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The 9th Meeting of the CBFP Governing Council was held on Friday 16 July 2021 in Douala Cameroon by video conference at the Hotel La Falaise.
Please download the minutes of the 9th Meeting of the CBFP Governing Council
This meeting was part of the CBFP's cooperation framework, which provides for the CBFP Council to meet twice a year, and followed Experts Meeting to follow up on the N'Djamena Conference on the development of country investment plans focusing on zoonoses, transhumance, the fight against cross-border poaching, security and sustainable development between the Sahel and the Congo Basin, which was held from 12 to 15 July 2021 at the same venue. The representatives of the seven colleges who attended the CBFP meeting actively participated, namely:
- CBFP regional College: ECCAS, COMIFAC;
- CBFP civil society college: CEFDHAC-CPR and ROSCEVAC accompanied by representatives of the REFACOF and REFADD networks and RECEIAC;
- CBFP International NGO College: AWF, WCS;
- CBFP Private Sector College: ATIBT and Earthworm Foundations, Volcanoes Safaris;
- CBFP Donor College: USA, UK, Germany;
- CBFP Scientific and Academic College: CIFOR, IRET;
- CBFP Multilateral College: FAO, UNESCO and GVTC, ITTO.
The objectives of the CBFP Governing Council meeting, now in its ninth year, were, on the one hand, to consolidate the strengthening of CBFP governance and to provide an ideal framework to promote broad-base dialogue and effective cooperation between all the stakeholders within the partnership, whose membership has increased considerably since its creation.
On the other hand, to enable the CBFP Council members to have an overview of the coordination and harmonisation of actions in favour of the forest ecosystems of the Congo Basin.
And finally, to consider a better articulation between sustainable forest management strategies and economic development objectives in the region.
The CBFP Governing Council meeting was co-chaired by the Honourable Dr. Christian Ruck and by the current President of COMIFAC, His Excellency Jules Doret Ndongo, Minister of Forests and Wildlife of Cameroon. It was organised with the financial support of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the technical support of the German Technical Cooperation GIZ.
The programme of the ninth CBFP Council Meeting was structured around a first segment dedicated to the opening ceremony.
The CBFP Facilitator of the Federal Republic of Germany, the Honorable Dr Christian RUCK, welcomed the participants and recalled the recommendations of the last CBFP Governing Council.
Dr. Honoré TABUNA, Commissioner for the Environment, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Rural Development of the ECCAS Commission, speaking in a video conference on behalf of His Excellency Ambassador Gilberto Da Piedade Veríssimo, President of the ECCAS Commission, recalled all the support that ECCAS provides to its specialised body, COMIFAC, in the area of forest management and natural resource conservation. He stressed that the first results of the restructured ECCAS Commission will be presented to the ECCAS Heads of State on 23 July 2021. He also announced that a workshop would be held in Brazzaville to adopt a common definition of the various key terms such as "forest" and "deforestation" in particular, as part of a strategic reflection on the forest economy and the role of forests in the sustainable development of territories/communities. Dr. Honoré TABUNA ended his speech by wishing every success in the work of the 9th CBFP Council.
In his opening speech, His Excellency Mr. Jules Doret NDONG congratulated the CBFP Facilitator of the Federal Republic of Germany, Dr. Christian RUCK, for the efforts made to ensure the success of the Council meeting and Experts meeting on the follow-up of the N’djamena Declaration, despite the threats and risks related to COVID-19.
"The CBFP has already been providing increased support to the Congo Basin for 20 years by facilitating synergies between the countries of the sub-region. The efforts of the Congo Basin will be heard only in this way," stressed the Minister.
He recalled the challenges for the preservation of the Congo Basin ecosystems, including the fight against new forms of wildlife crime. Efforts have been made, but much remains to be done. He recalled COMIFAC's expectations with regard to the 9th Council meeting and the United Nations framework declaration. Finally, he encouraged the participants to combine their efforts to achieve the objectives of the 9th meeting of the Council.
The 9th meeting of the CBFP Governing Council started with a review and adoption of the items on the agenda of the CBFP Governing Council.
As planned in the agenda, the CBFP Facilitator of the Federal Republic of Germany, the Honourable Dr. Christian RUCK, gave a progress report on the implementation of the CBFP facilitation roadmap.
Dr. Christian RUCK's presentation was highly praised by the participants. As a comment, the current President of COMIFAC appreciated the report and the effort made to have a common declaration of the Congo Basin aiming to speak with one voice during international meetings.
The Minister congratulated:
- the increase in the German facilitation fund via CAFI
- the increase in funding for the Congo Basin
- Technical and thematic studies on resource development
He requested similar studies this time on REDD+ for the development of ecotourism.
