US embassy cable - 05KINSHASA76

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 KINSHASA 000076 
 
SIPDIS 
 
FROM BRAZZAVILLE EMBASSY OFFICE 
 
DEPT FOR AF/FO - DON YAMAMOTO, AF/C - CAROLYN BARGERON, 
AF/EPS SUSAN DRIANO, OES - A/S JOHN TURNER, AND DAS 
CLAUDIA MCMURRAY 
 
PARIS FOR AFRICA WATCHER 
 
E.O.12958: N/A 
TAGS: SENV, EAID, ECON, AMGT, CF 
SUBJECT: CONGO/B: CONGO BASIN FOREST PARTNERSHIP - 
COMIFAC HEADS OF STATE SUMMIT (FEB. 1-7, 2005) 
 
REF: 04 KINSHASA 2296 
 
1. SUMMARY: Embassy Brazzaville obtained the program 
for the Congo Basin Forest Partnership - COMIFAC Heads 
of State Summit scheduled for February 1-7, 2005.  The 
host government has provided a list of U.S. Government 
officials to whom invitations have been sent.  Hotel 
space during the week of the summit is expected to be 
very scarce.  END SUMMARY. 
 
2. SCARCITY OF HOTEL SPACE IN BRAZZAVILLE: The host 
government has placed a priority hold on nearly all 
hotel space in Brazzaville from January 31 through 
February 7 in order to provide lodging for official 
delegations.  The Ministry of Foreign Affairs assured 
post that lodging would be available for the official 
U.S. delegation.  Post again advises that, given there 
is no CMR and one is not foreseen until late March 
2005, Embassy can only house internally two people in 
the available TDY space the Mission has in 
Brazzaville.Chiefssand , due to changes in the U.S. 
Administration 
 
3. INVITED U.S. GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS: Invitations to 
the summit have been issued so far for the following 
U.S. Government officials: 
 
President Bush 
 
Secretary Powell 
 
SIPDIS 
 
David Kaeuper - Department of State, CBFP Facilitator 
 
John Flynn - Central Africa Regional Project for the 
Environment, USAID, Kinshasa, DRCy 
 
Rudy Dalessandro - National Park Service, Office of 
International Affairs 
 
Alex Moad - U.S. Forest Service, International Programs 
 
Richard Ruggiero - U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 
Office of International Conservation 
 
Woody Turner - National Aeronautics and Space 
Administration, Office of Earth Science 
 
4. SUMMIT SCHEDULE 
 
FEBRUARY 1, 2005 (TUESDAY) 
Meeting of the COMIFAC Experts 
 
0800-0900 - Registration and documentation of experts 
(Palace of Parliament - Room 102) 
 
0900 - Opening ceremony of the meeting of experts 
(Palace of Parliament - International Conference Room) 
 
0930 - Coffee break 
 
1000 - Work session 
- Installation of meeting officials 
- Presentation and adoption of the meeting program 
- Presentation of the work methodology 
- Presentation of topics: treaty, financing mechanism, 
initiatives on cross-border protected zones, forest 
certification, Kyoto protocol, enforcement of forestry 
laws, NEPAD action plan 
 
1300 - Lunch break 
 
1430 - Summary of morning session 
- Study of various recommendation proposals related to 
the Summit 
 
1630 - Adoption of the recommendation proposals related 
to the Summit 
 
1700 - Closing ceremony of the meeting of experts 
 
FEBRUARY 2, 2005 (WEDNESDAY) 
Extraordinary Session of COMIFAC 
 
0830-0930 - Closed meeting of the Council of Ministers 
of COMIFAC 
 
1000 - Opening ceremony of the Extraordinary Session of 
COMIFAC (Palace of Parliament - International 
Conference Room) 
- Brief welcome speech by the Congo/B Minister of 
Forest Economy and Environment 
- Speech by the departing facilitator (United States) 
- Summary speech by the President of COMIFAC 
- Opening speech by Congo/B Minister of State 
 
1130 - Opening and visit to exhibit stands 
 
1300 - Lunch break 
 
1430 - COMIFAC work session 
-Installation of officers and adoption of day's order 
of business 
- Presentation of the report of the experts 
- Study and adoption of the resolutions to submit to 
the consideration of the Chiefs of State 
 
1700 - Coffee break 
 
1730 - Resumption of work 
- Reading of final communiqu 
- Closure of work session 
 
2000 - Dinner offered by the Congo/B Government 
 
FEBRUARY 3, 2005 (THURSDAY) 
Ministerial Segment of Participating Countries and 
Representatives of International Organizations 
 
1000 - Opening ceremony 
- Speech by the COMIFAC PresidentACTION REQUESTED: 
Please pass this cable to invitees and their respective 
agencies.  Please advise if any plan to attend.  The 
Embassy has the original invitations, which are in 
French.  RSVP is requested by Jan. 10, 2005. 
 
- Opening speech by the Congo/B Minister of State 
 
1030 - Coffee break 
 
1100 - Resumption of work 
- Installation of officers 
- Presentation of current challenges in conservation 
and management of the forests of central Africa 
- Presentations of United Nations Organizations and 
other partners 
- Interactive exchange among the participating 
Ministers 
 
1300 - Lunch break 
 
1600 - Presentations of international experts 
- Debt for nature 
- Long-term credits 
- Carbon sequestration 
- Implementation and financing strategy of the Plan of 
Convergence 
 
1730 - Closure of work, by Congo/B Minister of Forest 
Economy and Environment 
 
FEBRUARY 4, 2005 (FRIDAY) 
 
1000 - Inauguration of Elephant Monument (Patte d'Oie 
Forest Reserve) 
 
FEBRUARY 5, 2005 (SATURDAY) 
Heads of State Summit 
 
0800 - Arrival at the Palace of Parliament of the 
delegations and invited guests 
 
0905 - Arrival at the Palace of Parliament of the Heads 
of State 
 
0955 - Arrival at the Palace of Parliament of the 
President of the Republic of Congo 
 
1000 - Opening ceremony of the Heads of State Summit on 
Conservation and Sustainable Management of the Forest 
Ecosystems of Central Africa 
- Speeches by heads of state, including the President 
of the United States of America 
 
1130 - Consultations of heads of state 
- Closed meeting of heads of state 
- Signing of the Treaty of the Heads of State of 
Central Africa, in presence of national and 
international press 
 
1200 - Press conference by the following heads of stat: 
- President Denis Sassou-Nguesso (Republic of Congo) 
- President Paul Biya (Cameroon) 
- President Omar Bongo (Gabon) 
- President Jacques Chirac (France) 
 
1330 - Departure of President Chirac (Maya-Maya 
International Airport) 
 
1600 - Resumption of consultations of heads of state 
 
1700 - Closing ceremony of the Summit of Heads of State 
on the Conservation and Sustainable Management of the 
Forest Ecosystems of Central Africa 
 
2100 - Evening gala offered by the World Bank and World 
Wildlife Fund (Olympic Palace Hotel) 
 
FEBRUARY 6, 2005 (SUNDAY) 
 
Excursion on the Congo River to the tree nursery of the 
National Reforestation Service at Kintele 
 
FEBRUARY 7, 2005 (MONDAY) 
Consultation of CBFP Partners 
 
1000 - Opening ceremony 
- Introduction by the Congo/B Minister of Forest 
Economy and Environment 
- Speech by the President of COMIFAC 
- Speech by the Congo/B Minister of State 
 
1300 - End of the program of the Heads of State Summit 
on the Conservation and Sustainable Management of the 
Forest Ecosystems of Central Africa 
 
57  Brazzaville Embassy Office - Sanders. 
MEECE