Flash news

• Brazzaville - Republic of Congo, February 2 - 4th, 2010: Monitoring Carbon Stocks and Fluxes at the Centre of the COMIFAC Workshop. This high level workshop was an initiative of the Executive Secretary of the COMIFAC with financial support from OFAC, OSFAC, UN FAO, WRI, WWF, START and JRC. As a result of the inclusion of REDD in climate change treaty negotiations, the Brazzaville workshop was an invaluable occasion to establish an intensive, and profitable exchange of information and know-how on REDD and moreover, to understand and capitalize how the projects inform technical issues of REDD preparedness. Find out more...

• Yaoundé - Republic of Cameroon, February 2nd, 2010: Central Africa celebrates World Wetlands Day. Under this year's theme: Wetlands, Biodiversity and Climate Change, with the slogan "Caring for wetlands: an answer to climate change", the World Wetlands Day celebration in central Africa provided an opportunity to inform and sensitize governments, local communities, civil society on values, functions and importance of these highly rich ecosystems, and their benefits in maintaining healthy climate and environment, and biodiversity. Additionally, Cameroon has designated its portion of Lake Chad as a Ramsar site. Find out more...

• Douala - Republic of Cameroon, January 26 - 29th, 2010: GTBAC - Towards the development of strategy APA for COMIFAC's space countries. The identification of essential elements in the development of this strategy was validated and adopted during the 10th plenary meeting of GTBAC in Douala (Cameroun) - Presided by Mr. Raymond MBITIKON, Executive Secretary of the COMIFAC. Participants could modify the heading of the study on "The identification of the elements being able to be used as a basis for the development of strategy for COMIFAC's space countries concerning the APA" in "The identification of the elements being able to be used as a basis for the development of APA strategy for COMIFAC's space countries." Find out more...

• Washington DC - U.S. Capitol Building, Januray, 14th 2010: State of the Forest 2008 at the U.S Congress. The International Conservation Caucus Foundation and U.S. partners in the CBFP organized a launch event for the English version of the CBFP "Forests of the Congo Basin: State of the Forest" report. John Flynn, Director for the USAID/CARPE: "State of the Forest report represents a significant accomplishment for the CBFP". Find out more...

• Copenhagen - Danmark, December 11th 2009: COP15 UNFCCC - Tropical Forests at the Centre of Negotiations. Copenhagen was an opportunity to show COMIFAC's Efforts in the Search for answers to the methodological questions of REDD. With the support of CEEAC, GAF, GTZ and the CBFP Facilitation, the COMIFAC organized based on ongoing pilot initiative in the sub-region, a side event on the REDD opportunities and challenges in the Congo Basin. It was undoubtedly the event which draw more attention during this first week of the Conference where discussions on the REDD started reaching the big screen and negotiations with the various groups of developing countries opened with the first specific proposals. Find out more...

• Bujumbura - Republic of Burundi, December 7 - 12th, 2010: Strengthening of the partnership between InWEnt and RIFFEAC. Possibilities to promote the partnership were at the centre of the activities planning workshop in Bujumbura (Burundi), new Member State of RIFFEAC. Many exchanges led on a partnership convention between InWEnt and the RIFFEAC and on a selection of the activities to carry out and the schedule. Find out more...

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

Upcoming events:

