Boosting of the harmonization of contributions to the implementation of COMIFAC Convergence Plan, Facilitation innovative results, Sharing of CBFP and her partners’ priority actions; Adoption of new strong recommendations in order to re-boost, among others, COMIFAC, CEFDHAC, Declaration of intent on REDD+ and the preparation of Rio+20.

 

Please, download: The Major conclusions of CBFP Partners’ Meeting – 1 and 2 March 2012 in Douala: HERE

 

Douala (Cameroon), 29 February to 2 March 2012 – The 10th Partners’ Meeting of the Congo Basin Forest Partnership (CBFP) held under the coordination of CBFP Facilitator and the patronage of His Excellency José Endundo Bononge, Minister for the Environment, Conservation of Nature et Tourism of the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Minister for Forestry and Wildlife of Cameroon, His Excellency Ngole Philip Ngwese and the Minister for the Environment, the Protection of Nature and Sustainable development of Cameroon, His Excellency Hele Pierre. It was organized by the CBFP Facilitation, with the financial support of the Government of Canada.

 

A meeting with a collaborative and mobilizing approach

 

The 10^th CBFP Partners’ Meeting was presided over y the CBFP Facilitator, Mr. Gaston Grenier and was for the CBFP partners an occasion to discuss the state of progress of the 2010-2012 road map of the CBFP Facilitation, to help in the harmonization of contributions to the implementation of COMIFAC Convergence Plan and to review and/or define the priority actions of the CBFP and her Facilitation based on opportunities and constraints.

 

The meeting was attended by 220 participants representing the CBFP partners. Apart from the representatives of the Presidency, the Executive Secretariat, COMIFAC national coordinations and climate focal points, the meeting gathered the representatives of CEFDHAC network (REJEFAC, REFADD, REPAR, RIFFEAC, REPALEAC/RACOPY), representatives of administrations, sub-regional institutions, representatives of CSOs, representatives of technical and financial partners and representatives of the private sector.

 

The 10th CBFP Partners’ Meeting was preceded from 27 to 28 February 2012, by a workshop on forestry research organized by COMIFAC, with the support of CIFOR, IRD, CIRAD and the CBFP Facilitation, followed on 28 February 2012 by Presentation workshop of the objectives and activities of FORAFAMA project (Support to forest sustainable management in the Congo Basin and the Brazilian Amazonian Basin) of CIFOR and the opening of IRD PPR scientific committee. The meeting of former CBFP Facilitations  also held at the same time for discussions on priority and strategic matters concerning the CBFP. The agenda was to update former Facilitations’ partners on various important and strategic topics, to analyze options for solving pressing issues and to prepare proposals for partners' meeting. Still alongside the CBFP meeting, a thematic workshop held under the central theme “Resource Governance and Land Use in the Congo Basin: Crossed Review of Sub-regional Reflections, Opportunities, Challenges, Stakes and Dynamics".

 

Special Emphasis on the Revitalization of COMIFAC and CEFDHAC

 

This meeting went beyond the road map of the CBFP Facilitation during its first session, on a new dynamics within COMIFAC and CEFDHAC system in the implementation of the Convergence Plan.

 

The meeting dwelled on seven points: (1) an opening ceremony of the CBFP Partners’ Meeting; (2) the road map of the CBFP Facilitation: from Kinshasa to Douala (via Bujumbura; (3) Dynamics of COMIFAC and its partners; (4) CBFP and Facilitation priority actions based on opportunities and constraints… Information market; (5) State of the forest preview ceremony (EDF) 2010 – Launching of EDF 2012; (6) Follow-up or Durban Declaration on REDD+; (7) Closing ceremony.

 

In support to the CBFP Facilitator, Mr. Gaston Grenier, sessions were facilitated by COMIFAC Executive Secretary, His Excellency Raymond Mbitikon, and the former CBFP Facilitations: Dr Hans Schipulle (Germany), His Excellency Eric Benjaminson, the US Ambassador in Gabon; Mr. Cyril Loisel (France) and Mr. Peter Besseau (Canada).

