Terms of reference of the CBFP Donor College

Donor College Members and Their Duties

Donor College members include, but are not limited to, partner governments, multilateral financing institutions, and philanthropic organizations that are engaged in financing and program support in CBFP countries.  It is expected that all Donor College members will, inter alia, be responsible for:

• Actively participating in Donor College meetings and activities;
• Participating and supporting the annual CBFP Meeting of Parties;

Election of Co-Chairs and Their Duties

The Donor College should elect by acclamation two co-chairs.  Any member of the Donor College may serve as co-chair regardless of their affiliation.  It is expected that the co-chairs will, be responsible for:

• Organizing and facilitating Donor College meetings;  
• Seeking and preparing Donor College input for Governing Council and Meeting of Parties agendas;
• Drafting the annual Congo Basin Pledge Report until end of the Pledge in 2025 (to be published at COP31);
• Facilitating communication between Donor College members, CBFP Secretariat, and CBFP Facilitators;
• Drafting an annual work plan/priorities paper for the Donor College.

Co-Chairs Terms of Office

The mandate of co-chairs should be two calendar years, is subject to annual extensions, but not to exceed four years. Co-chairs should rotate on a staggered basis to help maintain continuity and planned rotations should be announced as soon as possible. In the event, one or both co-chairs need to relinquish their duties, a replacement should be identified as soon as possible.  

Representation at Governing Council Meetings

The Donor College should be represented by two Donor College members at CBFP Governing Council meetings.  The representatives will likely, but not necessarily, be the Donor College co-chairs.  The Donor College is encouraged to identify alternate representative(s) for Governing Council participation. It is expected that the representatives will, inter alia, be responsible for:

• Acting as the “voice and the ears” of the Donor College peers;
• Representing the input or orientations agreed beforehand by the Donor College;
• Reporting on all Governing Council meetings to the Donor College.

Meeting Frequency

Consistent with the CBFP Cooperation Framework, the Donor College should meet physically at least once a year, at the annual Meeting of CBFP Parties.  Additional meetings are encouraged on the margins of events where many college members participate, such as relevant UN COPs, relevant regional conferences, etc.  In addition to the Annual Meeting, the Donor College should strive to meet virtually on a quarterly basis.

Decision Making

All decisions will be made by consensus.

Non-Binding Character

These terms of reference are not an international agreement and do not give rise to rights or obligations under domestic or international law.

Adopted on 5 June 2024 at the 20th CBFP Meeting of Parties in Kinshasa, DRC.