• Doha, Qatar, March 13-15th, 2010: CITES -15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties  • Pointe Noire, Republic of Congo, March 17-19th, 2010: CarboAfrica Conference - "Toward a biophysical carbon accounting in Africa" • Brazzaville, Republic of Congo, March 21-22th, 2010: UNESCO - Pro-Natura Congo Basin Biosphere Bio-Carbon Forum • Douala, Republic of Cameroun, March 22-23th, 2010: Interafrican Forest Industries Association (IFIA) - 3rd RaceWood edition • Douala, Republic of Cameroon, March 24th, 2010: COMIFAC Workshop with support of CBFP members: "FLEGT as political instruments and technical implications" •  Libreville, Gabonese Republic (Gabon), March 22-26th, 2010: World Bank: Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF) meeting • Cali, Colombie, March 22-28th, 2010: CBD-ABS: Ninth meeting of the Ad Hoc Open-ended Working Group on Access and Benefit-sharing (WG ABS 9) • Libreville, Gabonese Republic (Gabon), April 12-16th, 2010: CAWFHI: Scientific and technical committee and the pilot committee of the Trinational Dja-Odzala-Minkebe (TRIDOM) Project • Impfondo, Republic of Congo, April 13-16th, 2010: 2nd International Forum on Autochthons People of Central Africa • Nairobi, Republic of Kenya, May 24-28th, 2010: CBD - UNEP Third meeting of the Ad Hoc Open-ended Working Group on Review of Implementation of the Convention (WGRI 3) • Abidjan - Republic of Ivory Coast, May 27-28th, 2010: Annual Meeting of the African Development Bank: International Year of Biodiversity (IYB) Celebration

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

Reader's Corner

• FAO - ITTO (2010): Forest governance and climate-change mitigation. A policy brief- 2,096.1 kB. Between August 2006 and July 2008, the FAO and the ITTO jointly funded and convened five workshops - in Southeast Asia, West Africa, Central Africa, the Amazon Basin and Mesoamerica - to promote a multi-sectoral dialogue between countries on improving forest law compliance. The present policy brief summarizes the main findings of those workshops and highlights the lessons learned from experiences on the ground related to forest law compliance and governance elements necessary to optimize the role of forests in mitigating climate change.Read the research paper...

• Blom, B. - Sunderland, T.C.H. - Murdiyarso, D. (CIFOR) (2010): Getting REDD to work locally: lessons learned from integrated conservation and development projects. This paper provides a list of best practices for ICDPs and applies their lessons as principles to guide the development and implementation of sub-national REDD projects.The intent of this approach is to encourage the design and implementation of sub-national REDD projects in a way that avoids the past pitfalls and mistakes, while building upon some successes, of the ICDP conservation approach. By doing so, REDD will be more likely to be implemented in a way that is effective, efficient and equitable. Download the document...

• Duncan Brack (2010): Controlling Illegal Logging: Consumer-Country Measures. Briefing paper -260.4 kB. This brief examines a series of measures in more detail which have been taken by consumer countries to try to ensure that they exclude illegal timber products from their markets. It highlights the implications for exporters of timber products to the consumer countries in question. Read the research paper...

• FAO-State of the World's Forest (2009). This eighth biennial issue of State of the World's Forests considers the unfolding future of forests and forestry at the sub-regional, regional and global levels. Based on the most recent of FAO's periodic forest sector outlook studies, it examines the impacts that external factors such as demographic, economic, institutional and technological changes may have on forests. With globalization and improved communications, the regional scenarios will be increasingly interlinked. Download the document... 

• COMIFAC News no.006 (2009): The sixth Newsletter COMIFAC News is available. This bulletin deals with specific topics including biodiversity conservation in Central Africa, and with economic and social assets resulting from conservation efforts made by the States of the Sub-region. Find out more...

• OFAC-FORAF: Download the COMIFAC workshop's documentation on "Monitoring Carbon Stocks and Fluxes", Brazzaville, Congo

• InWEnt - RIFFEAC: Download the workshop's documentation of the planning workshop in Bujumbura, Burundi

Read the research paper...

Job Offers

• FSC seeks Africa Regional Director: The position will remain open until filled. Download the job description...

• WWF CARPO seeks Finance Director: The position is based in Yaoundé-Cameroun. Deadline for application is April 3rd, 2010. Find out more...

• The Forest Trust is seeking applicants from central Africa to its Centre for Social Excellence (CSE): Deadline for application is April 11th, 2010. Download the job description..

• Call for applications - ONF International (ONFI): A Senior «REDD+ / Soil Carbon» Expert: Application deadline: April 15th, 2010. Download the job description...

View more Job offers on our website...