OUR HISTORY

2018

2018 was the establishment of the AIS Forum under the Manado Joint Declaration, agreed to by 21 AIS participating countries. The AIS Forum was officially established on 1 November 2018, through the Manado Joint Declaration at the first Ministerial Meeting of participating countries.

2019

25 countries and 4 international organizations agreed on the First High Level Meeting of the AIS Forum at the 2nd Ministerial Meeting of the AIS Forum.

• Blue Economy cooperation through the AIS Forum framework
• Establishment of the AIS Forum secretariat under the UNDP mechanism
• In 2019, the Blue Economy Development Index (BEDI) framework was launched during the 2nd Ministerial Meeting of the AIS Forum. 
• In 2019, the AIS Forum held the first Startup Business Summit (SBS) , a Startup conference that brought together more than 60 speakers and 10 facilitators from overseas and the Ecotourism Expo that involved 78 exhibitors.

AIS Pledge to Ecotourism: The AIS Pledge to Ecotourism was launched by the AIS Forum at its Ministerial meeting in 2019. The pledge is based on the Palau Pledge, which consists of three main components namely: 1) respecting locals, 2) reducing marine litter, 3) supporting coastal and marine ecosystem protection, 4) promoting the local economy in the destination areas, and 5) protecting children in travel and tourism.

2020

23 countries, 1 observer country, and 6 international organizations joined the 3rd Ministerial Meeting and agreed on The Final Outcome and the establishment of:

• Establishment of the AIS Forum Secretariat under the UNDP mechanism. 
• AIS Innovation Challenge Program to support AIS countries in finding innovative solutions that can enhance their resilience.
• Blue Financing Strategic Framework and Blue Bonds/Sukuk, as a result of the development of innovative financing to promote the blue economy in island and archipelagic countries.
• In 2020, a web-based application called Carbon Inventory for Seagrass Ecosystem/CISE has been developed.

2021

Indonesia conveyed the AIS Forum’s commitment to the UNFCCC, COP 26 through a Joint Statement.

• AIS Forum and Diponegoro University held a summer course from August 18 to September 1, 2021 with the theme of Sustainable Fisheries.
• In 2021, a mobile-based CISE application (Android and IOS) was developed to be used for substantive calculations.
• AIS Forum organized a talk show entitled Blue Financing Strategies in the UNFCCC COP 26 series on November 5, 2021 in Glasgow, Scotland.
• Joint Research Grant: AIS has awarded grants for 3 research projects to be conducted on November 5, 2021 and received funding of 77,000 USD.

2022

22 participating countries & 2 international organizations agreed on the Final Outcome Document of the 4th Ministerial Meeting of the AIS Forum, consist of:

• Enhancing AIS Forum Collaboration for Sustainable and Healthy Oceans
• The 1st High Level Meeting (HLM) as a way to enhance AIS Forum collaboration
• At UNOC 2022, the AIS Forum will organize two seminars on blue economy and sustainable ocean economy solutions.
• In October 2022, the Government of Indonesia and AIS Forum launched the Blue Financing Strategic Document.

2023

First time the Senior Official Meeting was held outside Indonesia. Further, 32 AIS countries & 4 international organizations gathered for the 5th MM and the 1st High Level Meeting of the AIS Forum, which concluded with:

• The Leaders’ Declaration on the Solidarity of the Archipelagic and Island States
• The launch of the AIS Blue Hub and AIS RnD Centre

The journey of the AIS Forum demonstrates the collective efforts of island nations to address increasingly pressing environmental challenges. With multi-stakeholder support and a commitment to work together, the Forum has the potential to be an effective platform for achieving sustainable development goals, particularly in the marine context. The 1st High Level Meeting in 2023, emphasizes the importance of solidarity and cooperation among nations in maintaining the sustainability of marine ecosystems for the welfare of future generations.