Use of cookies: We use cookies to optimize our website for you and to be able to improve it continuously. By continuing to use the website you agree to the use of cookies.
For more information on cookies, please see our privacy policy
Deforestation continues at a worrying pace worldwide, except in temperate and boreal countries. It is caused by the race for land, underpinned by population growth and rising global demand for “deforestation-prone” products. Moreover, with climate change, mega-fires are now posing unprecedented threats to forests.
China has a major influence on the evolution of the world’s forests through its trade and investment in infrastructures for the Belt and Road Initiative. The country has stopped the exploitation of its natural forests, but it is using imports to meet its huge timber needs, while its demand for agricultural products carrying risks of deforestation is also growing, such as soybeans and palm oil. In Africa and Southeast Asia, large European forestry firms are in retreat, given the expansion of Asian firms (from Malaysia, China, and Vietnam), and agribusiness firms are gaining influence everywhere.
Major reforestation operations are, at best, of limited effectiveness when they are not accompanied by the recognition of land rights, and when they lead to monoculture plantations with fast-growing tree species. By contrast, independent certifications appear to be essential tools for forest management and ensuring zero-deforestation production. Finally, the United Nations’ REDD+ mechanism pays countries that reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation, or that increase their carbon stocks through plantations. Yet, REDD+ is criticized because it relies on reference scenarios: the anticipated emissions paths presented by the countries themselves. Moreover, it always faces the problem of the “non-permanence” of carbon storage in forests or plantations that may burn or simply die.
At the same time, companies’ growing concerns to offset some of their emissions has generated strong demand for carbon credits from forest projects. Hundreds of “REDD+ projects” have emerged, relying on specific certifications to support the issuance of carbon credits in “voluntary markets.” This entails risks of double-counting emission reductions at the national level. Moreover, the uncertain additionality and the risks of “leakage” (shifting deforestation pressures elsewhere) cast doubt on the environmental integrity of these private initiatives. Finally, the success of “REDD+ projects” remains conditional on taking into account the problems of land security of rural inhabitants, a key factor in reforestation, and in their access to land.
While institutionalized consensuses continue to pile up, there is in fact an urgent need to reconsider existing instruments, taking into account systemic and political economy questions which are too often ignored. The 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP15) is scheduled to take place in China in October 2021, and needs to participate in the necessary leap forward on global forest governance:
The principle of “results-based payment” (RBP) should be complemented by broad support for the investments needed to “produce” these results. It should only retain the coherence of public policies that have real potential impacts on forests as an essential criterion for assessing results.
The demand for products linked to deforestation must be strictly controlled. Governments should review trade agreements with countries that encourage land-forest conversion, and include measures to tackle deforestation that are legally binding. Imports of products involved in illegal deforestation must be banned, and tariffs must favor products certified as involving zero deforestation.
Developing countries should be helped to implement incentive-based environmental taxation to support agricultural production based on zero-deforestation and sustainable forests. Fiscally neutral bonus-malus systems could favor traced and certified production, and penalize production whose origin is uncertain and presumably unsustainable.
A common agenda for food security, tackling deforestation and restoring degraded natural ecosystems needs to be built with developing countries. Ecological intensification through peasant-farmer agroecology, crop-livestock associations and agroforestry should become priorities. Necessary investments could be channeled through programs of payments for ecosystem services (PES).
Finally, the forest concession regimes must evolve to include the recognition of overlapping rights, the commercial management of new resources and the sharing of profits.
CBFP, which is one of the oldest Type 2 partnerships in the United Nations system, registered in the ECOSOC and UN DESA partnerships, and strengthened in SDG 17, is calling on its partners to make the conclusions of the High-Level Political Forum for Sustainable Development their own... the call is crystallised in advocacy for Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership with diverse stakeholders for sustainable developmen. In Fact, Partnerships are the glue for SDG implementation and is been essential to making the Agenda a reality.
Side event organized by the Sustainable Wildlife Management Programme on the 04/06 from 8h30 to 9h30 am. United Nations member states are committed to reducing hunger, improving health, and conserving natural resources through the Sustainable Development Goals. Additionally, the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework aims to conserve 30% of terrestrial and marine areas by 2030, promoting sustainable wildlife management and equitable benefits. However, in Central Africa, the unsustainable wild meat trade threatens food security and biodiversity, making these goals challenging to achieve.
