The working retreat of the TASK FORCE of the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan in the Democratic Republic of Congo (SPANB/DRC) mainly focused on the review and validation of draft 0 of the updated National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan.

From 23 to 28 March 2025, for 6 days, 36 people made up of members of the SPANB/DRC Task Force, combining a team from the Congolese Environmental Civil Society, met on a working retreat at the Theresanium Center to review and technical validation of draft 0 of the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan in the Democratic Republic of Congo updated by the International Consultant.

Specifically, it involved presenting to the members of the TASK FORCE the methodological approach for updating the draft of the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan, presenting to the members of the SPANB Task Force, the new formulation of the national objectives for better alignment with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, presenting to the members of the SPANB Task Force the various parts of the draft of the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan updated, conduct a substantive review of various parts of the draft of the updated National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan, discuss in depth the identification of actions and indicators for each of the national objectives, discuss the roles and responsibilities of stakeholders in the implementation of the updated NASPB, collect the suggestions and recommendations of the retreat participants in order to enrich the draft of the updated NASPB, proceed with the technical validation of the draft of the updated NASPB.

In conclusion, it should be noted that this retreat was made possible thanks to the technical and financial support of the Biodiversity Maintenance and Forest Management Programme (BGF) and the German Technical Cooperation (GIZ). It should eventually lead to the formulation of several amendments, suggestions and recommendations that will allow the technical validation of draft 0 of the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan in the Democratic Republic of Congo.