The CBFP Facilitator took note of the Minister's complaint and affirmed that efforts are being made to increase or expand funding for the Basin. He is optimistic that a deal for the Congo Basin will be reached soon.
Concerning the organisation of the Forestry Symposium in Germany, the Minister asked the COMIFAC SG to initiate correspondence to sensitise the countries, ensure their presence and plan their interventions during the Symposium.
According to the agenda, the meeting continued with the reading of the report of the Douala country Experts' meeting on the follow-up of the N'Djamena Declaration: Overview and future prospects.
This presentation led to discussions, particularly on the legitimacy of the CBFP to organise joint activities in the Congo Basin and neighbouring countries to fight transhumance. The Minister asked to add as a recommendation to the report: to rely on the Organisation for the Conservation of Wildlife in Africa (OCFSA) which has an African coverage to implement these activities.
It was agreed that the German CBFP Facilitation will no longer be the main organiser of the country Experts' meetings and the process towards N’Djamena 2, but that this responsibility will be given to ECCAS in close collaboration with IGAD and ECOWAS for the political, COMIFAC/OCFSA for the operational and organisational aspects. The German CBFP Facilitation and the Leaders and Co-leaders of the partners in the geographical blocks would provide support.
An update was made on the organisation of the 19th CBFP Meeting of the Parties (MOP): host Country, date, structure/articulation/architecture and desired outcomes/highlights of the plenary, funding and the next CBFP Facilitator after Germany (end of 2022) to be announced at the 19th MOP.
Another point was made on the common position: Overview and way forward on the Declaration of the ECCAS/COMIFAC countries for the Congo Basin forests and their periphery in preparation for major international events: Berlin Tropical Forest Symposium, Congresses and COPs
The last item of the meeting was the presentation of the CBFP Colleges reports and declaration to report on the activities (news), and its perspectives or planned activities.
Reports:
- Report of the Regional College: news from regional organisations: ECCAS, COMIFAC, OCFSA; Congo Basin Climate Commission
- Report of the CBFP Colleges
- Housekeeping and strategic planning (CBFP Facilitation)
Statements:
- Statement by representatives of financial partners (US, Germany)
- Statement by representatives of Civil Society Organisations (CEFDHAC, ROSCEVAC)
- Statement by representatives of international NGOs (AWF, WCS)
- Statement by representatives of the private sector (ATIBT, Earthworm Foundation)
- Statement by representatives of scientists and training (CIFOR, IRET)
- Statement by representatives of multilateral organisations (GVTC, UNESCO)
The 9th CBFP Governing Council ended with a question-and-answer session and miscellaneous. His Excellency Mr. Jules Doret Ndongo, Minister of Forests and Wildlife of Cameroon, and current President of COMIFAC, closed up the works of the 9th CBFP Governing Council at 2:00 pm.
Please consult photos of 9th CBFP Governing Council
Please download the report of the meeting below:
This thematic summary and Compendium serve to compile the discussions, recommendations and conclusions reached over 4 intensive days of work in thematic ateliers (Streams), plenary, side events and political discussions.
Mr Christophe Guilhou, Director of Sustainable Development, Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, France, and Mr Ghislain Moussavou, Director General of Forests, Ministry of Water, Forests, the Sea and the Environment, in charge of the Climate Plan and the Land Use Plan, Gabon, were officially installed as CBFP Facilitators on 12 July 2023 during a ceremony to hand over the CBFP Facilitation from Germany to Gabon and France, presided over by Prof. Sanctus Niragira, Minister of the Environment, Agriculture and Livestock, Burundi, and current Chairman of COMIFAC.
At the 11th Meeting of the Governing Council of the Congo Basin Forest Partnership (CBFP) on 12 July 2023, the Honourable Dr. Christian Ruck presented to the members of the said Council an 11 point summary of the activities carried out by the CBFP Facilitation of the Federal Republic of Germany during its mandate....
The French-Gabonese facilitation is part of this unprecedented framework. Firstly, because this is the first time since the creation of the Partnership that this work has been carried out jointly by a donor country, France, and a Congo Basin forest country, Gabon. In addition, the One Forest Summit, held in Libreville in March 2023, reiterated the importance of Central Africa's forests, promoting greater scientific cooperation, sustainable value chains and the development of innovative financing mechanisms.
The 11th meeting of the CBFP Governing Council was held on July 12, 2023 in Yaoundé, Cameroon. This "statutory" meeting in the organised by the CBFP, of which the objective was to present the Roadmap of the Franco-Gabonese Facilitation to the members of the CBFP Governing Council, took place just after the handover of the CBFP Facilitation from Germany to France and Gabon.
M. Christophe GUILHOU was recently appointed Co-Facilitator of the Congo Basin Forest Partnership (CBFP) by the Government of the French Republic for the period July 2023 to 2025. Please download his biography...
