PACEBco-2: Ministers take over

Libeville (Gabonese Rep.), July 17, 2020) – After two days of intense and fruitful work by experts from Member States of the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), the turn has come to the Ministers in charge of Forests, the Environment and those in charge of Planning of ECCAS member states to meet in videoconference on consultation for the allocation of part of ADF-15 concessional allocations to the financing of implementation. work of PACEBCo-2.

The opening ceremony was chaired by the Gabonese Minister of Water, Forests, the Sea, the Environment, in charge of the Climate Plan, Sustainable Development Goals and the National Land Use Plan of the Gabonese Republic, Professor Lee White.

Three speeches were made on this occasion, namely, the speech by the President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), represented by the Director General of the Regional Office for Central Africa Mr. Robert MASUMBUKO, the word of welcome from the Secretary General of ECCAS represented by the Deputy Secretary General of ECCAS in charge of the Department of Physical, Economic and Monetary Integration Ms. Marie Thérèse Chantal Mfoula and the opening speech by Professor Lee White.

During his speech, the representative of the AfDB expressed his pride in effectively contributing to the financing of PACEBco, protected areas, and the construction of infrastructure for the benefit of neighboring populations. Mr. Robert MASUMBUKO reaffirmed the AfDB’s firm desire to support ECCAS and member states to jointly learn the lessons of PACEBco-1 and to expand cooperation with other partners such as the Central African Forests Commission. “Within our means, I reiterate the Bank’s commitment to support ECCAS in finding partners and mobilizing resources for the implementation of PACEBco-2.

For his part, the Deputy Secretary General of ECCAS in charge of the Department of Physical, Economic and Monetary Integration expressed his renewed gratitude from the General Secretariat of ECCAS to the AfDB for the multiple support it provides. to our Community with a view to consolidating its regional integration and improving the well-being of the populations, among other things the financing of studies and structuring projects in the fields of transport, environment, trade and welfare. other.

Ms. Mfoula then recalled that as part of the implementation of the priority axis relating to the environment, the General Secretariat of ECCAS signed in April 2009 with the ADB a grant agreement in the amount of 37, 28 million Units of Account for financing the implementation of the Congo Basin Ecosystem Conservation Support Program (PACEBCo) for a period of 5 years. Of this amount, UA 32 million was provided by the African Development Fund (ADF), 5 millions from ECCAS and 0.28 million from beneficiaries.

She added that the (PACEBCo) is a response from the African Development Bank to the concerns expressed by the Heads of State of Central Africa at the Brazzaville Summit in 2005, concerning the implementation of the Convergence Plan of the Central African Forests Commission (COMIFAC).

Regarding the missions assigned to the second phase of PACBco-2, the Deputy Secretary General of ECCAS noted the most important, including:

The second phase will focus its actions on capitalizing on the achievements of PACEBCo-1, with an emphasis on improving the resilience of populations to the adverse effects of climate change. The General Secretariat will ensure that PACEBCo’s field of action covers all eleven member states.

Specifically, this PACEBCo 2 will be structured around four components, namely: Component:

• Capacity building of regional and national structures in charge of ecosystem management;

• Conservation of biodiversity and the diversity and resilience of ecosystems to climate change;

• Improvement of the living conditions and resilience of local populations and indigenous peoples to climate change;

• Program management.

In his opening speech, Professor Lee White invited his colleagues to take up the challenge of the conservation and sustainable management of the Congo Basin forests.