Following discussions in camera of the Network members, a technical committee was established to organize REPALEAC general assembly and finalize the statutes and by-laws based on the draft adopted with the assistance of a legal consultant.  In Douala, REPALEAC came out galvanized and strengthened.  

Douala (Cameroon) - 22 and 23 March 2012, holding of a sub-regional workshop to finalize the statutory texts and the strategic action plan, road map of the Network of Indigenous and Local Communities for the Sustainable Management of forest Ecosystems in Central Africa (REPALEAC).The workshop was organized by COMIFAC Executive Secretariat with GIZ financial support. It had as main objective to update and finalize the texts of REPALEAC in order to reinforce its credibility and guarantee a better visibility of its interventions and the participation of indigenous people in the sustainable management of natural resources in Central Africa.

The meeting was attended by about 30 participants, representing REPALEAC and member associations of the network from Burundi, Cameroon, Congo, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda and Chad. Also attended: COMIFAC Executive Secretariat, GIZ, IUCN, CBFP Facilitation, and resource persons. The list of participants is attached below.

Following the opening ceremony marked by the opening speech of Mr. Martin TADOUM, representing COMIFAC Executive Secretary, the objectives and the agenda of the workshop were presented by the moderator, Mr. ABOUEM THOYI and were adopted by the participants with some changes. Discussions dwelled on the three following points (1) the status of progress of REPALEAC 2009-2011 strategic action plan (2) the appointment of the members of the Technical Committee in charge of preparing the organization of the General Assembly; (3) the next steps to be taken right to the holding of REPALEAC general assembly; (4) The examination of the statutes and by-laws of the network;

A meeting of the members of the network behind closed doors resulted in the election of a technical committee charged with the organization of REPALEAC general assembly. These Terms of reference and the action plan were adopted, as well as a budget to ensure its functioning, mostly for the finalization of its statutes and by-laws.

After intense and fruitful discussions on the statutes and by-laws, participants adopted the following: The draft statutes, a three-year draft operational action plan at national and sub-regional levels and the road map. A series of recommendations were formulated to REPALEAC with emphases on, among other things: (1) “All national Coordinations should be put in place latest, end June 2012” and, (2) “the network regional coordination should establish documentary archives (Action plan, statutes, by-laws, road map, reports, etc.). To this effect, it should approach IUCN to get such documents with the support of the Executive Secretariat. Furthermore, these documents could be put online on a website to be determined or created.”

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FINAL COMMUNIQUE of the sub-regional workshop for the finalization of the statutes and the strategic action plan, road map of REPALEAC