The Sustainable Wildlife Management (SWM) Programme presented its innovative Legal Hub at the recent 20th Meeting of Parties (MoP20) of the Congo Basin Forest Partnership. This event was held in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), from 3 to 5 June, 2024. A specific side-event titled "A Tool to Connect Different Sources of Law" showcased the Legal Hub’s critical role in enhancing the legal frameworks governing wildlife management across multiple countries, including the sub-region.
In this 20th meeting, the consortium comprising the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), RIKOLTO, and the Catholic University of Bukavu (UCB) actively participated in the sessions held from June 3 to 5, 2024, at the Pullman Hotel in Kinshasa. During a panel focused on agroforestry and agribusiness, the consortium presented solutions for sustainable and effective land management around the Itombwe Reserve and the Kahuzi-Biega National Park through two main themes...
A platform named “Congo Basin Monitoring and Evaluation Database” combining several key sources of information has been developed by WWF to support the management and development of conservation and research projects. This tool has the advantage of being transversal to several possible topics and themes in the field of natural resource management.
Approximately 5% for Central African countries and the bulk for other geographical zones... towards an "Accelerator for the preservation of the Congo Basin forests and peripheries" towards Belém COP 30 Climate post Glasgow?
... WRI’s Global Restoration Initiative and researchers from Land & Carbon Lab have partnered with Meta to develop a groundbreaking AI foundation model that we’ve used to produce the world’s first global map of tree canopy height at a 1-meter resolution, allowing the detection of single trees at a global scale...
The 20th CBFP Meeting of Parties (MoP20) held in Kinshasa, DRC from 3 to 5 June 2024 The Co-Facilitation of the Republic of France and Gabon for the Congo Basin Forest Partnership (CBFP) organised five high-level round tables, on different topics during the MoP20.
The 20th Meeting of the Parties (MOP20) was a high point, marked by the participation of eight ministers from the Congo Basin and more than 600 participants, illustrating the importance and scope of our partnership. The CBFP proved once again that it is an essential forum for dialogue and cooperation. The diversity and commitment of the stakeholders present were a driving force for emulation and fruitful collaboration. Finally, the exemplary cooperation with the Congolese authorities greatly contributed to the success of this meeting.
Kinshasa, MOP 20 of the CBFP At the end of the proceedings, among other major resolutions, Ms Cécile Ndjebet, Champion of Forests and Champion of the Earth, Co-Leader of the CBFP civil society college, was elected by consensus to head the "Regional Civil Society Coalition for Forests and the Environment of the Congo Basin".
The Scientific and Academic College of the Congo Basin Forest Partnership (CBFP) is actively participating in the 26th IUFRO World Congress from 23 to 29 June 2024 in Stockholm, Sweden, with a booth located at A01:01 in Exhibition Hall A at Stockholmsmässan, Mässvägen 1, 125 80 Stockholm. Over the course of the week, a series of workshops will be held to present the platforms of forestry science in the Congo Basin and highlight the latest research, innovations and applied sciences.
10 June 2024: ITTO has urged more attention to the need for capacity building and training in the Congo Basin to ensure that the region’s vital forest sector and timber industry will be able to meet the requirements of the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) and other international trade measures.
It is with great respect and a deep sense of responsibility that we, the Africa Climate Action Initiative (ACAI), support the 20th Meeting of the Parties of the Congo Basin Forest Partnership (RDP20) which will be held from 3 to June 5, 2024 in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo. This approach aims to strengthen our collective commitment to the sustainable management and conservation of the Congo Basin, a critical global resource, and to catalyze transformative actions that align with a shared vision for a sustainable and prosperous future.
The USAID FABS Project is organising 4 captivating webinars in French and English on the theme of nature-based tourism in the Congo Basin. These events will take place on Tuesday 11 and Thursday 13 June 2024. The aim of these webinars is to communicate the challenges and opportunities of sustainable tourism in Central Africa, while promoting mutual learning for the development of tourism in protected areas. The sessions will focus in particular on studies carried out in the DRC, Gabon, Cameroon, the Central African Republic and Congo Brazzaville.