 

A meeting focused on the sharing of innovative results

 

One innovation of the 10^th CBFP Partners’ Meeting was the information market to strengthen Coordination, information exchange, CBFP partners’ mobilization, the follow-up evaluation of partners” actions and communication which are part of the priorities of the 2010-2012 road map of  CBFP Facilitation. To that regard, CBFP partners through such markets had the opportunity to share on innovations, emerging results, the lessons learnt likely to help identify potential synergies with other initiatives.

 

The information market – The partnership show was subdivided into four sub-markets reflecting partners key intervention domains, namely:

(1) Market 1: Forest and Environmental Training in the Congo Basin (moderated by Dr LINJOUOM Ibrahim, FOGRN-BC project manager) with an overview and the harmonization of technical and financial partners’ intervention on « the training line » of COMIFAC Convergence Plan;

 

(2) Market 2: REDD+ - mitigation and adaptation (moderated by Anne Marie Tiani, COBAM project coordinator) – Progress in the fight against climate change in the framework of REDD+ and adaptation initiatives;

 

(3) Market 3: Poverty eradication – Economic growth (moderated by Jean-Noël Marien, EFBC 40 project coordinator) – Local innovative initiatives to fight poverty and promote economic growth;

 

 

 

(4) Market 4: Landscapes – Protected areas in the context of national and cross-border landscapes: Lessons learnt – Stakes and Challenges (moderated by Bertrand Chardonnet, Programme Officer « Protected areas in Central Africa » for UICN-PACO) - Innovative experiences in the management of landscapes and protected areas.

 

 

 

Following two-day intense and fruitful deliberations, participants in the 9^th CBFP CCR formulated strong recommendations organized around plenary sessions and the information market. – Please, download the major conclusions and recommendations partners’ meeting in Douala following this link: HERE

 

Making it Pleasant and Useful

 

Apart from this programme of the meeting in proper, participants were invited to three events during their stay in Cameroon:

 

♦ Offered by CBFP Facilitation and Canada, participants actively attended a cocktail coupled with a cultural show at Hotel Sawa in Douala on Wednesday 29 February 2012. This show was enriched with sounds of drums and sweet melodies. Traditional dance groups, in the original Sawa culture brought much delight, relaxation and joy to the participants of the CBFP Partners’ meeting. For Canada, it was one of the official activities in the framework of the celebration of the 50^th anniversary of bilateral relations between Canada and Cameroon.

 

 

♦ In the framework of its Convergence Plan, the Central African Forest Commission (COMIFAC) has been implementing OFAC (Central African Forest Observatory) process since 2007, with the support of partners. In partnership with COMIFAC Executive Secretariat, the Cameroonian Minister of Forests and Wildlife honored participants in the CBFP Partner’s Meeting by inviting them to a preview cocktail of State of the Forests 2010 on Thursday 1st March 2012 at Hotel Sawa in Douala. This ceremony dwelled on five points: (1) the introductory address of COMIFAC SE, (2) a presentation of OFAC, (3) an address by the European Union, (4) the address of the host country and (5) the preview ceremony in proper: COMIFAC ES, CBFP Facilitating countries and former CBFP Facilitators, the EU hand documents to countries and other partners

 

♦ On 2 March 2012, CBFP Facilitation, in collaboration with the Ministry of Forests and Wildlife of Cameroon, invited participants to half-a-day visit at the Douala autonomous port and in the mangrove forest of Douala.

 

1) At the Douala Autonomous Port, participants discussed with actors in the timber sector, in liaison with exportation procedures at the Douala autonomous port and visited the timber handling process (including timber from the CEMAC (Economic and Monetary Community of Central Africa) region - in transit on the Cameroonian territory).

 

2) In the mangrove forest of Douala and with the support of Regional Delegation of Forests and Wildlife, the Cameroon Wildlife Conservation Society (CWCS) and the Cameroonian Network of Mangrove Swamps, participants examined issues related to links between EIEs, climate change, food security and land use in the periurban context: Mangrove swamp.

 

 

Please, download: The Major conclusions of CBFP Partners’ Meeting – 1 and 2 March 2012 in Douala: HERE

 

Full documentation of the 10^th CBFP Partners Meeting available soon