UNICONGO and ATIBT sign a partnership to support the private forestry sector in the Republic of Congo

In 2015, ATIBT signed a headquarters agreement in the Republic of Congo to support good governance and sustainable forest management. Since 2018, with the support of international and national projects funded by the FFEM, AFD/DFID, the European Union, the PPECF and the FAO-EU-FLEGT program, ATIBT has opened an office in Brazzaville and provides support to professional associations and companies in the timber sector.

Through these projects, UNICONGO and ATIBT have collaborated on several occasions, in particular on the following subjects : the new forestry code, the deployment of the SIVL, the recognition of certification in the LAS, etc.

This agreement aims to strengthen and formalize this joint work for the sustainable and responsible development of the forestry-wood sector in the Republic of Congo.

This convention defines the framework of collaboration between the parties, mainly around the following axes :

• Support to the private sector for its involvement in the implementation of the Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA), signed as part of the FLEGT process between Congo and the European Union.
• Support to companies for their involvement in the deployment of the Computerized Legality Verification System (SIVL)
• Improving the communication of the sector
• Structuring and strengthening of advocacy for the entire private sector, including inter-union interactions and non-affiliated companies, particularly in the context of the development of application texts for Law 33-2020 of July 8, 2020 on the forestry code, the law setting the terms and conditions for the organization of production sharing, and the monitoring of the implementation of key provisions of the forestry code.
• Accompanying companies towards third party forestry certification
• Setting up and managing an information and regulatory watch on the forestry sector