International Coral Reef Initiative
The International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI) is a partnership among governments, international organizations, and non-government organizations. It strives to preserve coral reefs and related ecosystems by implementing Chapter 17 of Agenda 21, and other relevant international conventions and agreements. The ICRI was announced at the First Conference of the Parties of the Convention on Biological Diversity in December 1994, and at the high level segment of the Intersessional Meeting of the U.N. Commission on Sustainable Development in April 1995. ICRI was originally initiated by the governments of Australia, France, Japan, Jamaica, the Philippines, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States of America. Additional partners from governments, United Nations organizations, multilateral development banks, environmental and developmental NGOs, and the private sector have subsequently joined the original founders and are currently collaborating in the International Coral Reef Initiative. ICRI directly addresses one of the important issues identified in Chapter 17, Section 17. 86 that calls on states to:
“identify marine ecosystems exhibiting high levels of biodiversity and productivity and other critical habitat areas and should provide necessary limitations on use of these areas, through, inter alia, designation of protected areas. Priority should be accorded, as appropriate, to:
– Coral reef ecosystems;
– Estuaries;
– Temperate and tropical wetlands, including mangroves;
– Seagrass beds;
– Other spawning and nursery areas.”
