24 January 2012: The Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) has published the report of the first sub-regional workshop for West Africa on capacity-building for implementation of the CBD Programme of Work on Protected Areas (PoWPA). The workshop focused on the training of trainers using e-learning modules on the PoWPA.

The workshop took place from 21-25 November 2011, in Dakar, Senegal, and was co-organized with WWF and other partners. Its objectives were to: develop a cadre of trainers who could impart further training on important protected area issues, not only for park managers but for all stakeholders, including local communities, the tourism sector and in the education stream; enable a technical support network of individuals to assist countries in West Africa in their PoWPA implementation and achievement of relevant Aichi targets; and gather local examples illustrating the e-learning modules.

At the close of the workshop, participants agreed that the organizers should, as a matter of urgency, raise funds to organize a follow-up workshop to finalize consideration of the remaining modules and lessons, and that the CBD Secretariat should finalize its work on the modules and lessons. At the same time, participants should develop a national action plan for training activities and include it in the long-term national action plan for the implementation of the PoWPA. [Publication: Report of the first workshop for the training of trainers using the e-learning modules on the CBD Programme of Work on Protected Areas in the PRCM sub-region of West Africa]