Beside the putting in place of this sub-work group, the GTBAC 13 presents the balance sheet of its activities, prepares the 6^th Pan African APA workshop, adopts its 2012 road map and formulates recommendations on the APA Process including:  The COMIFAC sub-regional project on APA and funding, the revision and the updating of SPANB (explain), non-timber forest products (NTFP) and their links with APA.

Participants agreed on the REDD and Biodiversity, traditional knowledge, bush meat, political sciences platform on Biodiversity and eco-systemic services (IPBES), The Central Africa Forest Observatory, the activities of COMIFAC partner organizations, the putting in place of a sub-work group on wildlife and protected areas.

Available for download:

 GTBAC 13 final communiqué

GTBAC 2013 Road Map

From the 13 to 17 December 2011, holding in Douala (Cameroon) of the thirteenth GTBAC meeting. The meeting had the following objectives: (1) To make an appraisal of the implementation of COMIFAC APA in the different countries in order to seek ways to build the capacities for the implementation the APA protocol at national level; (2) To make an appraisal of the activities in connection with the revision process of National Strategies and Action Plans in favour of biodiversity (SPANB) within the framework of the implementation of the Aichi Declaration. (3) To prepare the 6^th APA Pan-African workshop; (4) To evaluate the implementation of GTBAC 2012 roadmap; (5) To report on and discuss the conclusions of the sub-regional, regional and international meetings; (6) To discuss the idea of the creation of a wildlife sub-work group within GTBAC; (7) To elaborate and validate GTBAC 2012 roadmap.     

 The meeting gathered representatives of the following COMIFAC countries: Burundi, Cameroon, Congo, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Representatives of international organisations and the civil society: FAO, UICN, RAPAC, REPAR, TRAFFIC, GIZ, Initiative for APA-related capacity building, COMIFAC ES members and CBFP Facilitation representative.  The meeting was organized by COMIFAC ES, with GIZ financial support.

For five consecutive days, with many communications in plenary, participants listened to exposés structured around eight aspects, including: (1) Presentation of the Nagoya Protocol by the representative of CDB ES;     (2) Statement by the representative of the Congo Basin Forest Partnership (CBFP) on.... (3) Presentation by countries of the state progress of the implementation of the APA process by a representative of each country; (4) APA sub-regional project by COMIFAC ES expert; (5) State of progress of SPANB revision and updating process by a country representative; Analysis of COMIFAC countries SPANBs by an expert of COMIFAC ES; (7) Intervention of the representative of the Sangha Tri-National Foundation (TNS); (8) Exercise on the identification of capacity building needs for SPANB revision; (9) Restitution of the first meeting of PFNL-GTBAC Sub-work group by Gabon NTFP focal point; Putting in place of the NTFP National Consultative Committee by one of FAO representatives; (11) Non timber forest products and APA by the representative of APA initiative; (12) Restitution of REDD workshop (or REDD+?).  And Biodiversity for the Africa region by CAR CDB focal point;    (13) Restitution of the 7^th meeting of the art work group by CHAD CDB focal point CDB; (14) Results of the 15^th meeting of the subsidiary organ responsible for providing Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice by DR Congo CDB focal point; (15) Conclusions of the first meeting of the Political Science platform on Biodiversity and Eco-systemic Services  by Congo CDB focal point CDB; (16) Presentation of OFAC’s activities by it's representative; (17) Celebration of the international day of biodiversity and the International Year of Forests by the Coordinator of Support to COMIFAC, a GTZ project; (18) The activities of partner organizations (REPAR, FAO, RAPAC, TRAFFIC, UICN, GIZ, and APA initiative).

 At the end of intense plenary and group work, participants adopted a final communiqué    . In general, GTBAC 13 has set up a sub-work group on bush meat and protected areas. They presented the 2011 activity report and prepared the 6^th Pan-African APA workshop. In preparation of 2012, participants adopted the road map that will guide GTBAC in 2012.  They formulated several recommendations on the APA Process, its COMIFAC sub-regional project on APA and funding, SNANBs revision and updating, non timber forest products and their links with APA. Furthermore, participants agreed on the REDD and Biodiversity, traditional knowledge, bush meat, Political Sciences platform on Biodiversity and eco-systemic Services (IPBES), the Central African Forest Observatory, the activities of COMIFAC partner organizations, the putting in place of a sub-work group on wildlife and protected areas Besides, participants at GTBAC 13 took an appointment for the 6^th Pan-African APA Workshop to take place in Limbe, Cameroon from the 30 January to 3 February 2012.

To sum up, constructive discussions and concrete results of this thirteenth meeting confirmed the important role GTBAC intends to play in order to guarantee the implementation of Nagoya recommendations in Central Africa.

To better understand the stakes of this meeting, please download:

 GTBAC 13 final communiqué

GTBAC 2013 Road Map

Family Photo: GTBAC 10