April 2013: The Central African Forests Commission (COMIFAC) convened the sixth meeting of the Working Group for the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) in Central Africa (WGCCD) with participation from representatives of Burundi, Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, the Republic of Congo, and São Tomé e Príncipe.

The meeting was organized around the following items for discussion: the eleventh meeting of the Committee for the Review of the Implementation of the Convention (CRIC 11); the WGCCD’s roadmap for 2013; lessons learned from the preparation of the fifth national reports to the UNCCD; progress on the alignment of National Action Plans (NAPs) under the UNCCD and the 10-Year Strategy (2008-2018) of the Convention; and the report on and exchange of views on the findings of sub-regional, regional and international meetings related to combating desertification.

The meeting called on COMIFAC to encourage countries to commit resources to sustainable land management (SLM), hold meetings to promote synergies among the Rio Conventions and provide technical support for the NAP alignment process. The meeting also recommended that the liaison centers prepare a sub-regional report on the implementation of the UNCCD and provide up to date information on emerging issues related to the UNCCD.

Finally, with regard to actions for countries, the meeting recommended improved financing for SLM NAP alignment and, through a mining tax, for restoration. The meeting also stressed the need for improved knowledge management for reporting on implementation of the UNCCD, and closer collaboration between UNCCD and Ramsar focal points. [Congo Basin Forest Partnership Press Release] [Publication: Sixieme Atelier du Groupe de Travail de la Convention des Nations Unies sur la Lutte Contre la Desertification en Afrique Centrale]