News12th Session of INBAR Council and Flag-Raising Ceremony for Republic of Chad and Democratic Republic of Congo
VIPs participating at the INBAR 12th Council Session and Flag-Raising Ceremony.
Biennial meeting of Member States welcomes two new countries into INBAR and sets upcoming agenda.
From humble shoots to a thriving bamboo forest, INBAR has seen tremendous growth over the past 25 years. Now, that forest has become a little bigger.
On 28 March 2023, INBAR celebrated the accession of the Republic of Chad and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to its network. Delegates from both countries were invited to take part in a Flag-Raising Ceremony held at INBAR Headquarters in Beijing, China.
The flags of Chad (left) and the DRC (right) now proudly fly outside INBAR Headquarters in Beijing.
INBAR Director General Ali Mchumo participated in the raising of each countries’ flag with Malloumi Mahamat Moussa Korei, Chargé d’Affaires of the Embassy of the Republic of Chad (left) as well as H.E. Désiré M’Zinga Birihanze, Minister of Agriculture of the Democratic Republic of Congo (right).
As official Member States, they are now part of a broad coalition of countries advocating for the sustainable development of bamboo and rattan as nature-based solutions. They stand to benefit from trainings, policy input, capacity building, and other projects facilitated by South-South and Triangular Cooperation funded by diverse range of donors.
Their voices also help strengthen INBAR’s messaging at international fora. Part of UN conventions on biodiversity, climate change and desertification as well as an Observer to the UN General Assembly, INBAR leverages its growing influence to “tilt” global policy dialogues in favor of green actions.
Chad is eager to implement the Bamboo as a Substitute for Plastic Initiative to help curb environmental degradation.
Korei (pictured above), spoke on behalf of his nation’s accession to INBAR. He mentioned the enormous potential for bamboo to function as a substitute for a bevy of plastic products, which will have a significant impact for implementing the environmental restoration agenda. The world has been affected by climate change and environmental degradation for more than a century, with plastic pollution choking out life particularly across the developing world. He noted that unrecycled plastics are hamstringing the economic health of many countries, and that replacing plastics with bamboo-based materials is a clear nature-based solution to the problem. In the current moment, new technological advancements have unlocked diverse forms of bamboo value addition, building momentum for mainstreaming economical bamboo-based materials. Chad is excited and proud to join with INBAR and inject new vitality and dynamism into future collaborative endeavors.
The DRC uses bamboo policy to safeguard natural habitats and secure livelihoods for rural inhabitants.
M’Zinga Birihanze also represented his country at the occasion. He first thanked Mr. Rene Kaam, INBAR Regional Director for Central Africa, for his persistent efforts in supporting the coordination of national bamboo programs, policies and the INBAR accession process. Outlining the DRC’s National Bamboo Program, he explained the program’s goal to reduce poverty by improving farmers’ income and safeguarding the environment, generating a green and inclusive economy. This multipronged effort seeks to mitigate the impacts of climate change while strengthening rural resilience and protecting forest resources. The DRC invites all entrepreneurs concerned with improving the living conditions of rural households to invest in bamboo cultivation, helping galvanize support for innovative solutions to environmental challenges. He closed his speech by indicating that the DRC welcomes South-South cooperation for jumpstarting the development of its bamboo sector to also address other urgent relevant issues.
The Flag-Raising Ceremony for Chad and the DRC was held as part of the 12th Session of the INBAR Council. The Council brings together representatives from INBAR Member States every two years to review, deliberate upon and update the upcoming agenda. It also showcases the latest project work as well as communications and outreach conducted in the interim period between Council meetings. This year, over 80 official delegates from 37 Member States and two Observers were in attendance, including two Ministers, ten Ambassadors and five Chargés d’Affaires.
Internal INBAR affairs continued to be conducted smoothly, overcoming global travel disruptions.
At the 12th INBAR Council Session, Professor Jiang Zehui, Co-Chair of the INBAR Board of Trustees (pictured above), delivered a work report. She began by welcoming representatives from Member States and all other guests who had arrived to attend the Council Session. She further stated her happiness at finally being able to convene the meeting in-person after the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted travel for so long. Despite these challenges, members of the Board of Trustees have maintained regular communication throughout the period and conducted regular business, such as electing new trustees as terms expire as well as reviewing work plans and budgets. The Board of Trustees recommended the Council considers the 2023 INBAR Work Plan and Budget, which were both approved. Finally, the Board of Trustees unanimously agreed to extend term of office for Ali Mchumo, Director General of INBAR, for one more year, which was also approved by the Council.
INBAR’s diverse array of work continued unimpeded, overcoming difficulties posed by the recent pandemic and delivering green solutions to communities in need.
Later, INBAR Deputy Director General Lu Wenming delivered a comprehensive work report for the Council. In the last few years, INBAR work has continued apace, despite interferences from COVID-19, with major policy achievements, a strong presence at high-level events, new partnerships, advancing membership opportunities, and holding countless trainings and workshops that have helped improve the live of thousands of rural households around the world. All this and more happened, while in 2022, INBAR celebrated turning 25 years old at the Second Global Bamboo and Rattan Congress (BARC 2022), where Heads of State from China, Cameroon, Ecuador and Ethiopia as well as leaders from the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, United Nations Industrial Development Organization, and International Fund for Agricultural Development sent in video messages re-affirming INBAR’s sustainable mission.
Cameroon’s term as INBAR Council Chair represented by H.E. Jules Doret Ndongo, Minister of Forestry and Wildlife of Cameroon (left) officially concluded as Nepal’s term as INBAR Council Chair represented by H.E. Mr. Yam Prasad Pokharel, Director General of Forest and Training Center, Ministry of Forest and Environment of Nepal (right) officially began.
The closing ceremony of the Council Session marked the end of the term for Cameroon to serve as the INBAR Council Chair. Nepal was selected to assume the position of INBAR Council Chair, and Panama was selected to assume the position of INBAR Council Vice-Chair. Both positions will last for two years.
The accession of the Republic of Chad and the Democratic Republic of the Congo brings the total number of INBAR Member States to 50.
