Increasing effective forest law enforcement, governance and trade (FLEGT) in the Congo Basin of Cameroon

Background to project:
FLEGT stands for Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade and it is the European Union’s response to the global problem of illegal logging and the trade in associated timber products. In 2003 the EU published an action plan which sets out how to tackle illegal logging and trade of timber. VPAs (Voluntary Partnership Agreements) are a key part of of this action plan. These are agreements between the European Union (EU) and wood-exporting countries, which aim to improve forest governance and ensure that the wood imported into the EU has complied with the legal requirements of the partner country. In May 2010, the Government of Cameroon signed the agreement with the EU – committing itself to combat illegal logging and promote the long-term goal of sustainable forest management.

The project is funded by FAO and it ran between August 2010 and July 2011.  FCTV is currently seeking funding to replicate the project in other communities in Cameroon. 

For more information about the project, please visit the project website: www.flegtcameroon.ning.com

Click on the link below to read the final report of the project (in French):

FCTV final report - FAO FLEGT project (french)

Project Objectives:

The aim of the project is to increase community participation in the effective implementation of the FLEGT VPA in Cameroon, and in the Dja Biosphere Reserve (DBR) in particular, as a result of greater community involvement in monitoring forest use. The proposed action builds on FCTV's work undertaken in the Dja in parternship with Living Earth Foundation and Bristol Zoo Gardens under its Dja Periphery Community Engagement Project (2006-2008).

The specific objectives of the project are:

• Integration of the concerns of community actors in Cameroon, particularly indigenous people, into government law-enforcement strategies.
• Identification and implementation of appropriate ‘whistle-blowing and early warning’ (community based forest monitoring) systems based on local knowledge in two sectors – west and south – of the DBR.
• Increased awareness among the general population living around the DBR and across Cameroon of FLEGT and its practical implications for their lives and livelihoods.

For more information about the project, please visit the project website: www.flegtcameroon.ning.com