30 September to 1st October 2019, Douala Cameroon-: Sub-regional experience-sharing forum on ABS held between COMIFAC researchers and the Japanese private sector.

  The gathering was chaired by Mr. Jules Doret Ndongo, Minister of Forestry and Wildlife of Cameroon, Acting President of COMIFAC. The overall aim of the meeting was to create framework conditions for collaboration between the two parties. Specific objectives included: (I) reporting on progress made by COMIFAC countries in implementing the Nagoya Protocol (ii) sharing experiences in utilizing genetic resources (iii) outlining prerequisites for researchers and research labs to use the genetic resources of researchers in COMIFAC countries to ensure effective collaboration with the Japanese private sector (iv) identifying collaboration opportunities between labs on the genetic resources of the COMIFAC countries and the Japanese private sector.

Read: COMIFAC: Great store placed on African biodiversity during sub-regional experience-sharing forum on ABS between COMIFAC researchers and the Japanese private sector.

Douala, Cameroon, 30 September- 1st October 2019 “The sub-regional Convergence Plan projects a 25% increase in absolute terms in the contribution of the forestry-environment sector to the GDP of the COMIFAC countries by 2025” said Mr. Ludovic ITSOUA MADZOUS, Deputy Executive Secretary of COMIFAC, welcoming the holding of the first meeting of the kind between a developed country and researchers of the Central African countries.

The gathering was chaired by Mr. Jules Doret Ndongo, Minister of Forestry and Wildlife of Cameroon, Acting President of COMIFAC. Its overall aim was to create framework conditions for collaboration between the two parties. Specific objectives included: (I) reporting on progress made by COMIFAC countries in implementing the Nagoya Protocol (ii) sharing experiences in utilizing genetic resources (iii) outlining prerequisites for researchers and research labs to use the genetic resources of researchers of COMIFAC countries to ensure effective collaboration with the Japanese private sector (iv) identifying collaboration opportunities between labs on the genetic resources of the COMIFAC countries and the Japanese private sector.

In her speech, Ms. MASUDA JUNKO, JICA’s representative in Cameroon, having expressed her delight in participating in the forum, pointed out that the meeting was a major fruit of the efforts of the Central African Biodiversity Working Group *GTBAC) within the framework of the JICA Project to Support COMICAC.

She noted that the Japanese government had been actively involved in the process of protecting and ensuring fair use of genetic information on genetic resources at the international level and also mentioned JICA’s collaboration with all the COMIFAC countries in the area of lab management and analysis through trainings that were conducted in Rwanda in 2017 and 2018.

Ms. MASUDA closed her remarks by highlighting the contributions of the COMIFAC Executive Secretariat and the GIZ Project to support COMIFAC, in gathering all the countries’ representatives together in one place to hold discussions for two days.

Taking the floor to launch the proceedings, Mr. Landry NGONO TSIMI, Technical Adviser, representing the Acting President of COMIFAC, Mr. Jules Doret NDONGO, Minister of Forestry and Wildlife of Cameroon who was unable to attend, extended a warm welcome on behalf of the Cameroon government to all the participants who had made the trip to Douala. He pointed out that the COMIFAC countries are home to vast and unique biodiversity resources which hold tremendous potential for the socio-economic development of the sub-region.

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COMIFAC-Congo: ABS procedure manual, communications strategy and action plan on the implementation of the Nagoya Protocol on ABS reviewed

Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo, 08-10 October 2019- The validation workshop on the ABS Procedure Manual and the communications strategy and action plan on the implementation of the Nagoya Protocol on ABS took place at the Mikhael’s Hotel. Participants included: Representatives of the public sector administrations; actors in scientific research; legal experts, representatives of civil society; traditional doctors and chiefs; representatives of indigenous people and local communities; other actors identified based on their expertise. The overall aim of the meeting was to provide the government with a comprehensive regulatory framework and a communication tool on the Nagoya Protocol on ABS.

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