The presentations of the CBFP geographical blocks at the Second International Conference of Ministers on Transboundary Transhumance Nexus: transhumance, protected areas and natural resources, development, peace and security from 10 to 12 July in Yaoundé Cameroon are available. Please download the presentations of the Country Investment Plans (PIP) of the different blocks....
The Congo Basin, sometimes referred to as the “heart of Africa” and “lungs of the world,” absorbs more carbon than the tropical forests of the Amazon and Southeast Asia combined. It's home to 75 million people and species found nowhere else on Earth. Yet these forests are disappearing at alarming rates.
We hereby cordially invite you to our regional launch of the German cooperation project "Peaceful and inclusive transhumance in Cameroon, Niger, Nigeria, and Chad" at the Second International Conference of Ministers on Transboundary Transhumance.
Dear Panelists, dear Guests, You are invited to take part in the sharing and reflection workshop that IOM Cameroon and KAS are organizing on the theme: "Practical solutions to migration, security and climate change: Initiatives and commitments by civil society and the United Nations to address and resolve challenges". As part of the Second International Ministerial Conference on Transboundary Transhumance - Nexus.
Yaoundé, July 4, 2023 - From July 10 to 12, 2023, under the high patronage of the President of the Republic of Cameroon, His Excellency Paul Biya, Cameroon will host the Second International Conference of Ministers on Transboundary Transhumance Nexus: transhumance, protected areas and natural resources, development, peace and security. Please download the Document...
The Global Environment Facility’s governing board has approved plans to establish a “game-changing” new fund to finance the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, which aims to put nature on a recovery path by the end of this decade. The GEF Council decision, taken during a meeting in Brazil, clears the way for the launch of the Global Biodiversity Framework Fund at the Seventh GEF Assembly, to take place in Vancouver, Canada, in August.
The purpose of the visit on Friday June 23, 2023 was for the team from the Ministry of External Relations of Cameroon (MIREX) to make sure that the Hilton's facilities are adequate to welcome the ministers and participants expected to attend the Ministers' Conference on transborder Transhumance from July 10 to 12, 2023.
This is the objective of the virtual meeting held this Monday, June 19, 2023, between the CBFP Facilitation of the Federal Republic of Germany, headed by the Honorable Dr. Christian Ruck, and some fifteen networks and forums that are members of the CBFP Civil Society College.
"I've already attended the COP in France, in Egypt, and everyone kept talking about the Amazon. So I said to myself: why not hold the conference here, so that everyone knows about the Amazon?", justified Lula. A climate summit in the middle of the Amazon rainforest. Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva announced on Friday May 26 that the UN had chosen the Amazonian town of Belem to host the COP30 climate conference in 2025. "It will be an honor for Brazil to receive representatives from all over the world in our Amazon," Lula wrote on social networks.
The Least Developed Countries Fund (LDCF) and Special Climate Change Fund (SCCF) will deploy $63 million in urgent funding for countries on the frontlines of climate change following a meeting of the Global Environment Facility-managed funds in Brazil.
Douala, Cameroon, May 24-26, 2023. As part of the implementation of the recommendations of the first high-level concertation for peaceful transborder transhumance in the Lake Chad Basin, held in Ndjamena in September 2019, ECCAS and ECOWAS have undertaken a mapping study of actions and initiatives contributing to the prevention and resolution of conflicts linked to competition for access to resources in the Lake Chad Basin, CAR and DRC. This study was financed by the ECCAS Border Program Support Project (APF-CEEAC).
To read: DRIVING AFRICAN-LED CONSERVATION THROUGH THE POWER OF PARTNERSHIP – Letter from CEO … A Landmark conservation gathering… APAC highlights… The power of network-building…
This workshop took place from June 13 to 15, 2023 in the conference room of the ZION BEACH hotel in Bujumbura, Burundi. The aim of the sub-regional meeting was to develop a RECEIAC action strategy to reinforce the promotion and ownership of the revised COMIFAC convergence plan by stakeholders.
The online training course in Botanical Garden management was created and financed as part of the SEP2D Program (Sud-Expert Plantes - Développement Durable/ Sud-Expert Plants - Sustainable development). The SEP2D program is part of the international drive to support and accompany scientific communities in the South, reaffirmed at the 10th Conference of the Convention on Biological Diversity in Nagoya in 2010. It aims to strengthen interactions and partnerships in plant biodiversity between research, teaching and the demands of society.
Yaoundé, Cameroon, June 9, 2023- The COMIFAC Gender Committee, created by a memorandum dated January 11, 2023, held its first meeting at the COMIFAC Executive Secretariat Head Office. The meeting was attended by some twenty members representing the COMIFAC Executive Secretariat, technical partners and civil society organizations, including FAO, FTNS, GIZ, Rain Forest Alliance, REFADD, RIFFEAC and IUCN.
