From 22 to 24 October 2014 in Yaounde, Cameroon Holding of the FOREST GOVERNANCE FORUM (FGF), co-organised by IDL Groupe, CIDT and FODER, and funded by DFID and the European Union.

This international meeting gathered a multitude of participants from West and Central Africa representing ministries in charge Forests in different countries, CSOs, indigenous and local population organisations, diplomatic representations, development agencies, sub-regional organisations and donors.

During three consecutive days, several presentations were made on very specific themes which raised intense and insightful discussions among participants in plenary and group sessions. Themes carefully selected by organisers concerned:

FLEGT Action Plan, Ten Years After Review of FLEGT action plan, status report of APV-FLEGT process at international level, What future for APV-FLEGT in the Congo Basin?

FLEGT Communication and Coordination: FLEGT projects interactive map, management of EU FAO FLEGT subsidies programme, Project contribution to FLEGT process.

Discussions on the Challenges Met: Challenges related to APV-FLEGT implementation faced with conflicts in Central African Republic, change of land use and timber legality, seized woods and legality.

International Markets Trends and Legislation: Tropical Timber Markets: trends related to FLEGT, Private Sector and APV-FLEGT in Cameroon, GFTN-WWF/TRAFFIC Referential for assessing the legality of forest operations, wood transformation and trade: A tool for forest governance.

FGF included a discussion Panel on the theme What are the achievements of the FLEGT process? And also group works enabled reflection on the following themes:

• Independent remark
• Development of the verification system of legality and traceability
• Implication and engagement of stakeholders
• Local market and SMEs
• APV-FLEGT and community forests
• Challenge of APV-FLEGT implementation

Following these group works, restitution was made in plenary and its content was written down as an executive summary at the end of the FGF.

The closing ceremony that put an end to the FGF highlighted the satisfaction of organisers that expressed their desire to see this action have an impact on the management of forest resources in the Congo Basin and in West Africa. 

To learn more, please contact:

M. Andrew Sutherland (andrew.sutherland@theIDLgroup.com) and visit <http://www.theidlgroup.com/>   <www.theIDLgroup.com> < - www.forestgovernanceforum.com>