BUJUMBURA March 20th (ABP) – Burundi Prime Minister Gervais Ndirakobuca, opened on Friday, March 17, 2023, in Bujumbura, the 11th ordinary meeting of the Cabinet of the Central African Forests Commission (COMIFAC) whose objective was to cede the leadership to Burundi.
The ceremonies were honored with the presence of various ministers from member countries of the commission, including the Burundian Minister of Environment, Agriculture and Livestock, Mr. Sanctus Niragira, who became the new Chairman of COMIFAC.
In his circumstantial speech, the Prime Minister of Burundi, informed the participants on what has been done and what is being done in the environment sector in general and in the field of forests in particular. He indicated that there has been the establishment of strategic tools that can contribute to the sustainable management of the forest and the fight against climate change, in particular the national reforestation program “Ewe Burundi urambaye” and the forest policy which aims to ensure the sustainability of existing forest resources to meet the economic and ecological needs of present and future populations.
COMIFAC, under the Burundian leadership, will make its contribution so that the international community considers the forests of Central Africa as “the green lungs of the planet”, Mr. Ndirakobuca affirmed.
The Minister of Forests and Wildlife of Cameroon and outgoing chairman of COMIFAC, Jules Doret Ndongo, showed the great achievements and ongoing projects of that commission during those three years of his leadership.
In the achievements, Minister Ndongo highlighted, among other things, the signing of several agreements within the executive secretariat with the aim of developing the program and projects in the member countries of the commission, among others, the signing of a historical cooperation between Germany and COMIFAC.
In addition, he specified, a sum increased to more than several billion CFA francs was raised for the implementation of about twenty community projects, some of which are in progress.
Among the projects underway, he highlighted, among others, the triangular dialogue initiative with China, which concerns the five forest-producing countries. In terms of capacity building, COMIFAC has initiated the process of revising the fundamental rights and texts governing this commission.
The former chairman of COMIFAC presented to the incoming chairman priority projects which deserve to be followed up, in particular the finalization of the process of the fundamental texts of COMIFAC and the continuation of the sensitization of the Member States for the respect for their obligations towards that organization.
It is worth noting that at the end of that session, there were handover ceremonies between the incoming chairman and the outgoing chair of COMIFAC.