WOC 2009 committee involve in the Global Ocean Conference Hanoi 6 - 11 April 2008

Dr. Biliana Cicin-Sain, Co-Chair of Global Forum on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands, at her opening speech, said that this conference will convene the marine leaders from all over the world to discuss about global marine condition and expertise mobilization, political will and natural resources to go forward with the new way.
Marine sustainability and coastal areas are the front guard on climate change where the climate issue will radically change the marine sustainability and coastal areas, uncertainty increasing, demanding of strategy principled on climate change on sustainability process and requirement for increasing and applying the new way related with susceptible assessment and willingness to the difficult choice in facing negative impacts of the vulnerable community and ecosystem. At her opening speech, she also said that the agreements of this 4th Marine Global Conference will be discussed further and proceed in the World Ocean Conference in Manado, North Sulawesi, Indonesia on May 11-15th 2009.

At the gala dinner hosted by the Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries Mr. Freddy Numberi, and The Governor of North Sulawesi, S.H Sarundajang, and The Embassy of Indonesia in Hanoi. Biliana said that Indonesia as the largest archipelagic country and possesses the highest marine biodiversity in the world is the precise place for hosting WOC 2009 and it was responded by applause from all the participants and guests of about 500 persons. Therefore, the Global Forum On Oceans, Coasts, and Islands fully supports and will totally assist this big event.
The Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries and Governor of North Sulawesi Indonesia accepted the appreciation from Global forum for their ideas and involvement in the effort to maintain marine and coastal ecosystem through the World Ocean Conference 2009 in Manado, North Sulawesi Indonesia.

The Governor of North Sulawesi had an informal meeting with the high-level/eminent participants, among others: Prof. Dr.Biliana Cicin- Sain who was also the head of committee of GOC 2008 and director of Global Forum, Dr. Ibrahim Thiaw, UNEP and Dr. Chu Hoi Nguyen, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in Vietnam (local committee head of GOC 2008). At that meeting, they stated their support for WOC 2009. Prof. Dr.Biliana Cicin-Sain said that network of Global Forum that consists of some donor organizations and international NGOs such as World Bank, Global Environment Facility, World Oceans Network, UNDP, and others, all support the implementation of WOC 2009 in Manado. Dr. Ibrahim also said that UNEP fully supports and will participate in preparation of the implementation of WOC. One of the directors of UNEP convinced the Governor of North Sulawesi that the eminent persons of UNEP and UN are attaining to participate in WOC 2009.

In the closing ceremony of the conference, the Governor of North Sulawesi of Indonesia delivered his speech and stated that the committee of World Ocean Conference 2009 is honored to accept all the results of the conference to be discussed on May 11th-15th 2009 at The World Ocean Conference. The Governor also invited all the participants who attended or is not present at the conference but who are interested to participate in The World Ocean Conference 2009.