The EC Forest Platform is a FERN initiative that creates links between peoples in the South and the European Community in connection with aid and forest issues Civil Society involvement in the FLEGT process in Cameroon Patrice Bigombe Logo (CERAD) RIIA Illegal logging Update January 2007

Context : Dec 2004 – 1 st ECFP strategy meeting on FLEGT EU – Government of Cameroon initial meetings without involvement of Cameroonian civil society (early 2005) Sept 2005 – 2 nd ECFP strategy meeting on FLEGT Oct & Nov 2005 – ECFP Working groups on legality and traceability Oct 2006 – GTZ-GoC workshop with stakeholders on criteria and indicators of legality Oct 2006 – 3 rd ECFP strategy meeting on FLEGT

Cameroonian civil society decided to support the process as a mean to fight against illegality and lack of governance in the forest sector, only as a step towards achieving sustainable forest management. Not as a goal. Cameroonian civil society suggests that the definition of legality and the subsequent criteria and indicators include the following: timber and non-timber forest products, including regulated hunting; all forest products from national and sub-regional origins; state and customary laws.

Proposition of 8 components to realise a complete definition of legality according to Cameroonian Civil Society: 1.Access to resources (concessions agreement, titles attribution system, etc.) 2.Origin and nature of the products (UFA, VC, FC, AP, ARB, etc.) 3.Mode of exploitation of resources (production and transformation) 4.Rights of local communities and indigenous peoples 5.Transport 6.Trade 7.Taxation 8.Transparency, control and governance

Some of these 8 components have been taken in consideration. But, there’s still some major weaknesses in the legality criteria and indicators document proposed by the Government : Social dimension indicators requirements : recognition and protection of indigenous traditional lands and sacred territories (Convention on biodiversity ratified by the Govt of Cameroon, IPDP of PSFE, Plan of Convergence of COMIFAC, etc.); Establishment of a preferential access to work for local and indigenous people (Pygmies); Effectiveness of the use of the 10% of forest revenues for local community development, including indigenous people (Pygmies);

Effectiveness of the use of the 10% of forest revenues for local community development, including indigenous people (Pygmies)(1994 law, joint ministerial order MINEFI-MINAT of april 29, 1998) Social impact assessment a plan of handling social issues within the Environmental Management Plan (1996 law of EM, Prime Minister order and MINEP order on Environmental Impact Assessment); Transparency of the VPA mechanism Make public the annual report in public and private newspapers ( ex. Cameroon Tribune); Role of Civil Society and forest dependent people in the implementation and monitoring system of VPA process in Cameroon.

Thank you