Manokwari, West Papua, October 10, 2018 - Sustainable management of natural resources and ecosystems in the Land of Papua is a joint commitment of the West Papua Provincial Government, the Papua Provincial Government, the central government, and local, national and international development partners. This commitment was declared at the closing ceremony of the International Conference on Biodiversity, Ecotourism & Creative Economy (ICBE) in Manokwari, West Papua on October 10, 2018.

The Manokwari Declaration, which aims to strengthen the commitment of stakeholders in managing natural resources and ecosystems sustainably in the two provinces in the Land of Papua, was signed by West Papua Governor Dominggus Mandacan and Papua Governor Lukas Enembe. This commitment is Papua's real contribution to the achievement of ecosystem protection and biodiversity targets which are also Human Development Goals in Indonesia.

Governor of West Papua Province, Dominggus Mandacan emphasized his commitment to increase protected functions to 70% in the allocation of spatial patterns in West Papua Province. This is a concrete proof following the declaration of Conservation Province in 2015.

"This commitment is a good intention to start a development approach that respects environmental services and preserves natural resources that provide more benefits for the welfare of indigenous peoples," said Dominggus Mandacan.

"Trying to stay focused on the sustainable development agenda is honestly quite difficult because every time there are parties waiting for me at the door to get a new concession license. But we must obey the rules, including obeying the Presidential Instruction for a moratorium on oil palm and mining land clearing, in collaboration with law enforcement agencies. If there is anything that needs to be reviewed, we will use it as data for decision-making. This is what must be done if you do not want to deal with the KPK and BPK, "said the Governor of West Papua on the occasion of the ICBE discussion session.

In line with that, the Governor of Papua, represented by Assistant 2, Noak Kapisa expressed his hope that the vision of the Conservation Province which promotes sustainable development will soon be realized. "This declaration is proof of the consistency of the Papua Provincial Government in implementing Vision 2100 which emphasizes improving the quality of life of all people as high as possible and as fair as possible. This vision statement emphasizes the importance of nature for Papua in the present and future," Noak Kapisa said.

The four-day conference, which took the theme "Sustainable Province: Smart Solutions for Development in the Land of Papua" involved about 750 participants from Indonesia and abroad, including the United States, Britain, Brazil, Mexico, the Netherlands, Germany, Spain, Australia, Japan, China, Korea, Papua New Guinea and others.

Tanah Papua is 41 million ha of land and waters administratively divided into two, namely Papua Province with an area of 314,066.64 km2 and West Papua Province with an area of 108,181.76 km2. Forest and water areas in Tanah Papua are biodiversity assets for Indonesia.

The spirit of this declaration is expected to support the establishment of new conservation areas and essential ecosystem areas in the terrestrial landscape, as well as the establishment of a management network for conservation areas and seascape waters in the Land of Papua, which are designated as areas that aim to protect hydrology, socio-culture and customary forests. This declaration is also expected to support the active involvement and capacity building of communities in the management of biological resources and ecosystems in the Land of Papua.

The initiatives and contributions of the two local governments are expected to support the achievement of the target allocation of cultivation and protected spaces in the Land of Papua for the sake of preserving nature as a source of livelihood and life for mankind.

"What has been launched by the Governors of Papua and West Papua by making Tanah Papua a sustainable province based on customary territories is a new breakthrough to support national and global commitments in an effort to improve the welfare of the community while reducing CO2 emissions. The next challenge is how to change the paradigm that developing Papua is not solely by converting natural forests for land-based investments such as oil palm plantations, industrial plants, or mining. The commitment of the two regional heads to realize the vision of a sustainable province based on customary territories is in line with the spirit to preserve the Land of Papua, God's paradise that fell to earth," Benja concluded.