What? 20th Meeting of Parties of the Congo Basin Forest Partnership: workshop on accelerating the development of innovative financing mechanisms
Who? African Development Bank, German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ)
When? 4 and 5 June 2024
Where? Hotel Pullman Kinshasa, Room Congo 3
The African Development Bank is participating in the 20th Meeting of Parties of the Congo Basin Forest Partnership, from 3-5 June 2024 in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). In conjunction with GIZ, the Bank is co-hosting five panels as part of a thematic workshop on accelerating the development of innovative financing mechanisms.
Access to climate finance remains a major challenge for Congo Basin countries despite the importance and potential of the Congo Basin forests. Various innovative financing instruments -- payments for ecosystem services, blended finance, debt-for-nature swaps and other debt instruments, carbon markets and the emerging concept of nature certificates -- have been deployed rather unevenly across the tropical forest basins. Private sector investment here has remained low.
This workshop will take stock of the situation and evaluate innovative financing solutions for preserving forests and paying for ecosystem services in the region, including carbon credits with a high environmental value and biodiversity certificates.
Tuesday 4 June:
Panel 1: Financial commitments on Congo Basin forests: challenges, bottlenecks and perspectives
- 10 am - 11.10 pm: Sub-panel 1.1, Analysis of the implementation of the Glasgow Pact 2021-2025
- 11.10 am - 12.25 pm: Sub-panel 1.2, "Fair Deal" task force report - working group on fair and equitable funding for Central African forests
Panel 2: Innovative financing mechanisms available
- 2.30 pm - 3.55 pm: Sub-panel 2.1, Coordination and transparency for existing mechanisms
- 4 pm - 5.25 pm: Sub-panel 2.2, Raising innovative financing
Wednesday 5 June
- 9.30 am - 10.30 am: Sub-panel 2.3, Raising private sector financing
The Bank also plans on being a contributor and panelist in other sessions, including the round table during the high-level session entitled "Supporting the preservation of the Congo Basin forests: how to enhance the impact of financing for tropical forests" from 2.30 pm to 4 pm on Monday 3 June, in the Chapiteau conference room. More than 60 side events are being held at this meeting of parties.
More than 700 stakeholders involved in preserving the Congo Basin forests are taking part in this 20th Meeting of Parties of the CBFP, including ministers, senior officials from the Central African region, experts and development partners, and representatives of civil society and the private sector.
Co-chaired by Christophe Guilhou and Aurélie Flore Koumba Pambo, co-facilitators for the French and Gabonese Republics of the CBFP, the panel will also include Sanctus Niragira, the current Chairman of the Central Africa Forests Commission (COMIFAC), and senior representatives of the DRC.
The meeting, an essential tool to combat against climate change and protect biodiversity, is the result of close cooperation with COMIFAC, the Economic Community of Central African States, Congo Basin Forest Partnership partners and the DRC.
Its goals are as follows:
- Assess progress since the 19th Meeting of Parties in Libreville in 2022.
- Prepare the region and partners for the Conferences of the Parties to the Rio Conventions in 2024.
- Build consensus on the governance of the Congo Basin Forest Partnership and forest conservation generally.
- Examine the preliminary evaluation report of the Congo Basin Forest Partnership.
- Initiate a strategic dialogue between countries of the Central Africa Forests Commission and donor countries.
- Ensure the implementation of the priority actions of the 2023-2025 roadmap of the Co-Facilitation of the French and Gabonese Republics.
The meeting also includes a ministerial political segment on 3 June, featuring a high-level dialogue between the regional college and the college of donors. This discussion will provide an opportunity to discuss post-2025 financing. Six high-level round tables will be held during the technical segments.
Technical segment (4-5 June).
Six strategic themes will be addressed during the thematic workshops:
- Network of protected areas in Central Africa.
- Efficient and sustainable land-use planning.
- Sustainable value chains in Central Africa.
- Innovative financing mechanisms.
- Fight against environmental crime.
- Scientific and academic cooperation and dialogue.
These topics will also be discussed by participants at the Youth Forum being held in parallel. In total.
