The revision process

Given that the framework of reference of the COMIFAC is the convergence plan, it is important that all the initiatives led by the COMIFAC, including those related to climate change and the process REDD particularly, fit in the said Plan. However, it was noted that the Convergence Plan adopted in February 2005 does not explicitly these issues. To this effect, the Ministers in Libreville in May 2009 during a consultation on the impact of the economic crisis on the timber industry have taken note of the need to revise the Plan of convergence in order to adapt it to the new thematic.

Meeting in Brazzaville in the Congo in April 2010, the Council of Ministers of the COMIFAC has during the special session devoted to the balance sheet post Copenhagen reaffirmed its willingness to update the convergence plan to incorporate the priority thematic areas emerging. The Council has to this effect instructed the Executive Secretariat of the COMIFAC to mobilize the expertise and financial support necessary to lead in the long term the revision of the said convergence plan.

As a result of this instruction, the Executive Secretariat of the COMIFAC has initiated, as soon as the fourth quarter of 2010 the revision process of the Convergence Plan which is computationally to arrive at its term. This process which took place following a participatory approach, inclusive, iterative has associated with each step of its approach, the whole of the actors as well at the national level and sub-regional levels. A collective of twelve consultants to know an international consultant, a consultant under regional and ten national consultants have been to this effect recruited. Under the supervision of the Executive Secretariat supported by an ad hoc committee, consultations under regional and national have led to the result of the investigations and national workshops for the revision of the Convergence Plan required in the ten countries of the space COMIFAC, concrete proposals for emerging thematic and improvement on the substance and form of the Convergence Plan. The conclusions of these consultations, which have clearly highlighted the priorities of countries were then allowed the development of the chain of the results of the Convergence Plan revised and of the draft 0 of the Convergence Plan revised. This draft was the subject of a review by the members of the Ad Hoc Committee of supervision and subsequently a new draft has been prepared and exchanged with all national stakeholders and sub regional. The contributions of each other have led to the formulation of a draft 2 of the plan for the revised convergence which has been validated in the course of a sub-regional Forum organized in Brazzaville from 16 to 17 June 2014.

The convergence plan revolves around the main chapters:

Introduction
1. Values
2. Assumptions
3. Strategic Framework
3.1 Vision
3.2 Goal
3.3 Axs of intervention and Strategic Objectives
3.4 transverse axs
4. Implementation framework
4.1 The role and responsibility of stakeholders for the implementation of the Convergence Plan
4.2 Means of implementation (human resources, financial and logistical)
5. Mechanism of follow-up and evaluation
5.1 Roles of stakeholders in the system of follow-up and evaluation
5.1 Operation of the device in the system of follow-up and evaluation

It is important to point out that the funding of this process has been provided by the contributions of the following partners: the African Development Bank (ADB) through the program of support to the conservation of ecosystems of the Congo Basin (PACEBCo), the German Technical Cooperation (GIZ), the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) through the Fund for the Forests of the Congo Basin (FFBC), the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and the World Bank through the MSP project.