Yaoundé (Cameroun), 9 February, 2011 - Voluntary Services Overseas (VSO) officially confirmed its adherence to the Congo Basin Forest Partnership (BCFP).  To this, effect, VSO commits to respect the principles of sustainable management of forest ecosystems and agrees with the cooperation framework of the CBFP partners.

VSO Cameroon is a charitable international organization working through volunteering towards “a world without poverty where people work together to achieve their potentials”.

VSO has been working in Cameroon since 1998 in the domains of Education, HIV/AIDS, Participation and Governance. In 2010 VSO through its programme Participation and Governance, has developed a project “Promoting good governance for sustainable forest management in Cameroon” to support the 02 Cameroon’s model forests. This project  aims at working with Model Forest constituents and other relevant stakeholders, including local authorities, civil society organizations, and local communities, to develop and adopt policies, systems, and processes that ensure greater participation of all stakeholders in the conservation, management and sustainable use of forest resources in Campo-Ma'an and Dja et Mpomo.  VSO intention is to spread its activities to other Congo basin model forests in the nearest future.  

 VSO intervention strategy in the management of forest resources in Cameroon is though placement of professional qualified volunteers within local associations, civil society organizations, local councils, State agencies. Their priority areas of intervention are:

♦ Capacity building of relevant stakeholders, including local authorities, civil society organizations, and local communities to promote their internal governance

♦ Promotion of stakeholder participation,

♦ Information sharing between stakeholders

♦ Promotion of networking and learning

♦ Development of ecotourism, and other income generative activities

♦ Monitoring and evaluation

For more information on VSO, please consult the official website of VSO: HERE