Central African Forests Commission
Intergovernmental commission coordinating forest policy, biodiversity conservation, and climate action across 10 Central African member states, funded by member contributions and development partners including the EU, GIZ, KfW, and the World Bank.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1999
- HeadquartersYaoundé, Cameroon
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Central African Forests Commission does
The Central African Forests Commission (COMIFAC) is an intergovernmental organization established in March 1999 in Yaoundé, Cameroon, through the Yaoundé Declaration signed by Central African Heads of State. It serves as the sole regional framework for orienting, harmonizing, and coordinating forest and environmental policies across 10 member states: Angola, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Rwanda, Chad, and São Tomé and Príncipe. The Commission oversees roughly 200 million hectares of dense humid forest in the Congo Basin, representing approximately 20% of the world's remaining tropical forests and over 90% of Africa's forest cover.
COMIFAC's operational core consists of three pillars: the Plan de Convergence, the principal strategic framework for sub-regional forest cooperation validated in 2000; OFAC (Observatoire des Forêts d'Afrique Centrale), a wholly owned technical unit created in 2007 for environmental monitoring and data dissemination; and the ILUMP (Integrated Land Use Management Plan) methodology guides, which provide reference frameworks for integrated territorial planning. The organization coordinates five transboundary protected area complexes (Tri-national Sangha, TRIDOM, Binational Mayumba Conkouati, Binational Sena Oura-Burba Ndjida), and administers regional programmes on REDD+, One Health, wildlife trafficking (AFRICA-TWIX), and protected area management (BIOPAMA).
COMIFAC has no commercial revenue model. It is funded by annual member-state contributions and by earmarked grants from development partners including the European Union (NaturAfrica, €66 million), German cooperation (GIZ, KfW through the PPECF programme), the World Bank, FAO, UNEP-WCMC, and others. Its outputs — policy frameworks, methodological guides, monitoring data, and coordination services — are delivered directly to member-state governments via ministerial conferences, technical working groups (GTBAC, GTCCD, GTGF, SGTAPFS), and national coordination units. Its "customers" are effectively its member-state owners and the donor partners that finance specific programmatic activities.
Central African Forests Commission firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Central African Forests Commission
- Legal name
- Commission des Forêts d'Afrique Centrale (COMIFAC)
- Website
- https://comifac.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1999
- Operating status
- Operating
- Short description
- Intergovernmental commission coordinating forest policy, biodiversity conservation, and climate action across 10 Central African member states, funded by member contributions and development partners including the EU, GIZ, KfW, and the World Bank.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Central African Forests Commission industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Forest Conservation Coordination
- NAICS
- Administration of Conservation Programs (92412), Administration of Environmental Quality Programs (924)
- SIC
- Forestry (800)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Climate Policy, Governance & NDC Support (BPADALAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Environmental, Climate & Sustainability Standards & Reporting Cooperation (BPADANAI)
Keywords
Where Central African Forests Commission is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Yaoundé
- HQ country
- Cameroon
- HQ region
- Africa
Offices1 record
Markets served
Central African Forests Commission business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Government Contributions: Member states contribute to COMIFAC's operational budget through annual contributions
- Development Partner Funding: External funding from international development partners including EU, GIZ, KfW, World Bank, FAO, and others for specific projects and programs
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Central African Forests Commission product offering
Product offeringCore offering
COMIFAC is an intergovernmental coordination body that harmonizes forest and environmental policies across 10 Central African member states. It develops and implements the Plan de Convergence strategic framework, operates the OFAC observatory for environmental data, coordinates transboundary protected area complexes, and runs thematic regional programs covering REDD+, biodiversity conservation, One Health, and wildlife trafficking. The organization delivers its mandate through ministerial conferences, technical working groups, and national coordination units in each member country.
Product overview
COMIFAC (Commission des Forêts d'Afrique Centrale / Central African Forests Commission) is an intergovernmental organization established in 2000 by Central African Heads of State to coordinate and harmonize forest and environmental policies across 10 member countries. Rather than a traditional product company, COMIFAC provides regional coordination frameworks, strategic planning instruments (such as the Plan de Convergence), monitoring tools (OFAC), and methodological guides (ILUMP) for sustainable forest management, biodiversity conservation, and climate action. The organization's portfolio includes transboundary protected area networks, thematic programmes addressing REDD+, One Health, and conservation financing, as well as data platforms for environmental monitoring and wildlife crime prevention.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Plan de Convergence (Convergence Plan)
- OFAC (Observatoire des Forêts d'Afrique Centrale)
- ILUMP Guides (Integrated Land Use Management Plan)
- Cross-border Protected Area Complexes
- REDD+ Regional Project
- NaturAfrica Programme
- One Health Platform
- AFRICA-TWIX Platform
- OFAC Concertation Platform
Companies that use Central African Forests Commission
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Central African Forests Commission technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Central African Forests Commission partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
14 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.
- WICEflagshipSigned MOU in June 2026 to develop a forest financing facility for the Congo Basin. This is a flagship partnership for mobilizing sustainable financing for Central African forests.
- OFAC (Observatoire des Forêts d'Afrique Centrale)coreOFAC was created in 2007 and serves as the technical unit of COMIFAC for producing and disseminating environmental information. It operates a concertation platform established in 2023 to strengthen governance and coordinate partner actions.
