Building Regional Expertise for the IUCN Green List in the Coral Triangle

From 24-26 March 2026, the Expert Assessment of Green List (EAGL) Training in the Coral Triangle Region was successfully held at the CTC Center for Marine Conservation in Sanur, Bali. The training was conducted with mentorship from the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), represented by Nadine Seleem, and brought together 21 participants from member countries of the Coral Triangle Initiative on Coral Reefs, Fisheries and Food Security (CTI-CFF).

Participants represented six countries across the region: Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Solomon Islands, and Timor-Leste. At the conclusion of the training, 19 participants were officially recognized as Coral Triangle EAGL Members. Throughout the three-day program, discussions were lively and constructive, demonstrating strong regional commitment to strengthening the implementation of the IUCN Green List.

The training began with opening remarks from IUCN, CTC, and CTI-CFF, followed by an introduction to the Green List process and implementation pathways. Participants explored the Green List Guidance Standard and Manual, learning about its framework of four components, 17 criteria, and 50 indicators. The first day also highlighted the roles and responsibilities of EAGL members and concluded with an introduction to the COMPASS tool, which supports Green List assessments.

On the second day, sessions focused on operational aspects of the EAGL, including communication processes and the pipeline for nominated sites. A formal EAGL meeting was held, during which members conducted a transparent voting process. As a result, Dr. Hesti Widodo was elected as Chair and Imran Amin was elected as Co-Chair. Participants were also introduced to the NECO Table and GL-SAT tools before agreeing on the next steps for advancing Green List implementation in the region.

The training was officially closed by Dr. Mochammad Khalid Pasha from the IUCN Asia Regional Office. This successful activity reflects the continued collaboration between IUCN, the CTI-CFF Regional Secretariat, and CTC to strengthen regional capacity for the Green List.

Writer: Kayla Azzahra
Photos: Kayla Azzahra/CTC