About thirty journalists exchanged extensively with officials at the closing ceremony of the CBFP Partners’ Meeting

Douala (Cameroon), 29 February 2012 – Closing ceremony of the CBFP 10^th Partners’ Meeting alongside a Press Café: radio, television and public and private print media at Sawa Hotel in Douala. The "Press Café” was jointly organized by the CBFP and COMIFAC Executive Secretariat.

The topics discussed during this press briefing were the following:

(1) The conclusions of the Governance and Land Use day of 29 February 2012, including the following four sessions:

♦ Introductory Statements and Key Note Address moderated by Martin Tadoum, COMIFAC Deputy Executive Secretary

♦ Session 1            Land Use in Africa and its Conversion to Other Uses: Threats and Opportunities – moderated by Clotilde Gomba, CBFP/BAD

♦ Session 2            Good Practices – Learnt Lessons – Land Use – moderated by Jean-Claude Nguinguiri, FAO

♦ Session 3            The Impacts of Current Progress on Future Markets – Main Challenges and Stakes

♦ Session 3            Political, Institutional and Regulatory Stakes – moderated by Dr Chimère Diaw RAFM

♦ Session 3           Towards an Active Synergy Between Technical and Financial Partners in Forest Governance in the Congo Basin - Moderated by Alain Kersenty

(2)      The conclusions of the CBFP 10^th Partners’ Meeting, on the following points:

♦ CBFP Facilitation road map: From Kinshasa to Douala (via Bujumbura)

♦ Dynamics of COMIFAC and her partners

♦ CBFP action priorities based on opportunities and constraints… Information market

♦ Follow-up of the Durban declaration on REDD+

These exchanges facilitated a better appropriation and internalization by the Cameroonian public of the actual and potential advantages of the Congo Basin Forest Partnership for COMIFAC countries in general and for Cameroon in particular.

Moderated by Mr Isaac Njifakué, (IMCS Director), the panel featured three personalities, namely, the CBFP Facilitator, the Canadian High Commissioner, the US ambassadors in Cameroon and Gabon, on “The conclusions of the 10^th Partners’ Meeting in Douala”.