RAMSAR CONVENTION ON WETLANDS
54th Meeting of the Standing Committee
Gland, Switzerland, 23 – 27 April 2018

Doc. SC54-21.6
Draft resolution on peace and the sustainable management of biodiversity inRamsar Sites
Submitted by the Central African Republic
Action requested:•The Standing Committee is invited to review the attached draft resolution for consideration at
the 13th meeting of the Conference of the Parties.

Information for the Standing Committee
Given the importance of the biological diversity in the northern part of the Central African Republic,
forming part of the Lake Chad Basin, and the southern part belonging to the Congo Basin, and inview of these riches that are today threatened by the impacts of armed conflict, it is essential topreserve and manage these different environments sustainably.
In the aftermath of the military-political crisis, a National Plan for Recovery and Peacebuilding [PlanNational de Relèvement et de Consolidation de la Paix, RCPCA] 2017-2021 highlighted the protectionof biodiversity in the Central African Republic.
The application’s financial implications
Paragraph (number and essential part ofthe text)
1. i : ASKS the Standing Committee tosupport the inclusion of the drawing up ofan inventory of the post-conflict fauna,
flora and fisheries resources, contracting a
specialized institution for this purpose
1. ii : REQUESTS the Standing Committee
to integrate the implementation ofresilience activities relating to biodiversity
with internally displaced people inparticular (training, income-generating
activities, the creation and managementof micro-projects) as well as alternative
development and conversion activities
1. iii : ASKS the Standing Committee tosupport the drawing up and publication ofthe Convention and the documents
ratifying the Convention

Actions

Cost (CHF)

The Secretariat will coordinate the draft
inventory, WWF Central Africa will provide
technical assistance for the recruitment of 2
consultants for 2 months

10,000The Secretariat will coordinate the projectthrough the WWF and small grants

20,000The Secretariat will provide financial assistancefor the draft edition and the publication of theConvention and the documents relating to theratification of the Convention by the National
Assembly of the Central African Republic

5,000

2. i : ASKS the Standing Committee tosupport the Focal Points and NGOs inmarking World Wetlands Day at a nationallevel and in the Ramsar Sites alreadyregistered by the Secretariat
3. i : ASKS the Standing Committee toprovide the training for Focal Points in themastery of mechanisms for theimplementation of the Convention and therelated mobilization of the necessary
funds ;
3. ii : identify and train the stakeholders
for the sustainable management ofwetlands across the country, by organizing
visits for experience sharing?

The Secretariat will coordinate the project bymobilizing resources allowing for trips to theSites

10,000The Secretariat will coordinate the project for
the training of Focal Points, and a Consultant
will draw up the report

10,000The Secretariat will coordinate the organizationof intra-regional exchange visits

10,000TOTAL

65,000In order to achieve this, the following draft resolutions have been drawn up.

Draft resolution XIII.xx
Peace and the sustainable management of biodiversity in Ramsar Sites
1.

RECALLING the 4th Strategic Plan 2016 – 2024 that calls on actions to be undertaken by theContracting Parties supported by the Secretariat, and in accordance with the Central African
Republic’s National Plan for Recovery and Peacebuilding (RCPCA) 2017-2021 in the field ofbiodiversity;i)ASKS the Standing Committee to support the inclusion of the drawing up of an inventory of
the post-conflict fauna, flora and fisheries resources, contracting a specialiZed institution
for this purpose;ii)

REQUESTS the Standing Committee to integrate the implementation of resilience activities
relating toizing biodiversity and internally displaced people in particular (training, incomegenerating activities, the creation and management of micro-projects) as well as
alternative development and retraining activities;iii) ASKS the Standing Committee to support the drawing up and publication of the Convention
and the documents ratifying the Convention.
2.

3.

AWARE of financial issues:i)RECOGNIZING the State’s limited capacity after the armed conflict to mobilize the required
financial resources for national and international commitments;ii)

ASKS the Standing Committee to support the Focal Points and NGOs in marking World
Wetlands Day at a national level and in the Ramsar Sites already registered by theSecretariat.

RESEARCH and capacity building:i)SC54-21.6

RECOGNIZING the lack of capacity building for implementing the Convention;

2ii)

ASKS the Standing Committee to provide the training for Focal Points to mastermechanisms for the implementation of the Convention and the related mobilization of thenecessary funds;iii) REQUESTS the Standing Committee to identify and train the stakeholders in the sustainable
management of wetlands across the country, by organizing visits for experience sharing.
THE CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC
4.

URGES the SECRETARIAT to reduce the financial package in order to allow for theimplementation of the Convention and the continuation of the designation of ten new potential
Sites of international importance in the Logone-Chari region in the North to help the Central
African Republic through the provision of small grants for the implementation of awarenessraising and capacity-building activities by WWF Central Africa.

SC54-21.6

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