International partners discuss Congo Basin forest initiative

The first meeting on the Congo Basin Forest Partnership (CBFP), an economic development and conservation programme for six Central African countries, is being held at the International Conference Centre in Paris from 21 to 23 January. The US State Department said on Tuesday that the meeting would provide an opportunity for governments, international organisations and NGOs to exchange information on their contributions to the CBFP. US Secretary of State Colin Powell announced the creation of the CBFP on 4 September 2002 at the Sustainable Development Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa. It embraces Cameroon, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon and the Republic of Congo. The US State Department quoted Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for the Environment Jeffry Burnam as saying that the meeting "is designed to harness the ideas and energy of all the many partners in the Congo Basin Forest Partnership into a long-term plan to conserve the incredible natural resources of the Congo Basin forest area". Burnam said the CBFP was a "critical response" to the sustainable development needs of the peoples of the Congo Basin. "It has set the standard for sustainable development initiatives by identifying collaborative approaches that concurrently advance economic growth, social development and environmental stewardship," he added. Countries participating in the CBFP are Canada, France, Germany, Japan, South Africa, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Also participating are organisations such as the World Bank and the World Conservation Union, NGOs and private sector groups such as the World Wildlife Fund, the World Resources Institute and the Centre for International Forestry Research. The CBFP was one of more than 20 US-led partnerships announced during the World Summit, designed to attract government funding with financial support from the private sector to help increase the access of poor countries to such things as safe drinking water, clean energy and better sanitation. It seeks to promote economic development and alleviate poverty through conservation programmes to be set up in the six countries. The State Department said the government planned to invest up to US $53 million up to the end of 2005 to help the African countries develop a network of national parks and protected areas, and to help local communities better manage the forest and wildlife resources of the Congo Basin.