The CBFP Facilitation is glad to inform you that the CBFP 10th Meeting of Partners (MoP) will take place in Douala (Cameroon) at the SAWA Hotel, from February 29th to March 2nd 2012. We would be honoured for your presence among the participants during the partner meeting debates.

The meeting agenda includes three events:

1.      On February 29th 2012, a thematic workshop on “Governance and Land Use in the Congo Basin”.  The main topic selected is about " The governance of natural resources and Land Use in the Congo Basin: Crosscutting sub-regional findings with opportunities, challenges, issues and dynamics". The main objective of the event is improved effectiveness of the technical and financial partner assistance in order to strengthen the forest ecosystem governance within the Congo basin. It includes: (i) Contributing to strategic and prospective thinking on the governance of forest ecosystems and land use, including the superposition of  rights and uses ; (ii) Helping to contribute to the coherence of the existing and emerging initiatives for the forest ecosystem governance in the Congo Basin.

2. 1st to 2nd of March 2012, the CBFP 10th Meeting of Partners (MoP) will take place with two main objectives: (i) To report on the state of progress of the 2010-2012 roadmap of the facilitation and to assist in the harmonization of the contributions for the implementation of the convergence plan; (ii) To review and/or set CBFP and facilitation action priorities based on opportunities and constraints. Special emphasis will be put on the follow-up actions to the Durban joint Declaration on REDD+ in the Congo Basin.

The discussions will be distributed in six (06) sessions: 

♦ Session 1: CBFP Facilitation road map – from Kinshasa to Douala (via Bujumbura);

♦ Session 2: Dynamics of COMIFAC and its close partners;

♦ Session 3: Information market – Partnership marketplace;

♦ Session 4: Follow-up to the Durban declaration on REDD+;

♦ Session 5: CBFP+10 – CBFP/COMIFAC side event at  Rio+20;

♦ Session 6: Closing ceremony

3. March 2nd 2012, immediately after the conclusion of the CBFP 10th Meeting of Partners (MoP), the Facilitation, in collaboration with the Cameroonian ministry of Forests and Wildlife, will invite the participants to a half-a-day excursion to the Douala autonomous sea port ann in the Douala mangrove swamp.

(i) Discussions with stakeholders  in the sector will take place concerning exportation procedures at the Douala Port and a visit of the wood product management process  (route) (including wood from the Economic and Monetary Community of Central Africa (CEMAC), in transit in Cameroon:

 ♦ The forest brigades of the Douala Port (1 & 2);

♦ Sub-custom section of PAA (Société d’Exploitation des Parcs a Bois du Cameroun – SEPBC, and Douala International Terminal – DIT, which carry out the storage and loading activities for wood product exportation);

♦ The administrative and commercial area (Commercial Park);

♦ Apart from these administrative structures and companies in charge of storage and handling, other partner enterprises in the sector are also directly concerned by exportation activities, namely AGS (the Société Générale de Surveillance)

(ii) In the Douala mangrove swamp to address issues on links between EIAs, climate change, food security, mobilization of grassroots organizations and land use in an outlying suburbs environment: Mangrove swamp

♦ GEF-CWCS - During field visit  - Presentation of mangrove forest community management project. This project is sponsored by GEF for Cameroon - (Justin Nantchou, GEF Operational Focal Point in Cameroon - Dr Gordon N. Ajonina, CWCS Coastal Forests & Mangrove Programme, Douala-Edea Project, Cameroon Wildlife Conservation Society (CZCS);

♦ UICN – Mobilization of grassroots organizations on mangrove swamp issues, especially with Cameroon mangrove network (RCM), CWCS, etc. – Involvement of the private sector to control the impact of degrading mangroves swamps – Mrs Camille JEPANG SANDJONG, Programme Officer for Central & West Africa/Regional Water and Wetlands Programme.

4.      February 27 and 28 2011 - The MoP will be preceded by a workshop organized by a group of scientific research institutions.  Information concerning this programme will follow.

For more information, please consult dany.dogmo@pfbc-cbfp.org