the symposium would contribute science and technology to the development of small islands and coral reefs so that efforts would not merely focus on infrastructre development.
He said that he appreciated the seriousness of the Maluku regional government as reflected in the Ambon Statement 2010 which was read by Deputy Governor Said Assegaf at the end of the symposium.
The Ambon statement contains seven points which in principle stressed the importance of specific policy on the development of small islands and coral reefs, local cultures, impact of climate change, participation of customary society, partnership of all stakeholders, international dialogs and the need to arrange an initiative on adaptation and mitigation in an effort to reduce carbon emissions.
(Uu.A014/P003)
