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Yaoundé, Cameroon, 29 October 2020 - In order to encourage informed decision-making for sustainable forest management, conservation and responsible use of biodiversity in Central Africa, the Observatory of Central African Forests (OFAC), a technical unit of the Central African Forest Commission (COMIFAC), has set up a new analysis platform with key indicators of regional, national and local policy trends and their impacts on forest ecosystems.
Critical data are now available on this portal, such as volumes of timber production, management and certification, export, processing and marketing, conservation policies and strategies, the contribution of forests and biodiversity to national economies, and a wealth of other information collected in the field, in national and regional administrations, as well as numerous satellite images are compiled in the platform.
Designed in a visually appealing and interactive way, the platform aims to facilitate access to regional, national and local information on the subject. Most of the information is open and free of charge, available on the website.
Other new tools are available in the platform such as (i) a module for inventorying and analysing initiatives undertaken in the environment, spatial planning and socio-economic development sectors containing to date about 650 projects for 80 donors, 324 implementing agencies and an amount exceeding 6 billion euros and, (ii) a multimedia library with more than 1,200 scientific documents, development plans, strategic and policy documents, etc.
"The analytical platform will be an effective tool for data assessment and technical and political decision-making support for Central African forest decision-makers and researchers, whom we strongly encourage to make use of the reliable and high-quality data and tools made available to them. This is an important step towards greater harmonisation of sectoral policies among COMIFAC member states and towards regional cooperation," said Raymond Ndomba Ngoye, Executive Secretary of COMIFAC.
Launched on the sidelines of the Global Landscape Forum (GLF) "One World - One Health", held online on October 28 and 29, 2020, this initiative reinforces the strategic role OFAC plays in the collection and management of information in Central Africa.
To find out more... Kindly download the Press Release and related Document here below:
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.
In almost equal measure, discussions and actions around racism in 2020 have been extremely painful, and extremely hopeful. The following scenarios came from a wider discussion around race and privilege that began in February at the Pathways 2020 Human Dimensions Conference held in Nairobi.
This first edition focusses on Indonesia and Vietnam and the articles were written in collaboration with our local partners. In many cases, they report that they are more able to contribute to policy discussions and that at least some authorities are paying closer attention.
The first call for proposals for Small Technical Grants for Assessment (STGA) is now open until 29 January 2021. It is an open ended-call and proposals will be reviewed on a rolling basis in order of their receipt.
The development process of the PAFC CB forest certification standard sparked enthusiasm among forest management stakeholders who provided more than 300 comments.
New report shows the long-term benefits of restoring forests outweigh the costs. The long-term benefits of restoring forests outweigh the costs, and this is a key factor in driving the implementation of forest landscape restoration (FLR) in many countries, a new WWF and IUFRO study finds.
Payments for environmental services (PES) are at the heart of Côte d’Ivoire’s REDD+ and forest policies, which aim to restore and conserve the country’s forest cover up to 20% of the country’s land area. The EU REDD Facility has analysed the experience and lessons learnt from two innovative pilot projects, which tested several PES models aimed at restoring forest cover in cocoa landscapes. I have the pleasure of sharing with you the results of this analysis.
The publication comes on the heels of the European Parliament’s report An EU legal framework to halt and reverse EU-driven global deforestation, adopted on 22 October. Such a regulation will only be effective if accompanied by action to tackle the drivers of forest loss and human rights violations on the ground. Getting the incentives right suggests that the EU negotiate partnership agreements with major producers of forest risk commodities.
Smallholder farmers across Côte d’Ivoire rely heavily on cocoa production, but rarely manage to generate a living income from cocoa alone. Balancing the well-being of farmers and the conservation and restoration of forests along with cocoa production is a pressing challenge.
The BIOPAMA programme will launch a series of new calls for proposals, with the first one to be issued in the following days! The indicative schedule of the calls is: End of November 2020: Call for proposals for Small Technical Grants for Assessment for improved protected area management and governance...
Read: CBFP Facilitator, Honorable Dr Christian Ruck, makes successful entrance into Congo Basin’s diplomatic and political scene; CBFP Facilitator, the Honourable Dr Christian Ruck, in audiences with high-ranking political leaders in Cameroon; 16 October 2020 – Implementation of N’Djamena Declaration in West Bloc gets major boost following visit of CBFP Facilitator of the Federal Republic of Germany, the Honourable Dr Christian Ruck…
September and October were marked by intense rainfalls and flooding of the Limbe river which dangerously weakened the protective wall at the Limbe Zoological Garden/ Limbe Wildlife Centre. We are extremely worried that it will collapse and put animals and infrastructures at risk.
Yaoundé, Cameroon, 29 October 2020 - In order to encourage informed decision-making for sustainable forest management, conservation and responsible use of biodiversity in Central Africa, the Observatory of Central African Forests (OFAC), a technical unit of the Central African Forest Commission (COMIFAC), has set up a new analysis platform with key indicators of regional, national and local policy trends and their impacts on forest ecosystems.
To read: Regulation on the social contract clause agreement forest concession in DRC; New partners for the brand Fair&Precious; Interholco, member of ATIBT publishes sustainability report….
