Sector: Agriculture and Agribusiness
Region: Sub-Saharan Africa
Funded by:
Canadian International Development Agency
Total Value: $413,732
Partners and Counterparts:
Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA)
Natural Resources Canada (NRCan)
Congo Basin Forests Partnership
Central African Forest Commission (COMIFAC)
Democratic Republic of Congo, Canadian Facilitation for the Congo Basin Forests Partnership: July 2010–July 2012
Project Description
The purpose of this assignment is to coordinate and facilitate activities related to the Congo Basin Forest Partnership. The Facilitator helps to maintain and strengthen the vitality of this regional cooperation, pursue dialogue among members, help to develop and update the CBFP roadmap so that partners’ activities are better harmonized, and promote the CBFP to the international community.
This assignment involves a variety of services, including, but not strictly limited to the following:
•Structuring a program of work based on the orientations of the COMIFAC Convergence Plan.
•Liaison/facilitation: Ensure the exchange of information among CBFP members, facilitating coordination and consultation, and developing synergy between partners’ activities and other initiatives for sustainable management of forest ecosystems.
•Negotiation/mediation: Acting as negotiator/mediator among CBFP members to foster greater harmonization of partners’ activities and better alignment with the Convergence Plan, and also to support COMIFAC in negotiating the shared positions of Member States at regional and international meetings concerning natural resource management and climate change.
•Organization/facilitation: Helping to organize and facilitate regional and international meetings on forest and environmental resource management and/or various themes and issues in sustainable management of Congo Basin forests.
•Promotion/representation: Promoting, representing, and acting as spokesperson for CBFP, regionally and internationally, in support of COMIFAC and its Convergence Plan. This includes participating in international meetings on forest and environmental resource management, identifying new members, and helping them become CBFP members.
•Contributing to the expected results in cooperation with the other parties and stakeholders involved.
•Providing sound financial and administrative management of the resources allocated to the Canadian facilitator, in keeping with the service contract and approved administrative and financial procedures.
•Producing the various activity, result, and financial reports.
The Canadian Facilitator also helps to guide the work plan of the team in Yaoundé, and carry out the assignment in close coordination and cooperation with the team.
The CBFP, which includes Canada, is an association that now comprises fifty-three (53) governmental, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations. It links donors and executing agencies, and serves as a forum for dialogue among partners. It is not directly involved in implementing or funding programs.
The Congo Basin Forest Partnership (CBFP) was launched at the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) in Johannesburg in 2002, upon the initiative of the United States and South Africa, as a non-binding partnership registered with the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development. The CBFP is also in response to the Yaoundé Declaration, formulated by the Heads of State of Central African countries in March 1999 to affirm their willingness to commit to policies and action for the conservation and sustainable management of their forest ecosystems.
The PFBC’s primary purpose is to strengthen the coordination of various partners for the conservation and sustainable management of Central Africa’s forest ecosystems, while focusing on promoting the directions chosen by the recipient countries within their regional institution. It supports the Central African Forest Commission (COMIFAC), the regional body responsible for guiding and harmonizing forestry and environmental policies.