Return of the 2nd Deputy-Speaker of the Senate from a working mission to Gabon

In the afternoon of March 5, 2023, the Second Deputy Speaker of the Senate, Honourable Cyriaque Nshimirimana, returned from a working mission which had taken him to Libreville, Gabon, where he participated in the 3^rd International Conference of Parliamentarians on the Sustainable Management of Forest Ecosystems in Central Africa (REPAR-AC). These meetings were held jointly with those of the presidents of the Parliamentary Alliances for Food and Nutritional Security (RAPAC-SAN).

Speaking to the press, Honourable Nshimirimana indicated that the work of this Conference took place under the theme: “Parliamentary action in the face of emerging environmental challenges in the sub-region”.

He explained that the participants found that there is a poor distribution of funds allocated to carbon credit in the world. “The Central African massif, the second lung of the world, receives only 11% of these funds, while the Amazon receives 55% and East Asia only takes the rest,” he said.  Thus, it was recommended to set up a block negotiation mechanism of the REPAR countries, in terms of carbon credit and each country would benefit according to its contribution.

In the area of ​​food security, he pointed out that these parliamentarians agreed in particular to establish a tripartite dialogue; governments, parliaments and technical and financial partners, to evaluate public policies in terms of food and nutritional security, and strengthen national legislative mechanisms in terms of food security with a view to increasing production.