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Anew intergovernmental network organization - the Micronesian Association for Sustainable Aquaculture (MASA) - came into force on 25 November 2015 after high level officials of the founding member governments signed its charter agreement. The adoption of the MASA Agreement marked the transition of MASA as a project by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) to an independent organization, owned and operated by its member governments. The event, hosted by Government of Palau was held on 23-25 November in Koror. Palau will also host the headquarters of MASA. The members - those that signed the MASA Agreement - are the Republic of Marshall Islands (RMI) and Nauru. The Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), which participated in the High Level Officials Meeting and MASA Inaugural Meeting, deferred.
Inaugural meeting
MASA convened its first meeting on 25 November. The Honorable F. Umiich Sengebau, Minister of Natural Resources, Environment and Tourism of Palau, was elected Chair of the Association and Mr Peter Diema, Member of the Board of Directors of Nauru's Marine Resources and Fishery Authority as Vice-Chair. The inaugural meeting adopted the MASA administrative instruments and its Three-Year Technical Work Program. Palau will constitute an Interim Secretariat at the Bureau of Marine Resources (BMR)
One of its first tasks is to draft MASA's plan of work for 2016; the Association decided to meet again in July 2016 in Koror.
Commitments
Minister Sengebau declared that the signing of MASA's charter agreement means they have agreed to work together to pursue the goals of the Association, committed...