Press release - Sustainable value chains workshop

Theme: From Kinshasa to Douala to Belém - Sustainable value chains in Central Africa: Challenges, opportunities and strategies!

Douala, December 15, 2024.  The French and Gabonese co-facilitation of the Congo Basin Forest Partnership (CBFP) jointly with the Central African Forest Commission (COMIFAC) will organise a regional workshop on sustainable value chains from December 16 to 18, 2024 at the Akwa Palace Hotel in Douala, Cameroon.

Based on decisions taken at the thematic workshop on the CBFP 20th Meeting of Parties on sustainable chain values, the workshop aims to promote the development of sustainable economic sectors fighting deforestation in the Congo Basin. The workshop shall enable the laying of political, strategic and pragmatic foundations of sustainable value chains thereby answering the urgent need to speed-up the creation of  local added values against the 30th session of the Conference of Parties at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (CoP 30 Climate) that shall hold in Belém,Brazil, 2025.

About three hundred participants are expected. Including representatives of regional institutions (CEMAC, COMIFAC, ECCAS), ministers of forestry, agriculture, economy and land tenure, technical and financial partners and research, civil society and private sector institutions.  

On the agenda of the CBFP Workshop on Sustainable Value Chains are:

• An opening session with addresses from the CBFP Co-Facilitators, the High Business Council of Central Africa, CEMAC, COMIFAC, ECCAS and HE Jules Doret Ndongo, Cameroon’s Minister of Forestry and Wildlife.  
• Introductory session on Sustainable Value Chains: Stakes, opportunities, prospects, strategies and transversality.
• Session 1- Resource mobilisation and development model, facilitated by the ATIBT - CEMAC – COMIFAC.
• Session 2-log export ban facilitated by the ATIBT - CEMAC – COMIFAC.
• Session 3- Industrial model, facilitated by the ATIBT - CEMAC – COMIFAC.
• Session 4a: Promotion of ecotourism in the Congo Basin, facilitated  by USAID /Tetratech - Volcanoes Safaris - COMIFAC – CEMAC-ECCAS. Parallel session.
• Session 4b: Natural capital of Congo Basin forests – Plenary session facilitated by the FAO.
• Session 5a - PFLN - Bioeconomy - Bio innovation – NCE, facilitated by the CBFP Co-facilitation and the FAO.
• Session 5b - social forestry/Participative.
• Session 6 - European Union’s Deforestation Regulations (EUDR), facilitated by: EU - ECCAS – COMIFAC.
• Session 7- Planning, land tenures.  Facilitators: WRI – ECCAS
• Session 8 - Sustainable territories and commodities.  Facilitator:   Rainforest Alliance – COMIFAC.
• Session 9 - Lanscape restoration. Facilitators:  UICN – COMIFAC.
• Restitution sessions and closing plenary

This workshop is organised in close collaboration with the Central African Economic and Monetary Community (CEMAC), the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), the Central African Economic and Monetary Community (CEEAC), the Central African Forest Initiative (CAFI) and the support of the Cameroonian government. 

For more information:  Kindly email merline.touko@pfbc-cbfp.org in copy with  dany.pokem@pfbc-cbfp.org .