The second edition of the report on the summary of forest and wildlife offences published by the Field Legality Advisory Group (FLAG) in 2021 analyses Cameroon's forest and wildlife litigation based on the summaries (a document presenting court cases and files monitored by the forest and wildlife administration over a given period) published by the Ministry of Forests and Wildlife and obtained by FLAG over the period 2019-2020.
The quality of a blue carbon ecosystem project, essential for investor appeal, must be judged by strong social outcomes, benefit sharing, and community support, all of which can ultimately determine the project’s sustainability and contribution to climate change mitigation and adaptation.
When it meets this month in Brasilia, the Global Environment Facility’s governing body will consider a record $1.4 billion work program and set the contours of a new Global Biodiversity Framework Fund, speeding up international efforts to confront species loss and related crises.
The Climate Chance Summit Africa 2023 will bring together on the 23rd, 24th and 2th of October 2023 at the Palais des Congrès in Yaounde 1,500 African actors from the "climate community": high-level personalities, experts, actors in the field, representatives of local governments, businesses and organised civil society.
Celebrations for World Environment Day 2023 kicked off in host-country Cote d’Ivoire, as millions of people prepare for similar activities across the world. Venues across the capital city, Abidjan – from its historic lagoon to its first modern art museum - shone the spotlight on this year’s theme #Beat Plastic Pollution.
Congo Basin Carbon brings together information on various research and education projects in the Yangambi and Luki MAB Reserves in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Through this website we hope to strengthen research networks and improve project visibility, specifically for carbon research. Tropical rainforests such as the forests of the Congo Basin comprise nearly half of the world’s vegetation carbon. Intact tropical forests represent a carbon sink at a level that is higher than other vegetation types. The issues of carbon stocks, sinks and sources in tropical forests are therefore a central topic in international policy debates on climate changes.
At last year’s United Nations Conference on Climate Change (COP26), 141 leaders committed to halt and reverse forest loss and degradation by 2030. Forests, particularly tropical ones, are known to play a crucial role in removing carbon from the atmosphere, partially offsetting the effect of greenhouse gas emissions. This is a highly valuable service to the global climate, meaning the world should be willing to pay to ensure it happens. In this policy note, we look at just how valuable that service is, and put that in the context of aid efforts to protect forests.
During the process of photosynthesis, trees naturally absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Rainforests act as important 'carbon sinks' stemming global heating. The Congo rainforest is the planet’s most important “lung,” new data has revealed. The world’s rainforests absorb huge amounts of carbon dioxide, slowing down global warming.
The world is getting a better understanding of just how important forests are in the global fight against climate change. New research, published in Nature Climate Change and available on Global Forest Watch, found that the world’s forests sequestered about twice as much carbon dioxide as they emitted between 2001 and 2019. In other words, forests provide a “carbon sink” that absorbs a net 7.6 billion metric tonnes of CO2 per year, 1.5 times more carbon than the United States emits annually.
This brief describes the first efforts to integrate agroforestry with charcoal production in the Yangambi tropical forest landscape. Activities resulted in both increased food crop production and reforestation, as well as the establishment of producer-led local associations and greater collaboration between communities and local authorities.
The GEF Secretariat prepared this document to summarize the GEF’s potential role in a financial mechanism for the internationally legally binding instrument under negotiation under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ). The document is prepared to help inform deliberations. It also includes questions and answers to key issues raised thus far by countries. GEF’s role as Convention Financial Mechanism: The GEF serves as a/the financial mechanism for five Conventions, namely the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), Minamata Convention on Mercury, Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Chemicals, UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), and UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
On May 8, 2023, in the BOUN'S Hotel conference, in Yaoundé, a workshop was held to launch the process of drawing up the Cameroon Country Investment Plan (CIP) on the nexus of transboundary transhumance, protected areas, peace and security, and development. Please download the final communiqué of the workshop...
Geneva and Yaoundé, 26 May 2023. The Ministry of Economy, Planning and Land Planning of Cameroon (MINEPAT) and CAFI are launching two Calls for Expressions of Interest today to all relevant implementing organisations concerned, representing a maximum of 60 million US$.
WWF is supporting the Government of Cameroon in her effort to restore more than 12 million hectares of degraded landscapes in the country. In 2017, the Ministry of Environment and the Ministry of Forestry and Wildlife committed, on behalf of the Government of Cameroon, to restore 12,062,768 ha of degraded landscapes under AFR100 and the Bonn Challenge by 2030. Of these, 80% are in the three northern regions of Adamaoua, North and Far North; with the remainder in the high plateau, Centre region, vast forest and coastal areas (Mangroves).