From 22 to 25 September a regional capacity-building workshop was held in Limbe, Cameroon to which CBD focal points and other governmental staff from the Commission for the Forests of Central Africa (COMIFAC) range states were invited. CMS and GRASP focal points from COMIFAC countries were also in attendance. In addition to capacity-building the themes of the workshop included revising national biodiversity strategies and action plans (NBSAPs) and "mainstreaming" biodiversity, i.e. integrating biodiversity aspects to other ministries' work. CMS and GRASP were there to highlight the integration of migratory species, particularly gorillas, into NBSAPs.

In a side meeting the CMS and GRASP delegates also looked at the gorilla Action Plan which is due to be passed as a resolution at the first meeting of gorilla parties and range states on 29 November in Rome.

Each country gave an overview of their NBSAP, CMS and GRASP where both able to address the workshop and the focal points from each organisation were able to work together in the various workshop activities.

This was the first occasion where focal points of CMS, GRASP, COMIFAC and CBD have come together, and also the first time CMS and COMIFAC have been able to cooperate in such a practical event, a cooperation which we plan to build on in future.

CMS was able to explain to a wider group of stakeholders that in particular the Gorilla Agreement does not duplicate work already being done but adds value in the form of an international treaty negotiated by the Gorilla range states in Paris in October 2007. The Action Plan for gorilla species is mainly extracted from IUCN and GRASP action plans, and is open for discussion/comment at www.gorillawiki.org.

For further information please contact Liam Addis or Roseline Beudels at the CMS Secretariat.