[Coral-List] Announcement - ICRI General Meeting 2005

[icri]

Dear Colleagues,

The Governments of the United Kingdom and the Seychelles, as co-hosts
of the International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI) Secretariat, in
conjunction with the UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre,  are
pleased to announce that the final General Meeting of the current
secretariat will be held in The Seychelles from Monday 25th - Thursday
28th April 2005 and have great pleasure in inviting you to this
meeting.

ICRI is a partnership among nations and organizations seeking to
implement the recommendations of the Rio Earth Summit (Agenda 21, Ch.17)
and other international Conventions and agreements for the benefit of
coral reefs and related ecosystems.  The Initiative was established in
order to stop and reverse the global degradation of coral reefs and
related ecosystems. The ICRI partnership and approach thus far has been
to mobilise governments and a wide range of other stakeholders in an
effort to improve management practices, increase capacity and political
support, and share information on the health of these ecosystems.

We anticipate three elements to this forthcoming meeting:
(1) the general meeting
(2) a field trip
(3) an extended discussion on the outcomes of the Small Island
Developing States BPOA+10 Meeting in Mauritius, January 2005

Information regarding the time tabling and agenda for this meeting will
be made available in the run up to the meeting on the official website,
www.icriforum.org .  Discussions of matters to be taken up at the
meeting will also be held on the discussion forum, and I encourage you
to register and participate in these online discussions.  

Further details regarding meeting venues, accommodation and other
information to assist participants in making preparations to attend this
meeting will be announced in the New Year.  Please be advised that
participants are asked to make their own travel, accommodation and visa
arrangements.  should you require a hard copy letter of invitation to
arrange visas, please contact me at the email address given below.

If anyone wishes to book a flight early (Prior to the 31st January) to
take advantage of a lower price please contact me in the first instance
to confirm there have been no changes in date.

We would be grateful if you could register your intention to attend by
e-mailing icri at unep-wcmc.org , 

I look forward to your acceptance of this invitation

With kind regards

Emily Corcoran

Designated Administrative Authority of the Joint UK-Seychelles ICRI
Secretariat
c/o UNEP-WCMC
219 Huntingdon Road
Cambridge
CB3 0DL, UK
Tel +44 (0)1223 277314
Fax +44 (0)1223 277136