25.04.2019
It is time to present the actions of Eric Gitadi, Secretary General of the FIB (Federation Industrial Wood) as a referent FLEGT-Certification in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Eric GITADI, graduated in science and development techniques, totals up to date nearly 14 years spent at the FIB (Federation Industrial Wood). In this context, he has benefited from numerous trainings both at national and international level (forest governance, project management, due diligence…)
In addition to his functions within the FIB, he is a member of the APV-DRC Technical Negotiations Committee, which works to develop the different legality grids.
He was also very active in the negotiations on the implementation of a stable, coherent and transparent forest tax, but also in the support actions to strengthen the skills of non-state actors in the legislation and regulation of the sector. forest.
Besides his presence at various national level meetings, he participates in international events addressing forest resource issues (eg race wood), or illegal logging and trading in Chatham House, and partnership issues. Congo Basin Forest (CBFP) in Africa and Europe. He also takes part in the inter-union meetings as part of the VPA process, timber trade and trade union projects.
The FIB is a representative corporation of the wood industry created in 2006. Its purpose is the defense and promotion of the interests of companies in the sector while promoting integral development of community.
As part of the recently signed ATIBT-FIB and ATIBT projects, Eric is taking on the role of FLEGT half-time referent.
He is very committed and will take action to ensure that the participation of the private sector in VPA negotiations is strong and that the results on the taking into account of third party verified certificates in the due diligence are capitalized by the DR Congo’s candidate companies.
On the strength of this collaboration and without being exhaustive, the forestry companies who have indicated their intention to go towards the certification will be supervised and followed after the realization of the initial diagnoses, the sector will have a permanent device of information watch (regulatory watch ), the knowledge of the cartography of the actors of the sector for the DRC, the implementation of the communication plan for the private sector, then so many innovations.
ATIBT, together with its partners in Central and West Africa (UFIGA, GFBC, FIB and SPIB), are awarded three grant contracts to better involve the private sector in FLEGT and FLEGT schemes. REDD +. Their titles and sources of funding are:
1. « Integration of the tropical timber sector of Central and West Africa into the FLEGT-REDD mechanisms » financed by the French Global Environment Facility (FFEM)
2. « Strengthening the capacities of the professional associations of the private forest sector of Central and West Africa to allow a better integration of the latter in the FLEGT Action Plan » financed by the European Union (EU)
3. « Improving the consideration of third-party verified certification in FLEGT-REDD processes » funded by KFW Bankengruppe via PPECF-COMIFAC. The latter applies only to Central Africa.
