What’s new in Republic of Congo?

ATIBT's actions in the Republic of Congo

Forest governance

• End of FLEGT-REDD-Certification projects (FFEM, EU, PPECF)
• ATIBT Congo has been carrying out a support project for the forestry sector (financed by FCDO, British cooperation) during the first half of 2021. In this context, ATIBT Congo was called upon by the private sector and by the team of experts in charge of carrying out a legal study prior to the drafting of application texts, in the context of the new forestry law. The ATIBT mobilised an expert to support the private sector in the consultations prior to the workshop to present the legal study in preparation for the drafting of the application texts (25 and 26 February).

This project also made it possible to maintain the following activities

- Updating the directory of forestry companies in Congo;

- Implementation of a forestry sector watch;

- Monitoring the deployment of the SIVL;

- Consultation with the unions.

This project made it possible to anticipate actions that will be implemented as part of a new project supported by the Delegation of the European Union in Congo and which will begin in July 2021. This action, "Private Sector Support in the Republic of Congo" (ASP-Congo), will enable the implementation of several activities in the forestry sector such as :

- Animation of the inter-union;

- Strengthening communication in the sector;

- Implementation of regulatory and information monitoring in the sector;

- Raising awareness of companies on cross-cutting issues (environmental management, HR, gender issues, etc.);

- Training companies to comply with regulations before using the SIVL "legality" and "traceability" modules;

- Advocacy actions in the framework of the implementation of the FLEGT VPA and the new forestry code.

• Within the framework of the PPECF project (Coaching enterprises), the ATIBT continues to support companies in their certification process. Several actions were carried out this year, including missions to companies involved in the process and awareness-raising work to present the challenges and opportunities of the PPECF project to companies wishing to certify their forest concessions.

Professional training

Within the framework of the ADEFAC project, the technical implementation team of the ATIBT drew up the trade-skills sheets for the entire forestry-wood sector, which were submitted for validation to the forestry companies via the UNICONGO union. The draft collaboration agreements were sent to the various stakeholders (craftsmen, training institutes and forestry companies) for amendment. The identification of potential trainers is underway and will be followed by GEPEC training, training of trainers, and the development of the guide for the use of tropical timber in Africa.

Key events in recent months

As part of the feasibility study for the Sustainable Land Use Programme (PUDT) in the Republic of Congo, three workshops were held in May 2021:

- First multi-stakeholder working meeting - 12 May 2021

- Second multi-stakeholder working meeting - 17 May 2021

- Workshop to review the conclusions of the consultations of the stakeholders of the PUDT - 19 May 2021

• As part of the implementation of the FLEGT VPA in Congo, the 13th Joint Implementation Committee (JIC) was held on 2 and 3 June 2021 (See the memory aid)
• Presentation by FRMi of a study on secondary and tertiary timber processing, 1 July 2021
• Within the framework of the new forestry code, a multi-stakeholder workshop to present the legal study in preparation for the drafting of the application texts was held on 25 and 26 February 2021.

Highlights of 2021

• Signature of a partnership agreement between UNICONGO and ATIBT in March 2021
• Signing of a memorandum of understanding for the project to valorize the reductions in emissions generated in the 2015-2019 annual cutting areas of the NGOMBE FMU between the MEF and IFO on 24 June 2021.
• Within the framework of the new forestry code and more specifically of production sharing, FRMi presented to MEF the first results of their study on "the principle of the production sharing regime" on 28 May 2021