Libreville, Gabon 22 April 2024, Rainforest Trust has officially joined the Congo Basin Forest Partnership (CBFP). Rainforest Trust is now one of 129 member countries and organizations working together in the Congo Basin Forest Partnership to promote sustainable resource management, combat climate change and its impacts, improve living conditions and protect the unique biodiversity of Central Africa’s tropical forest.
The French-Gabonese Co-Facilitation of the Congo Basin Forest Partnership (CBFP) is pleased to inform you that the 20th Meeting of Parties (MoP20) of the Congo Basin Forest Partnership will be held in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, from 3-5 June 2024. If you wish to attend the 20th Meeting of Parties (MoP) of the CBFP and related events, please register before 05 May, 23:59, 2024 by completing the form below and clicking on the button “register”. It will not be possible to attend the meeting without a properly completed registration procedure.
The 20th Meeting of the Parties to the CBFP (MOP20) will be held in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, from 3 to 5 June 2024. The MOP20 is organised by the Co-Facilitation of the French and Gabonese Republics of the Congo Basin Forest Partnership (CBFP). Please find the provisional programme of the 20th Meeting of the Parties of the CBFP (MOP20).
The French-Gabonese Co-Facilitation of the Congo Basin Forest Partnership (CBFP) is pleased to inform you that the 20th Meeting of Parties (MoP20) of the Congo Basin Forest Partnership will be held in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, from 3-5 June 2024. If you wish to cover the 20th Meeting of the Parties (MOP) of the CBFP and associated meetings, please register before 16 May 2024 by filling in the form below and clicking on the "register" button.
The "Youth Forum for the Forests of Central Africa 2024" is scheduled to take place over 2 days from 31 May to 1 June in Kinshasa. It will bring together 150 young people from Central Africa and Europe who are committed to protecting forests and preserving the environment. This forum is organised by the Franco-Gabonese facilitation of the Congo Basin Forest Partnership (CBFP), a 128-member initiative that serves as a platform for multi-sectoral dialogue on forest conservation. The Youth Forum will be a preliminary event to the CBFP Meeting of the Parties, which will take place from 3 to 5 June in Kinshasa, and will serve as a general assembly for its members.
Abuja, 19 April 2024, His Excellency Alhaji Balarabe Lawal, Federal Minister of the Environment of Nigeria and His Excellency Jules Doret Ndongo, Minister of Forestry and Wildlife of Cameroon sign a Memorandum of Understanding on the conservation of transborder ecosystems and the sustainable management of forest and wildlife resources along their common border of more than 1,500 km.
The Facilitation of the French and Gabonese Republics is pleased to launch a call for proposals to host side events during the 20th Meeting of the Parties (MOP20) in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, from 3-5 June 2024. In line with the themes of MOP20 of the CBFP, side events provide opportunities for information exchange, dialogue, cooperation and the creation of synergies between CBFP partners. Deadline for submissions: 19 April 2024. Applicants for selected proposals will be contacted on 30 April 2024.
The Co-Facilitation of the French and Gabonese Republics of the Congo Basin Forest Partnership (CBFP) is pleased to inform you that the "Signing Ceremony of the Framework Cooperation Agreement on the Conservation of Transboundary Ecosystems and Sustainable Management of Forest and Wildlife Resources between the Governments of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Republic of Cameroon" will take place on Friday 19 April 2024 at 10:00 am at the Continental Hotel in Abuja, Nigeria. In conjunction with this signing ceremony, a technical round table on the implementation of the framework cooperation agreement on the conservation of transboundary ecosystems and the sustainable management of forest and wildlife resources between Nigeria and Cameroon will be held at 12 noon on Thursday 18 April at the same hotel.
The Central African Forests Commission (COMIFAC) is deeply saddened to announce the death of Mrs Sylvie Louisette NGO YEBEL Epse FOUNGA, Communications Expert of Cameroonian nationality, at the COMIFAC Executive Secretariat. She was murdered and her body found on Sunday 7 April 2024 at around 8.30 am in Yaoundé, Cameroon.