- GIZ (German Development Cooperation)coreGIZ provides technical and financial support through the Regional Project to Support COMIFAC. Supports forest governance, sustainable forest management, and institutional capacity building across member states.
- EU NaturAfrica ProgrammecoreEU flagship conservation program with 66 million euro budget covering Congo Basin and transhumance landscapes. Supports 30x30 UN goal for protected areas. Replaces the ECOFAC program.
- UNEP-WCMCcorePartnership for implementing regional projects supporting biodiversity conservation and environmental monitoring in the Congo Basin.
- CIFOR-ICRAFcoreResearch partnerships for sustainable forest management, biodiversity conservation, and climate change studies in Central Africa.
- CEEAC (Economic Community of Central African States)coreCOMIFAC operates within the CEEAC framework, with the Commissioner for Environment, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Rural Development supporting COMIFAC initiatives.
- FAOcoreTechnical partner supporting sustainable wildlife management programs and forest conservation activities.
- TRAFFICminorWildlife Trade Monitoring Network providing technical support for combating wildlife crime and illegal trade through AFRICA-TWIX platform.
- WWFcorePartnership through COMIFAC-WWF Initiative for climate financing and biodiversity conservation governance in the Congo Basin.
- REPALEACcoreNetwork of Indigenous and Local Populations for Sustainable Management of Forest Ecosystems in Central Africa. Supports indigenous engagement in conservation.
- BIOPAMA-CCRminorBiodiversity and Protected Area Management Programme providing support for protected area governance and management effectiveness.
- PFBC (Partnership for African Forest Cover)coreKey partner network for forest conservation coordination and information sharing in the Congo Basin.
- CIRADminorFrench agricultural research center for sustainable development contributing technical expertise to forest research.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves9 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Central African Forests Commission competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Central African Forest Initiative (CAFI): Donor coalition providing performance-based funding to Central African governments for forest protection. Operates in the same geography as COMIFAC and directly funds national plans that COMIFAC coordinates.
- Congo Basin Forest Partnership (CBFP): Multi-stakeholder partnership platform focused on Congo Basin forest conservation, closely linked to and partially overlapping COMIFAC's coordination role. Functions as a parallel convening forum for donors and partners in the same geography.
Direct peers
- UN-REDD Programme: UN-led programme supporting REDD+ national strategies and capacity building for Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation. COMIFAC hosts the Regional REDD+ Project and aligns member-state implementation through this framework.
- International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO): Intergovernmental organization managing tropical forest governance, sustainable forest management, and trade policy among producer and consumer member countries. Highly comparable mandate covering tropical forest policy and data across multiple regions.
- Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization (ACTO): Intergovernmental body coordinating forest and environmental policy among Amazon basin countries (Brazil, Peru, Colombia, etc.). Closest structural parallel to COMIFAC as a regional IGO mandated by Heads of State for forest policy harmonization.
Broad incumbents
- United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF): UN functional commission on global forest policy and the Non-Legally Binding Instrument on All Types of Forests. Operates one tier above COMIFAC as the overarching global policy forum for forest governance.
- FAO Forestry Department: UN agency department supporting sustainable forest management globally via technical assistance, assessment (FRA), and policy guidance. Core technical partner of COMIFAC but with broader global mandate.
Regional players
- African Forest Landscape Restoration Initiative (AFR100): Pan-African country-led restoration initiative aiming to restore 100 million hectares of degraded land, including in Central African COMIFAC member states. Comparable forest restoration remit at a broader African scale.
Market position
Strengths3 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Central African Forests Commission social profiles
Digital presenceCentral African Forests Commission financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Central African Forests Commission leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Central African Forests Commission subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Central African Forests Commission funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Central African Forests Commission M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Central African Forests Commission
What does Central African Forests Commission do?
COMIFAC is an intergovernmental coordination body that harmonizes forest and environmental policies across 10 Central African member states. It develops and implements the Plan de Convergence strategic framework, operates the OFAC observatory for environmental data, coordinates transboundary protected area complexes, and runs thematic regional programs covering REDD+, biodiversity conservation, One Health, and wildlife trafficking. The organization delivers its mandate through ministerial conferences, technical working groups, and national coordination units in each member country.
Is Central African Forests Commission a public or private company?
Central African Forests Commission is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was Central African Forests Commission founded?
Central African Forests Commission was founded in 1999.
Where is Central African Forests Commission based?
Central African Forests Commission is headquartered in Yaoundé, Cameroon, in the Africa region.
How does Central African Forests Commission make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Government Contributions are the primary driver. The others are development Partner Funding.
Who are Central African Forests Commission's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are Central African Forest Initiative (CAFI) and Congo Basin Forest Partnership (CBFP). Direct peers are UN-REDD Programme, International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO) and Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization (ACTO). Broad incumbents are United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF) and FAO Forestry Department. African Forest Landscape Restoration Initiative (AFR100) is listed as a regional player.
Does Central African Forests Commission have an API?
No public API is recorded for Central African Forests Commission.
What industry is Central African Forests Commission in?
Central African Forests Commission's product category is Forest Conservation Coordination. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPADALAA, Climate Policy, Governance & NDC Support, with a secondary code of BPADANAI, Environmental, Climate & Sustainability Standards & Reporting Cooperation. Its NAICS code is 92412 and its SIC code is 800.