The Foundation for the Conservation of Biodiversity (BIOFUND), became a member of the Executive Committee of the Consortium of African Funds for the Environment (CAFÉ), in the person of its Executive Director, Luís Bernardo Honwana.

Also elected to this committee were the executive directors of the environmental funds Fondation Tri-National Sangha, Fondation Parcs et Reserves de Cote D´Ivoire and the Okapi Fund for Nature Conservation in the DRC. The environmental funds Community Conservation Fund of Namibia, Uganda Biodiversity Fund and Fondation des Savanes Ouest Africaines were already members of the Executive Committee.

The decision was taken through a vote of the 14 environmental funds, who are members of CAFÉ, and who were present at the 11^th General Assembly. This meeting took place from 6 to 8 October 2021, in Maputo City, in a physical and virtual form.

The Executive Committee of CAFÉ is responsible for taking decisions on access to sustainable funding for the sector in Africa, and it consists of 7 members. Through the inclusion of BIOFUND in this Committee, Mozambique is, for the first time, becoming an important actor in the creation of policies of sustainable financing for the conservation of biodiversity in Africa. This fact is added value for the sustainable development of the CAFÉ member countries.

During this meeting, the Kenya Environmental Fund NETFUND was accepted as a member of CAFÉ. This brings to 19 the number of Conservation Trust Fund members of this continental collaborative network.

During his speech at his election, the Executive Director of BIOFUND, Luís Bernardo Honwana, expressed his satisfaction at become a member of the  body that looks after the better functioning of the funds which contribute to the adoption of innovative policies and financial mechanisms to promote the conservation of biodiversity and sustainable development in Africa. – “We are the main interlocutors in economic development and in the conservation of biodiversity. Each of us should take a position that guarantees achieving the desired results in Africa”.

The 11th General Assembly of CAFÉ also discussed the transitional presidency of the body for next year, 2022, in order to strengthen the governance and leadership of CAFÉ, as well as sharing the reports and plan of activities of each Conservation Trust Fund member.

For more information about CAFÉ and its activities, see https://www.cafeconsortium.org/