Following a two-day meeting, participants in the training and awareness workshop on the role and the place of REPAR in the FLEGT process in Central Africa took resolutions and formulated major recommendations which boost the FLEGT process in the Congo Basin.

 

To learn more, please download the Final Communiqué

Libreville, National Assembly, 26 to 28 September 2012 – Holding of an information and awareness workshop on the role and place of REPARs in the FLEGT process in Central Africa. This workshop was organized by the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), in collaboration with REPAR-CEFDHAC (REPAR- Conference of Moist Forest Ecosystems of Central Africa), REPAR-GABON and the Gabonese Ministry of Forestry and Water Resources, with the financial support of the European Union.

 

The overall objective of this meeting was to better specify the role and the place of REPARs in the Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) process in order to help them contribute effectively to the implementation of this process in States-parties.

 

The workshop aimed at the following outcomes:

- the social, economic and environmental stakes of the FLEGT process in the Congo Basin countries and its implications for the sustainable management of forests are well know by MPs;

- the place and the role of REPARs in the negotiation and implementation of the FLEGT process are well known;

- MPs experiences in FLEGT process negotiation and implementation are shared;

- APV/FLEGT focal points within regional coordination and in the different houses of Parliament are appointed;

- REPARs’ action plan on FLEGT process is designed and budgeted.

The workshop was chaired by Mr. Jean Jacques ZAM, REPAR Regional Coordinator, co-chaired by Mr. Christian MAGNAGNA, REPAR-GABON National Coordinator, and moderated by Mr. Omer NTOUGOU from Gabon and Honoré TABUNA from CEEAC.

The Technical Secretariat was ensured by Mr. Ghislain Claude ASSEBE, Gabon National Assembly and Mr. Joël Célestin MAMBOUNDOU, HCANEG Gabon.

 

Attending REPARs came from the following CEEAC countries: Burundi, Cameroon, Congo, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, DRC, CAR, Chad, Sao Tome and Principe Also attending were: Representatives of internationals organisations (FAO, PNUD, UNESCO, etc.), the European Union, the private sector (UFIGA, etc.), and of the civil society (Brainforest, Nyanga Tour, HCANEG, etc.)

 

Following two days of deliberations, participants in the information and awareness workshop on the role and place of REPARs in the FLEGT process in Central Africa took the following resolutions and formulated recommendations, among others:

 

RESOLUTIONS:

- Participants encourage CEEAC timber-producing and non-producing countries to increase awareness and information sharing for a better coordination of efforts in favour of FLEGT process in Central Africa;

- REPARs acknowledge the importance of FLEGT process in implementing good governance in Central Africa and EPAs for a free trade in goods with the European Union and are determined to get involved in their implementation at national level:

- Participants strongly encourage Gabonese authorities to resume negotiations in view of the implementation of FLEGT process in order to ensure a better coordination of efforts at sub-regional level in terms of forest sustainable management recognized worldwide.

 

RECOMMENDATIONS:

Participants to this workshop recommend that:

Members of Parliament:

- ensure FLEGT process is included in national legislation;

- share information among MPs and within REPARs:

- participate in negotiations on APV/FLEGT process and follow-up government action for compliance with their commitment to FLEGT;

- draft bills aiming at integrating such bio-resource governance processes in national legislations;

- establish within each national REPAR a Permanent Secretariat and reliable tools to capitalize data on processes followed by REPARs;

- report on the outcome of this workshop in both Houses of Parliament.

 

STATES:

- perpetuate funding in Central African countries for the implementation of APV/FLEGT process by providing for sufficient budget allocations in finance laws;

- implement international commitments taken with regards to forest and environmental governance;

- encourage CEEAC timber-producing and non-producing countries to join FLEGT process for a better coordination of sub-regional policy relating to the sustainable management of natural resources;

- adapt their legal and normative forest management instruments to current requirements.

CEEAC/COMIFAC:

- build REPARs and other stakeholders’ capacities in APV/FLEGT process for its effective implication in its negotiation and implementation;

- organize an ACP MP Conference in Libreville on the acceleration of the implementation of FLEGT process;

- coordinate all REDD+-related initiatives in Central Africa while considering the issue of fighting against illegal logging in every country;

- develop and make harmonized standards available to countries for intervention in forest milieus;

- facilitate the establishment of tools for the collection, production and dissemination of data on FLEGT process in each country;

- establish institutional rules, procedures and mechanisms, as well as exchangeable information on transit timber, in order to ensure the free flow of legal timber in Central Africa;

- develop and promote timber market in the sub-region;

 

COMIFAC:

- disseminate and enforce the sub-regional convention on forest control adopted during the last COMIFAC Ministers’ Council in Brazzaville.

 

To learn more, please download the Final Communiqué