The CBFP Youth Forum and Meeting of Parties will take place from 31 May to 5 June 2024 in Kinshasa and will bring together more than 700 stakeholders committed to preserving the forests of the Congo Basin. The Meeting of Parties and the Youth Forum will be co-chaired by Ambassador Christophe Guilhou (France) and Ambassador Flore Koumba Pambo (Gabon) and the current President of COMIFAC, His Excellency Mr Prosper Dodiko, with the participation of senior representatives of the DRC.
CIDT wishes to recruit an enthusiastic, people-centred international development professional to join our dynamic, multidisciplinary team. To be considered for this post you will have an understanding and experience of global sustainable development work and be prepared to work both in UK and overseas. You will be qualified to master’s level in one or more of the following core areas of our work: Global Sustainable /International development/ Development Studies, Development Effectiveness, Gender and Social Inclusion, Sustainable Livelihoods, Natural Resource Management, Forest Governance or Education and Development and have expertise in the related fields.
This brief note sets out the principle of an ecological bonus-malus mechanism, designed to change behaviour by modifying the relative prices of products, while aiming for budget neutrality (no tax losses for the State). It applies in particular to the agricultural and forestry sectors, but can also be applied to other areas. We are currently working with various colleagues on the timber and cocoa sectors, and on an automated simulator with a user-friendly interface that can be easily used by government departments and their partners who would like to test the tool and, if necessary, implement it.
The Co-Facilitation of France and Gabon of the Congo Basin Forest Partnership (CBFP) is pleased to announce the selection of COMIFAC by the CBD Secretariat as a centre for technical and scientific cooperation for the implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Global Framework for Biodiversity in Central Africa. With the highest score in Africa, COMIFAC ranks 4th in the world. The co-facilitation congratulates COMIFAC on this major distinction.
On Tuesday 12 March 2024, from 16:30-18:00 CET, the first dialogue between the College of Donors and the Scientific and Academic College (SAC) of the CBFP was held in virtual form. Over 70 people participated actively in the dialogue. The aim of the meeting was to promote cooperation as well as scientific and academic dialogue on the forests of the Congo Basin as part of the implementation of strategic priority 1 of the 2023-2025 roadmap of the CBFP.
The Franco-Gabonese Co-Facilitation of the Congo Basin Forest Partnership (CBFP) organised the 13th meeting of the Governing Council of the CBFP by video conference on Tuesday 9 April 2024. Please, download the report...
Many countries have recently adopted bioenergy as part of a critical strategy to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to meet targets under the Paris Climate Agreement. Because of increased efficiency and lower production costs, along with legislative support and investment incentives, bioenergy use is swiftly becoming a renewable energy substitute for fossil fuels. The study provides a better understanding of bioenergy issues, potential and sustainability to inform countries in the global South and provide guidance on integrating bioenergy into their national energy plans by proposing a simplified sustainability framework for wood-based bioenergy.
A workshop was held in Brazzaville on Thursday 7 March to review the work carried out by the communications agency Afrique Environnement Plus, attended by a dozen participants, including companies from the sector. The new website for the Congolese forest-wood industry (which will shortly be the subject of a dedicated article) and a communication checklist developed as part of the ASP Congo project were presented.
As part of the ASP Congo project, a series of videos gives a voice to companies committed to responsible forestry practices.This video, produced with the financial support of the European Union, shows what forestry companies are doing to ensure the safety of their employees and to manage their waste properly through their HSE (Health, Safety and Environment) policy. In this way, they are driving forward an economy that respects people and ecosystems.
As part of the ASP-Green Pact project, supported by the European Union and led by ATIBT, we are pleased to invite you to participate in a survey on trade relations with Cameroon, with a response deadline set for April 4th. This initiative aims to refine our understanding of current trade relations between European importers and Cameroonian producers, with a particular focus on lesser-known timber species (LKTS) from Cameroon. Furthermore, this approach is part of the preparations for the International Wood Fair (CIB) to be held in Nantes, offering an exceptional platform for enriching exchanges and partnership opportunities.
The International Day of Forests was established on the 21st day of March, by resolution of the United Nations General Assembly on November 28, 2013. Each year, various events celebrate and raise awareness of the importance of all types of forests, and trees outside forests, for the benefit of current and future generations. The theme for International Day of Forests 2024 is Forests and Innovation: New Solutions for a Better World. To mark International Forest Day 2024, several CBFP partners have organised special activities.
