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The discussion focused on a proposed Declaration of the CBFP as a ‘type 2’ partnership, which while is not in the position to impose decisions on states, does have an influence over discussions and negotiations at the international level which relate to the region – UNFCCC and CBD in particular. This Declaration is a bit different in part because the Partners have not been able to come together in person, as before, but is particularly important articulate the importance of the Congo Basin to the UNFCCC and CBD agendas. We would like to ensure that the countries of the Congo Basin and the CBFP come to the table with a unified voice and advocate for the people and environment of the congo basin.
21 College Members Participating: Charly Facheux, Andrea Athanas, Emmanuel Heuse, Emma Stokes, Jerome Laycock, Dany Pokem, Nkuintchua Teodyl, Andrew Fowler, Denis Mahonghol, Clotilde Ngomba, Claus Falkenberg, Peter Philippot, Joe Eisen, Constant Momballa Mbun, Charles Bracke, Bricette Nguemwo, Maxime Nzita, Marie-Ange Kalenga, Constant Moballa Mbun,
The discussion focused on a proposed Declaration of the CBFP as a ‘type 2’ partnership, which while is not in the position to impose decisions on states, does have an influence over discussions and negotiations at the international level which relate to the region – UNFCCC and CBD in particular. This Declaration is a bit different in part because the Partners have not been able to come together in person, as before, but is particularly important articulate the importance of the Congo Basin to the UNFCCC and CBD agendas. We would like to ensure that the countries of the Congo Basin and the CBFP come to the table with a unified voice and advocate for the people and environment of the congo basin.
Based on the responses to the questionnaire distributed in June 2020 to the Colleges (annexed), the team has attempted to produce a synthesis with 3 components:
A description of the context and importance of the Congo Basin for climate change and biodiversity and the well-being of the communities living in the Basin.
The evidence of the challenges.
The way forward for the declaration...the approaches required from the international community to support the reversal of the situation.
The purpose of the synthesis is to ensure that the values of the Congo Basin are reflected in the discussions and decisions coming out of the series of meetings and agreements over the coming year. The members of the CBFP now have the opportunity to inform and influence the 21 points that are in the Declaration, and ensure that the points are equitably reflecting the different points of view in the various Colleges around the table in the Partnership.
College members are asked to reflect:
Are there aspects that are missing?
Are there aspects that need to be revised/amended?
Does the Declaration speak to the development and conservation priorities of the governments of the Congo Basin?
On the form of the draft declaration: on the French version, avoid words like Draft 0, Hotspot as there would be French language equivalents.
Have a good understanding of the issues to be addressed, identify the ways to address them on the political aspect; - This requires a commitment to the sustainable governance of resources, the promotion and implementation of essential tools such as land use planning, and the encouragement of a transformational economic model, given that the States have made commitments that are reflected in the percentage of PAs, which has changed significantly since 2002. Next, it is crucial to initiate transitional economy programmes; finally, for biodiversity, consider the territorial development dimension of the Congo Basin PAs outside the Ndjamena process.
The Declaration needs to address the key threats to biodiversity. Transhumance, as address in the N’Djamena declaration, are relevant to the areas bordering the Sahel. Governance and the green economy are essential for highlighting in the Declaration as essential for moving forward in a sustainable direction in the Basin. The Declaration should be inclusive of the actors around the table, not just the government’s perspective...that is the value of the Partnership and the Partnership’s voice, in particular the civil society organisations and indigenous peoples of the Congo Basin. There should be elements reflecting FLEGT and CAFFE as existing work programs of the CBFP. Rights and FPIC in particular should be addressed in the Declaration, particularly given the promotion of 30% of the land of the Congo Basin target...and the essential requirement of protecting rights in any future planning for protected areas. The community mapping shows that the entire Basin is under collective rights, but there is not mention of community rights or claims. Communities should be viewed and recognized as rights holders in the Basin. Moving towards more inclusive models of biodiversity management with a strengthened reference on community forestry. It is clear from the document synthesising the parties' contributions that the involvement of CLPA, the lack of FPIC and the need to promote human rights-based approaches are absolutely central issues. But none of this is reflected in the draft declaration... No mention of 'human rights', almost nothing on land rights (except as an appendix in Article 10), and nothing on community forestry as a viable option for 'community' conservation.