Kinshasa, 12 October 2020 - A meeting of technical and financial partners based in Kinshasa was held at the Pullman Hotel in Kinshasa with close to twenty participants, including: Donors, Technical and financial partners, The private sector, Research institutions.
The meeting of the West Bloc Coordination Platform will hold on 26 January 2021. Such was the conclusion of the meeting of partners and countries of the West Bloc Coordination Platform for monitoring the implementation of the N’Djaména Declaration.
From 19 to 22 October 2020 - Yaoundé - The Facilitator of the Federal Republic of Germany, the Honorable Dr Christian Ruck is visiting Cameroon as part of his first sub-regional tour.
The CBFP Facilitator of the Federal Republic of Germany, the Honorable Dr Christian Ruck, paid a working visit to the DRC from 07 to 14 October 2020 and to Cameroon from 15 to 22 October 2020.
In contrast to other regions of the world, Africa could soon become the continent of deforestation, with DRC losing more than 1 million ha of tree cover per year. In Central Africa, small-scale agriculture is the main driver of deforestation.
Gabon is pursuing a low-carbon development strategy that optimizes economic goals while preserving forests and their ecosystems. The country has therefore committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 50% within 2025 through sustainable land-use. Tackling forest degradation, often a result of illegal logging, is essential to reducing Gabon's carbon emissions, as such degradation accounts for 50-80% of the country's total emissions.
GENEVA, 7 October 2020 – Revising the operating procedures of the Central African Forest Initiative (CAFI) is an endeavour that started earlier this year and has just received valuable recommendations from a new report by Transparency International (TI). Acknowledging the work achieved on transparency and integrity while identifying areas for improvement, the report released today by TI provides useful input into the process.
Thursday, 22 October 2020: Dr Christian Ruck, the CBFP Facilitator and Mr. Raymond Mbitikon the CBFP Co-Facilitator, undertook a working mission to the premises of the Reinforcement and Institutionalization Project of the Central African Forests Observatory.
22 October 2020, Yaoundé: The CBFP Facilitation team headed by the CBFP Facilitator of the Federal Republic of Germany, the Honourable Dr Christian Ruck visited the COMIFAC executive secretariat in Yaoundé, for a discussion and work meeting.
Tuesday, 20 October 2020: The CBFP Facilitator of the Republic of Germany, the Honorable Dr Christian RUCK and the Permanent Secretary of OCFSA, Dr Ibrahim LINJOUOM, met for a working session at the offices of the German Regional Cooperation in Cameroon.
Monday, 19 October 2020, Hotel La Falaise, Yaoundé - the CBFP Facilitation team led by the Honorable Dr. Christian RUCK, the CBFP Facilitator of the Federal Republic of Germany held discussions with civil society.
All ATIBT members, regardless of their status, are reminded that they can become partners of the brand simply as members of the Association.Created in November 2017 at the initiative of the International Tropical Timber Technical Association (ATIBT), and with the support of AFD and KfW, Fair&Precious is a collective and collaborative brand.
Within the framework of the FLEGT-Certification program of ATIBT, the UFIGA requested and directed the realization of a review of the situation of the VPA FLEGT process in Gabon in order to contribute to an effective resumption of negotiations of the VPA FLEGT process.
This white paper aims to provide Northern and Southern Development partners and decision- makers with a better understanding of: a) why spillover of disease from wildlife to humans occurs, and why these zoonotic disease outbreaks can spread and become epidemics and pandemics such as COVID-19; b) what they can do to prevent, detect and respond to future spillover events, with a special focus on priority interventions at the human–wildlife–livestock interfaces.
This policy brief provides decision-makers with a set of actionable recommendations1 that can be implemented to prevent future epidemics caused by the spillover of diseases from wildlife and wild meat.
In 2020, INTERHOLCO has a word for it: ALLIANCE. It is a theme that runs right through in its Sustainability Report. With a rainbow, stretching over the forest it manages in the Republic of Congo.
CIB is thrilled to be recommended by the auditor for renewal of the FSC certification for 2021. Our four concessions, Pokola, Kabo, Loundoungou and Mimbeli-Ibenga are 100% FSC certified. This year’s audit was not free of challenges that the pandemic brought with it.
This training, organized by IFED in partnership with Queen's University (Ontario, Canada), will be facilitated by trainers and high-level professionals with proven (many years) experience in the field of training and management of protected areas. Registation deadline: October 26, 2020.
The Summit focused on the theme “Urgent Action on Biodiversity for Sustainable Development,” to highlight the urgency of action at the highest levels in support of a post-2020 GBF that contributes to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (2030 Agenda) and places the global community on a path towards realizing the 2050 Vision for Biodiversity, “Living in harmony with nature.”
In many parts of the world, autumn is the time to gather the harvest and count our blessings. This year’s trials and tribulations have taught us that while we can count on blessings bestowed by other humans to overcome the COVID-19 crisis, we are wholly dependent on blessings bestowed by nature to survive and flourish.
Illegal trafficking and unsustainable trade in wildlife are causing unprecedented declines in some species. They can also potentially lead to the spread of zoonoses, such as SARS-CoV-2, which causes COVID-19. While the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora has been in force since 1975, there are growing calls to build a stand-alone international instrument to address illegal wildlife trade and crime.