Brussels, 08 May 2018: Fern has officially joined the Congo Basin Forest Partnership (CBFP). As part of the application process, Fern has submitted the required documents and agreed to abide by the CBFP members’ cooperation framework in promoting sustainable management of forest ecosystems in Central Africa.

 Fern is a Brussels and UK-based non-governmental organization based whose mission is to achieve greater social and environmental justice with a focus on forests and forest people’s rights in the European Union’s policies and practices.  The organization monitors the progress of EU development, trade and financing policies that impact forests and collaborates with a wide range of stakeholders in Europe and timber-producing countries in this regard. Fern works specially to promote robust implementation of the EU’s Action Plan for Forest Law Enforcement Governance and Trade (FLEGT) and seeks solutions that can help communities draw greater benefits of forests.

Fern has been active for more than a dozen years in three Congo Basin countries namely Cameroon, the Central African Republic and the Republic of the Congo, and to a lesser extent in Gabon and in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Working alongside local civil society organizations and through dialogue with European institutions and national governments, Fern campaigns for the protection of forest ecosystems, sustainable and equitable management of forests and to strengthen local and indigenous people’s rights. Fern strives to help increase expertise on the protection of forests and forest peoples through research, publications, and multimedia tools.

Fern is currently conducting a project to help develop community forestry in the framework of the CoNGOs (Collaboration of non-governmental organizations for equitable and sustainable forestry livelihoods in the Congo Basin ) consortium. It also fosters the effective implementation of the Voluntary Partnership Agreements of the FLEGT Action Plan,  and oversees the revision of Nationally Determined Contributions under the Paris Agreement so that the latter can contribute to climate objectives  through improved forest governance. All the projects are developed and implemented in collaboration with local civil society organizations and platforms. In addition, it supports capacity building of its partners as well as cross-learning through meetings at the regional level and in Europe.

Through its mission and activities in the Congo Basin, Fern contributes towards the objectives of the Convergence Plan of the Central African Forest Commission, especially the harmonization of environmental policies and sustainable management and valuing of forest resources. Fern has formed close ties with some members of the CBFP including Belgium, France as well as the United Kingdom and the European Union which fund some of its projects. Fern also collaborates with a host of CBFP member networks and civil society organizations namely Forest Peoples Program, Transparency International, WWF and the Africa Community Rights Network (ACRN).

With the firm belief that its mission and its experience can contribute positively to the CBFP, Fern is committed to work to help the Partnership successfully achieve its objectives, especially by improving forest governance and ensuring that local people’s rights are respected.

The Facilitation of the Congo Basin Forest Partnership of the Kingdom of Belgium is very pleased to welcome Fern as a new member of the CBFP. Welcome to our new member!

Contacts:

Marie-Ange Kalenga {marieange@fern.org) and Indra Van Gisbergen {indra@fern.org)