A major reference is missing in the document, an important lever, CITES in relation to wildlife. Similarly, the China-Central Africa relationship (dialogue) is absent from the declaration when FOCAC is held in 2021, with major issues at stake in the Congo Basin.
Need to increase the role of CSOs, local governance in the declaration. A reflection should be carried out on the possibility of moving towards two documents: (1) a declaration carried by the countries, towards precise commitments. A real commitment that would serve as a relay at the political and international level and (2) a declaration by the actors (multi-actors).
On the Financing Mechanism for Change, an emphasis is given to traditional climate financing which cannot secure intact forests for which no market exists. There is a need to look at a financing mechanism specific to intact forests on the financing aspects in the declaration.
It is necessary to make reference to the content of the ECCAS treaty reform which has an emphasis on the need to create wealth, economic valorisation, direct benefits at the level of the Communities, at the level of GDP. It is necessary to talk about entering into play on the economic models on natural resources, governance, economic model on natural resources. This is the language that the States are in favour of.
It is necessary that a point be added in the declaration on the responsibilities or role of the actors in the implementation of the declaration. It is proposed that the college of international NGOs could be mentioned as having a monitoring role in the implementation of the declaration.
Logistical information on the meeting :
The ECCAS/COMIFAC countries will be represented in Kinshasa by a minister and three experts who will accompany the minister (according to the invitations sent). All ECCAS/COMIFAC countries have received the documents, the draft declaration as well as all the colleges.
The logistical information sheet will be communicated to the participants of the meetings in Kinshasa this week.
Information on the possibility of holding a Visio conference will also be available this week. Not all members will be able to participate. The Co-Leaders will receive more information on the Visio conference shortly to designate the representatives of their college if the number is above 4 already communicated to the Co-Leaders.
The programme for the week includes face-to-face participation from each college.
Methodological proposal and next steps
The minutes and proceedings of the meeting of the International NGO College will be distributed to all participants.
The comments of the College will be annotated in the draft statement. It will not be a question of working on a new draft of the Declaration, but the consultants will note the comments of each college in a transparent manner.
The deadline for colleges to provide comments is 1 December 2020. Any additional comments from the college should be sent to the co-leaders with a copy to the consultants before the deadline: Claus-Michael.Falkenberg@t-online.de, eheuse@gmail.com and dany.pokem@pfbc-cbfp.org.
The draft declaration and the comments of the college annotated to the declaration will be sent by the consultants before the workshop in Kinshasa on the draft declaration.
The co-leaders of the college of international NGOs will represent the college at the Kinshasa meetings.
The Multi-stakeholder Dialogue of the Congo Basin Forest Partnership (CBFP) between representatives of donor countries, civil society, the private sector, INGOs and multilaterals in dialogue with representatives of Central African countries will take place on Friday 8 December 2023, 14:00-15:30 at the COMIFAC Initiatives Pavilion, Blue Zone. Theme of the event:“The Central African Forests, vital global biodiversity and carbon reserves: a major challenge for domestic and international mobilisation”.
On day one of UN climate talks in Dubai, negotiators rubber-stamped plans to get the fund up and running. The arrangements had been hashed out by a transitional committee over five fraught meetings in the past year. The Cop28 president Sultan Al Jaber hailed the decision as “historic”, with a broad smile, after watching delegates burst into a round of applause.
As a main operating entity under the financial mechanism of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), GCF takes guidance from the Conference of Parties (COP) on its policies, programming priorities, and eligibility criteria. The GCF delegation will be observing the official negotiations, and hosting and taking part in various events.
UN Climate Change News, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 29 November 2023 – The United Nations Climate Change Conference COP28 will open tomorrow with a resounding call to accelerate collective climate action. The conference takes place in what is already known to be the hottest year ever recorded in human history and as the impacts of the climate crisis wreak unprecedented havoc on human life and livelihoods around the world.
