The partnership is fully operational, making considerable progress in all thematic work areas. Tools that support management of coral reefs for climate resilience have been launched; demonstration initiatives on supporting reef management through private sector partnerships and economic instruments are underway; regional initiatives for coral reef indicators and reporting have been established with ICRI/GCRMN; and governing bodies of several Regional Seas have adopted resolutions on partnership activities and outputs. The Partnership Steering committee held its first meeting in November 2015.

Some delays have been experienced but overall the partnership remains well on track.

The partnership work programme for 2016 is aimed primarily at concluding activities focused on development of tools, approaches, datasets and knowledge products, and increasingly moving the focus towards demonstrating and scaling up use of these in ecosystem-based management from 2017. This will include particular attention to implementation of the UNEA-2 resolution on sustainable coral reefs management (EA/2/12). The partnership provides a fit-for-purpose mechanism for implementing action requested of UNEP in the resolution, as well as to support countries in implementing relevant paragraphs of the resolution.

Primary beneficiaries include institutions and individuals involved in coral reef policy development, management planning or implementation, at regional, national and subnational levels, as well as private sector entities that draw benefit from coral reef ecosystem services and stand to be affected by their loss. Ultimate beneficiaries are the many reef dependent people around the world. Primary beneficiaries benefit from methodologies, tools, demonstration implementation and training that enable greater application of ecosystem-based and integrated approaches in the management of coral reefs. Regional Seas make progress towards achieving their action plans and strategies relevant to coral reefs, and are supported in serving their members states in relation to coral reef planning and management as well as regional state of environment reporting for decision support. This provides countries with planning and management tools founded in best practice, for improved management of coral reefs, and capacity building will strengthen countries’ ability to use such tools, which enables countries to make progress towards meeting internationally adopted targets, including Aichi Target 10, and SAMOA Pathway paragraphs 44(b) and 58(e). Several countries and reef dependent communities will benefit directly from demonstration interventions, and the private sector, notably tourism operators in the dive tourism industry, will benefit from tools and guidelines that reduce their environmental footprint, enhance their compliance with regulations and provides opportunities for marketing.