The seventeenth session of the African Forestry and Wildlife Commission (AFWC) was held on February 22-26th, 2010 in Brazzaville (Republic of Congo), with its central theme "African Forests and Wildlife: Response to the Challenges of Sustainable livelihood Systems". This theme intended not only to underscore the importance of forestry and wildlife for poverty reduction in Africa but to demonstrate their significant contribution to the Gross National Products (GNP) of African countries.

The Brazzaville session aimed to examine the coordination of forest policy implementation in African region and to propose recommendations concerning the adequate measures which could be applied for Forestry Wildlife management. For the initial time, the present session was also devoted to "first African Forestry and Wildlife Week (AFWW)" centered on the one hand on Africa's capacity building in forestry and wildlife management and on the other hand on sensitization of decision makers about (1) the contribution of forestry and wildlife to the national economy; (2) improvement in the livelihoods of the local populations and (3) the need to reflect this objective in the national budget (Photograph on the left: @ Congo Site).

Having organized by the Congolese Government in the close collaboration with the FAO, the session drew participants from sub-Saharan African countries. This provides an opportunity to share activities in forestry and wildlife interactively. In this respect, different types of "spaces" were arranged for exposures, side events and video projections. It offered also an ideal forum for an intensive exchange of experts' knowledge and information. Furthermore, it served also as a dialogue for debates on international, regional and sub regional initiatives as well as for the development of new tools to ensure socioeconomic development, forestry and faunal resources sustainability.

In his opening speech, His Excellency Henri Djombo, Minister of Forest Economy and the Environment, emphasized on the fact that most African population depend on forestry and wildlife resources for their survival and that no strategy, no program could be implemented without their participation. Then, after he underlined that local populations own traditional knowledge in managing natural resources, His Excellency Henri Djombo raised the need to take into account when designing modern management tools, their approach to use and conserve natural resources. Finally, the Minister expressed the wish to see their sensitization regarding the needs for sustainable forestry and fauna management which must constitute an essential component for elaborated and implemented programs as reported by "Congo-Site".

As a whole, this session provided the opportunity to continue the discussion with the goal of increasing the contribution of forestry and the wildlife as the heart of the fight against poverty, hunger and malnutrition towards the improvement of the living conditions of Africans.

Documentation of the 17th Session of the African Forestry and Wildlife Commission and 1st African Forestry and Wildlife Week.

Agenda

Rapport provisoire (french)

Forestry and wildlife in support of sustainable livelihood systems in Africa  

AFWC secretariat report on actions taken on the requests and recommendations of the 16th Session of the Commission  

Forest resources assessment and monitoring

The State of the World's Forest Genetic Resources

National forest programmes: a platform for forestry development in Africa

Regional and country projects

Set of documents

Silva Mediterranea: progress report on activities

Summary of Dakar workshop

Side event: Enhancing the contribution of Non Wood Forest Products for poverty reduction and improved livelihoods

Pre-session Workshop on Climate change and African forests and wildlife

Guidelines on sustainable forest management in drylands of sub-Saharan Africa

For more information, please agree to consult the official site of the CFFA17 and the SFFA1 or contact: M. Foday Bojang (foday.bojang@fao.org or afwc@fao.org) and M. Joachim Kondi, " Inspector of the Forestry Economics Ministry (joachimkondi@yahoo.fr).

In the press (in French):

Video: JTV-CONGO du 22/02/10 La capitale congolaise accueille du 22 au 26 février la 17e session de la Commission des forêts et de la faune sauvage pour l'Afrique

African Forest Forum : La 17ème Session de la Commission des forêts et de la faune sauvage

Radio des Nations Unies-Brazzaville : 17ème session de la Commission des forêts et de la faune sauvage en Afrique

Congo-Site Portail : Des experts africains réfléchissent sur la gestion des forêts et de la faune sauvage

Jeune Afrique/ PNUD: Le Congo-Brazzaville mobilise des fonds pour assurer son développement durable