On Saturday 28 October 2023, partners of the CBFP attending the Summit of the Three World Tropical Basins of Amazonia, Congo and Borneo-Mekong in the Republic of Congo met at the Kintele Conference Centre in Brazzaville. The meeting provided an opportunity for the partners present at the summit to discuss the implementation of the CBFP Roadmap for the next two years and to prepare for forthcoming international and regional events, with a view to strengthening synergies between the partners and building coalitions in a spirit of partnership in order to create an active dynamic between the partners and colleges of the CBFP.
The Three Basins Summit took place in Brazzaville from 26 to 28 October 2023. At least ten Heads of State from the continent (Congo, DRCongo, Burundi, Central African Republic, Comoros, Gabon, Guinea Bissau, Kenya, Sao Tome and Principe) attended the event. In a press briefing held on his arrival at Melchior Ndadaye International Airport on Sunday 30 October, the President of the Republic of Burundi, His Excellency Evariste Ndayishimiye, stated that in his report presented in his capacity as Chairman of the Central African Forests Commission, COMIFAC, 208 public areas covering 800 hectares were protected and 800 million forests had been preserved. However, he stressed the need for industrialised countries to join Africa in the fight against atmospheric pollution.
Brazzaville, 30 October 2023. The official launch of the activities of the France - Gabon Co-Facilitation of the Congo Basin Forest Partnership (CBFP) took place on Thursday 26 October 2023 in Room 6 of the Kintele Conference Centre in Congo Brazzaville. Please download the roadmap of the Co-Facilitation..
Bangui, Central African Republic, 06 November 2023 - The Executive Secretary, Hervé MAIDOU, and the Administrative and Financial Director, François DAYANG, took part in the funeral of the late Idriss AMIT, Minister of Water, Forests, Hunting and Fishing, who died on 3 November 2023 in Douala, Cameroon.
To read: West African producers - generally dull international demand; Slump in Malaysia’s exports; Indonesian industry ready to intensify presence in Asian markets; Peeler logs now more readily available in Northern India; Incentives for Peruvian companies obtaining voluntary forest certification; Japanese importers confused over new government requirement; Action required now by tropical wood suppliers to meet EUDR requirements; US wooden furniture imports at lowest since March..
We are pleased to inform you about the launch of the call for nominations for the Migrants4Climate Award (M4C), an initiative of the Climate Vulnerable Forum (CVF) in partnership with the GFMD France 2022-2023 Chair and the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
On Friday 27 October 2023, the High-Level Dialogue between the Forest Ministers of the Central African Forest Commission (COMIFAC) and the private sector of the Congo Basin Forest Partnership (CBFP) took place in Brazzaville on the sidelines of the Summit of the Three Global Tropical Basins of Amazonia, Congo and Borneo-Mekong.
The fifty-ninth session of the International Tropical Timber Council (ITTC), the governing body of the International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO), opened in Pattaya, Thailand, with a call from the host country for ITTO to continue promoting legal trade in tropical timber and encouraging the use of wood derived from sustainable forest management (SFM). To fulfil their mandate, ITTC member countries took some crucial decisions to navigate the challenging financial and organizational conditions that have buffeted their organization in recent years.
The opening session highlighted the role of crop diversity for food security, environmental sustainability, and resilience of food systems, including for future generations. The need to ensure close collaboration with the Convention on Biological Diversity was one of the key messages of the day.
The French delegation will be present during the two weeks of COP28 in Dubai (United Arab Emirates). As well as taking part in the climate negotiations, it will be running a France Pavilion throughout the international event, from 30 November to 12 December 2023. The Pavilion will provide a forum for meetings and discussions on key climate issues, and will offer a wide range of events, including themed sessions, presentations of public policies and press events.
