Certification of three operational community forests in the Nyong-et-So’o department

FLEGT (Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade) is a joint response from the European Union and the Congo Basin’s forest countries to the problem of illegal logging in the region. It provides a process that is accessible and adapted to community forest managers, both technically and financially.

The “Certification of three operational community forests in the Nyong-et-So’o department, in preparation for the implementation of Cameroon’s FLEGT VPA” project, running over 18 months, is an initiative led by community representatives and local authorities from the Nyong-et-So’o department who, while drawing up their Communal Development Plan in 2009, were confronted with the problem of illegal timber exploitation and trade.

To address this situation, the present project aims to support the managers of three community forests in the Nyong-et-So’o department, Centre Region, Cameroon, in obtaining their legality certificate and FLEGT authorisation.

Specifically, this will involve raising awareness among and training administrations, the populations living around the three community forests, and their partners on the FLEGT process, and setting up a timber control and traceability system tailored to these forests. In parallel, the project will promote the conservation and protection of rare and threatened tree species in and around these forests.

By the end of the project, the managers of the three community forests will have the capacity to negotiate and will sign agreements and conventions with forestry companies to sustainably manage their forests