Flash news

• Yaoundé, November 24-27, 2009: 6th Governing Council Session of the Congo Basin Forest Fund urges Central African countries for a strong ownership at the highest political level and improved representation of the region's position during the climate negociations. Referring to the fund’s portfolio, Hans Schipulle raised concerns about creating so-called "conservation concessions". Find out more...

• Falmouth, MA, November 23, 2009: Mapping and Monitoring the Forests of Central Africa. In an effort to make their products more available for use in science, policy, and education, the Woods Hole Research Center, Africa Working   Group, has created a website to post national level maps of biomass estimates across Africa. Find out more...

• Yaoundé, 9-22 November 2009: Climate Change and the Forestry Sector: adaptation and REDD. The main aim of this workshop between RIFFEAC and Inwent was the Capacity Building for Forest and Environmental Schools, key activities in the implementation of the COMIFAC Convergence Plan: How to improve the capacity of the natural resources managers to face the challenges of the future? Find out more...

• Yaoundé, November 11-13, 2009: 6th CBFP plenary meeting: Canada to take over facilitation in 2010.The conclusions drawn by the outgoing facilitator were marked by the unanimity of all CBFP members: "Mindful that we have come to the end of two days of enriching and gratifying discussions and that Canada is getting ready to take over the facilitation with the support of the German facilitation and that of all other members of the CBFP, we all go home with a feeling of optimism." Find out more...

• Yaoundé, November 10, 2009: CIFOR Central Africa - Preparing for Copenhagen Conference on Climate Change. Actors in forestry adopt REDD for Central Africa and give a strong signal ahead of Copenhagen. Participants identified ways and means to reduce greenhouse gas emissions on the one hand and to adapt to the current persisting situation on the other hand.  Find out more...

• Bata, November 2-4, 2009: The network of Parliament members (REPAR) is consolidated in Central Africa. The Parliament adopted a message called "MESSAGE OF BATA", articulating themselves around 18 projecting points. In a general way, the Parliament members adopt the "joint Position" on the climate change and commit themselves for the autonomous financial mechanism of COMIFAC. Find out more...

View more news features on www.cbfp.org...

Upcoming events:

• Copenhagen, December 07-18, 2009: COP15 and COP/MOP5 UNFCCC • Brazzaville, December 07-08, 2009: Administrative Council Meeting, RAPAC • Copenhagen, December 07, 2009: UNFCCC Side-Event - OFAC: "REDD issues in the Congo Basin: towards an operational Observatory" • Bangui, December 10, 2009: Council of Ministers of the Economic Union of Central Africa • Copenhagen, December 11, 2009: UNFCCC Side-Event - COMIFAC: Development of the REED initiative in Central Africa: Opportunities and Challenges • Copenhagen, December 13, 2009: CIFOR - Side-Event: Forest Day 3 • Copenhague, December 14, 2009: High Level Side Event on CBFF's Global Response to the Climate Crisis • Douala, December 14-18, 2009: 10th Meeting of Working group on Biodiversity (GTBAC) • Bangui, December 14, 2009: CEMAC Heads of State and Government Conference • Brazzaville, February 22-26, 2009: 17th Session of the African Forestry and Wildlife Commission and 1st African Forestry and Wildlife Week • Douala, March 22-23, 2010: Interafrican Forest Industries Association (IFIA) - RACEWOOD.

View all upcoming agenda items listed on our website...

Reader's Corner

•Alain Karsenty (2009): Deforestation and climate change: Acting on the causes. CIRAD Forests /Climate Change, Perspective no.1. What the (carbon) market cannot do... A policy brief on the effectiveness of instruments designed to tackle deforestation, with a special emphasis on the REDD mechanism expected to be launched at Copenhagen. Read the research paper...

• CIRAD- Le Monde (2009): Fight against deforestation; be careful to mirages! 9.384 KB 29.10.2009. As pressure goes heavier on the eve of the Copenhagen conference on climate change slated from 7 to 18 December and which aims at finding an agreement with regard to REDD, Alain Karsenty, economist in the International Cooperation Centre in Agronomic Research for Development (CIRAD) and expert at the World Bank, warns against this danger during an interview granted to Le Monde newspaper in October 10, 2009 at 3:02 pm. The interview was recorded by Laurence Caramel. Read the research paper...

• Katerere Y., Minang P.A. and Vanhanen H. (eds.) (2009): Making Sub-Saharan African Forests Work for People and Nature 25.09.2009 | 938.9 kB. This piece of work on forest policy aims at providing options on how countries in Sub-Saharan Africa having forests can respond strategically to global drivers of environmental changes. It is summarized here as key messages and policy recommendations. Read the research paper...