Improved management and conservation could, by 2030, increase the value of DRC's forest-based ecosystem services by US$1.76 billion/year8 over the BAU scenario, and by US$3.8 billion/year by 2050. A comparison of net present values of costs and benefits shows that for every $1 invested today in landscape and forest restoration, DRC stands to gain $15 in benefits by 2050…
David began his career in journalism in his homeland of Cameroon as a writer for The Post Newspaper, before transitioning to broadcasting. He then worked for Radio Reine, Radio Environment, and the Cameroon Radio Television Corporation, while freelancing for Reuters and RFI.
In 2023, Mongabay is officially expanding its coverage of environmental and conservation news in Africa by launching a news bureau dedicated to producing our renowned and award-winning brand of journalism in both French and English. The new bureau, Mongabay Africa, will create original reporting on issues relevant to the conservation of Africa’s wildlife and their habitats, development pressures and the activities of natural resource industries, and the impacts of climate change on ecosystems and communities across the continent.
The Board of the Green Climate Fund (GCF) concluded its thirty-seventh meeting in Tbilisi, Georgia with major outcomes for climate action. During the three-day meeting, the Board approved 15 proposals totaling USD 736.4 million to fund new climate projects in developing countries. A total of USD 3.6 billion when co-financing is included.
The 14th Africa Day for Food and Nutrition Security (ADFNS) Commemoration and the 19thComprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) Partnership Platform convened from October 30th to November 2nd, 2023, in Lusaka, Zambia. The event was structured under the theme, “Accelerating the Implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement in the Context of CAADP Commitments for Safer and Healthier Diets.” This vital assembly sought to explore the strategic synergy between implementing the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and fostering healthier, safer diets through the prism of CAADP commitments.
The Canada–African Development Bank Climate Fund (CACF), established to support gender-affirmative climate change projects in Africa, has approved $36.3 million to two private sector operations to advance climate adaptation in the African continent.
African Leaders for Nutrition (ALN), a platform for high-level political engagement to advance nutrition in Africa, has joined two crucial forums for advancing policy dialogue on agriculture and nutrition in Africa. ALN representatives attended the commemoration the 14th Africa Day for Food and Nutrition Security (ADFNS) and 19th Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) Partnership Platform (PP).
The Congo Basin, the world’s second-largest forest has distinct meteorological characteristics, and its ecosystem is controlled by complex interactions between many climatic phenomena that act across scales (Fig. 1). While it receives little attention compared to the Amazon Basin, due to its location, the Congo rainforest also contributes to processes responsible for interhemispheric climatic communications in Africa. At the larger scale, the basin regulates the global tropical circulation by serving as one of the world’s most convectively active regions. Therefore, the Basin offers a unique natural laboratory for climate science explorations and the implications for people and ecosystems. But, why has this green heart of Africa been neglected and what should we do about it?.
Durban ( South Africa), October 31 to November 01, 2023– How can we breathe new life and energy into the Framework Agreement for Peace, Security and Cooperation in the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Region? The issue was at the heart of the Regional Retreat on the review of the impact of the Framework Agreement for Peace, Security and Cooperation on the Democratic Republic of Congo and the region, and recommendations for revitalization efforts, held in Durban, South Africa, from October 31 to 01.November 1, 2023.
To elevate women from the micro to macro status, the African Union Strategy for Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment (GEWE) outlines the pathways to achieve the holistic empowerment of women. The GEWE strategy complements other policy frameworks by the African Union aimed at promoting the rights of women and girls and advocates for adequately resourced gender structures within formal and non-formal institutions and bodies to ensure that women at the grassroot and executive levels, have opportunities that to allow them to reach their full potential.
Government policymakers, mining sector leaders, and civil society will convene to focus on the many issues connected to “Sharing Mining Benefits in the Energy Transition. Setting the tone during the opening of the 19th Annual General Meeting of the Intergovernmental Forum on Mining, Minerals, Metals and Sustainable Development (IGF), Nathalie Bernasconi-Osterwalder, Interim Co-President and Co-CEO, International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD), noted that critical minerals are the backbone of the clean energy transition. She urged mining countries seeking to tap the booming demand for these minerals to take “immediate and bold action” to ensure they expand their share of benefits while doing so in an equitable and environmentally and socially responsible manner.
