Blessings of the Forest C.I.C is a social enterprise under English law that was set up in October of 2015 in London in the register of Community Interest Companies (CIC) (Community Interest Company n° 9816364).
It has a purposeful mission known as the ‘community interest statement’ and a clearly defined set of activities. There are also restrictions on how it can spend its money. The ‘asset lock’ for a CIC states that it must reinvest any revenue that it generates in supporting its local community and furthering its mission.
Our organisation has been set up to preserve, research and share the natural and cultural heritage of the people of Gabon, for the benefit of all humanity. We are dedicated to ensuring that that this is done fairly and sustainably, thereby protecting the rich resources of the Gabonese forest as well as promoting the traditional way of life of the Gabonese forest people.
In this way, Blessings Of The Forest offers its support to Gabonese indigenous communities and public bodies, ensuring that the Nagoya Protocol, which was ratified by the Republic of Gabon on the 21st November 2011, is strictly adhered to, ensuring access to inherited resources and a fair and equal share of the profits they bring, in accordance with the Convention on Biological Diversity.
Since April 2018, BOTF CIC has had a local representation in the Gabonese Republic in the form of an assocation (law no. 35/62 of the 10th December, 1962). As such, BOTF Gabon is dedicated to the implementation of its philosophy through technical partnerships with NGOs and Gabonese public government agencies it is involved with.