Professor Wangari Muta Maathai, Congo Basin Roving Ambassador and 2004 Nobel Peace Price Winner - Full of courage and inspiration, she shall always be remembered by the COMIFAC people area for her contribution in favour of the conservation, the sustainable management and development of Central African forest ecosystems.

2004 Nobel Peace Price Winner, Professor Wangari Maathai was appointed Congo Basin Roving Ambassador by Heads of States and Governments via a Resolution of the second Summit of Central African Heads of States on the conservation and the sustainable management of forest ecosystems held in Brazzaville on 5 February 2005 (The Brazzaville Resolution (2005)).(Photo: Professor Wangari Maathai, Roving Ambassador of the Congo Basin during the alongside event of COMIFAC UNFCCC Cop 15. Professor Wangari Maathai, 11 December 2009).

--> Within the framework of the implementation of innovative and sustainable funding mechanisms for the conservation, and the sustainable management and  development of ecosystems in Central African countries recommended by the Brazzaville Resolution in 2005, with the support of Professor Wangari Maathai, the United Kingdom decided to contribute to a multi-donor common fund an amount of 50 million pounds (100 million US dollars) for the Congo Basin. The United Kingdom was followed in that initiative by Norway who undertook to also contribute 50 million pounds to the multi-donors fund. Professor Wangari  Maathai worked with The Right Honourable Paul Martin, former Prime Minister of Canada in the consultations relating to the effective implementation of the fund established in 2008 under the name Congo Basin Forest Fund (CBFF) of which she became Co-president with the Right Honourable Paul Martin. Launching of the Congo Basin Forest Fund (CBFF) - London, 16 & 17 June 2008 Statement of support to the Congo Basin Forest Fund.

Apart from her support to innovative funding mechanisms for the Congo Basin, Professor Wangari Maathai, Goodwill Ambassador of Congo Basin Forests, by her involvement, enhanced the importance of several COMIFAC and CBFP sub-regional meetings, among others: Her participation in the Brazzaville Summit in 2005, CBFP statutory meetings, the International Conference on the "Funding Mechanisms for the Sustainable Management of Forest Ecosystems in the Congo basin", the visit of the achievements of Cameroon Ecology in Edea (Cameroon) and in a COMIFAC alongside event at UNFCCC Cop 15 in Copenhagen with the support of CEEAC, GAF, GTZ and CBFP Facilitation on "REDD-related opportunities and challenges in the Congo Basin" (COP15 UNFCCC: Tropical Forests at the centre of Negotiations). (Photo: Visit of the members of CBFF Governing Council at WWF – 27 November 2009 @ François MAKOLOH PEMBE-WWF).

Moreover, she joined the CBFP Facilitation in its advocacy for the implementation of COMIFAC member states autonomous funding mechanism. This activity was among the priority activities she was actively involved in before her death.

Also, the support to the strengthening of coordination and dialog with the Congo Basin Forest Partnership (CBFP) and support to COMIFAC and her sub-regional partner institutions in the implementation of their activities in the framework of the Action Plan called “Convergence Plan” are also part of the remarkable contributions of Professor Wangari Maathai.

CBFP Facilitation wishes to recall to the memory of her members all the contributions of Professor Wangari Maathai. (Photo - Field visit of CBFF Governing Council: Honourable Paul Martin; Professor Wangari Maathai and the former CBFP Facilitator, Hans Schipulle, shortly after the CBFF Council meeting of 26-27 November 2009 in Yaounde).

The CBFP Facilitation and her partners address their heartfelt sympathy to her relatives and to the members of the "Green Belt Movement".

In the press:

Radio-Canada : Wangari Maathai, Prix Nobel de la paix, n'est plus 

L’Express.fr: Wangari Maathai, prix Nobel de la paix 2004, est décédée

Reuters : Wangari Maathai, prix Nobel de la paix 2004, est décédée

Humanité.fr : Wangari Maathai, Prix Nobel de la paix 2004 est décédée

Voanews : Wangari Maathai, prix Nobel de la paix 2004, est morte

Parismatch : Mort de Wangari Maathai, Prix Nobel de la paix 2004 –

Ressource - Protecting the Congo Basin

“At the Second Heads of State Summit for Conservation and Sustainable Management of Central Africa’s Forest Ecosystems held in Congo, Brazzaville on February 4-5, 2005, Wangari Maathai accepted a public invitation by H.E. President Denis Sassou Ngeuso to be the roving Ambassador for the Congo Basin. In this role she will advocate for the sustainable management of this world heritage site."

As Professor Maathai has said: “The Congo Basin forest is a global hotspot for biodiversity and is also one of the world’s two remaining forest “lungs” (the other is the Amazon). As such, the rainforests in central Africa play an important role in absorbing CO2, a main greenhouse gas, and providing the world with oxygen. They literally help keep us breathing."

”Yet, the Congo Basin forest ecosystem is threatened by illegal logging, mineral exploration, poaching and the bush meat trade, all of which are putting the trees, the animals and the people who depend on them at risk. Therefore the world’s remaining forests must be protected, because without them not only will the global climate not be stabilized, but the world will suffer, in particular the poor, who have few options.” (Credit: Protecting the Congo Basin Rainforest Ecosystem - The Green Belt Movement International - October 2011)