7 November 2023 Compliance issues were in the spotlight throughout the day, escalating into a vote: two votes were held in the afternoon to help the Standing Committee reach a decision on recommendations related to compliance in the EU and the UK.
The second Summit of the world's three tropical forest basins was held from October 26 to 28, 2023 in Brazzaville, Republic of Congo. It brought together leaders from the Amazon, the Congo and the Borneo-Mekong-Southeast Asia region to form a global coalition. Its aim was to implement, within the framework of the United Nations Decade for Ecosystem Restoration, the first global coalition for the restoration of 350 million hectares of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.
The Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) – Malabo Implementation Guidelines for National Level Design and Implementation of Bankable Agriculture and Food Systems Programmes, is a groundbreaking roadmap to revolutionise food systems across the African continent. Recognising the paramount importance of food systems in achieving human well-being, as highlighted in the African Union Agenda 2063 and the Sustainable Development Goals of Agenda 2030, these guidelines provide a comprehensive roadmap for a resilient, sustainable, and inclusive food future.
October 27, 2023 (ENTEBBE, Uganda): The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) yesterday wrapped-up its Blue Economy Project’s 2nd Steering Committee Meeting in Entebbe with field visits to Mahati Marine Transport Base and Kasenyi fishing landing site.
BRAZZAVILLE, Republic of Congo (Oct. 28, 2023) – The Executive Secretariat of the Central African Forest Commission (or Commission des Forêts d'Afrique Centrale - COMIFAC) and the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) officially signed a Memorandum of Understanding on the implementation of Target 3 of Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.
ATIBT is speeding up the process of revitalizing the UNIBOIS trade union to get its members more involved in the VPA FLEGT process. As part of the implementation of the Support of the Private Sector in the Republic of Congo (ASP Congo) project, and in particular the " UNIBOIS Support for change" activity, ATIBT organized a meeting on Tuesday April 24 October 2023 at the Mikael Hotel in Brazzaville, to take stock of the project's mid-term activities and assess the state of implementation of the roadmap defined and validated at the start of the project by both parties.
In a significant move towards enhanced partnerships and coordination, the United States has officially announced its intent to join the Central African Forest Initiative (CAFI) as an Executive Board member. The announcement was made during a side event of the Three Basins Summit attended by Prime Minister Anatole Collinet Makosso and Minister of the Environment of Congo-Brazzaville Arlette Soudan-Nonault. The Summit was held in Brazzaville from October 26-28, 2023,
CAFI is launching a call for Expressions of Interest today to all relevant implementing organisations interested in investing in private sector companies in our partner countries (the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Republic of the Congo, the Gabonese Republic, the Republic of Cameroon, the Republic of Equatorial Guinea and the Central African Republic) to address the drivers of deforestation and forest degradation in the following sectors...
COMIFAC, the GIZ Regional Support Project for COMIFAC, the Congo Basin Forest Partnership (CBFP) France – Gabon Facilitation, the Central African Forest Initiative (CAFI), the EU Funded Support Project to the Central African Forests Observatory (RIOFAC and The Sangha Tri-National Trust Fund (FTNS)hereby launch a call for proposals to host side events lasting no more than 60 minutes under the « COMIFAC – Central Africa Initiatives », at the COP28 venue from 30th November to 12th December 2023. Applications should be submitted before 31 October 2023.
In a declaration issued at the end of the Summit of the world's three great basins of the Amazon, the Congo and Borneo-Mekong on Saturday 28 October 2023 in Brazzaville, the Heads of State and Government undertook, among other things, to: to strengthen cooperation between the three basins, which are home to 80% of the world's tropical forests and two-thirds of terrestrial biodiversity; to recognise the unity of enhanced cooperation between the three basins; to recognise the sovereign management of biodiversity, forests and associated resources by the countries that make up the three basins; to pool and capitalise on the knowledge, experience, resources and achievements existing in each of the basins; and to introduce a sustainable system of remuneration for the ecosystem services provided by the three basins".
