ngos work in cameroon with companies exporting timber to china: lessons learned

China-Africa Forest Governance Learning PlatformFourth International Learning Event

Pemba, Mozambique 23-25 October 2017

NGO works in Cameroon with companies exporting timber to China:

lessons learned

Norbert SONNE and NGNIADO WOUALA

WWF Cameroon

Content

Main categories of NGOs

Typology and characteristics of companies

Company typology vs menu

The content of our main menu

Project achievements

Beyond the project

Geographical context

Main categories of NGOs

1. International NGOs

• Global presence with good network

• Good influence on processes and actors

• Continuous/permanent funding

• Skilled staff

2. National NGOs

• National presence (in most of the time based in the capital)

• Influence on processes and actors

• Fluctuation of funding

• Mainly « junior » staff in the search of experience

• Often in competition with international NGOs

3. Local NGOs

• Important fluctuation of funding

• Limited influence on processes and actors whenacting alone

• Constructive alliance with international NGOsfor field actions

Typology and characteristics of companies

1. Large size companies• Open for collaboration with NGOs,

especially international NGOs

• Most are engaged in forest management certification

• Care about their image/reputation

2. Medium size companies• Open for collaboration - those whose

main market is Europe

• Less open for those whose main marketis Asia: but can collaborate after pressure is exercised

• Mainly engaged in legality certification

3. Small size companies• Closed for any collaboration with NGOs

• Very dynamic in the space

• Almost « invisible »

• Limited engagement for legalitycertification

• « good relation » with law enforcers

4. Trading companies

• Most are of very small size

• « Very invisible »

• Limited engagement for legalitycertification

• « very good relation » with law enforcers

Typology Vs Menu (based on 20 years experience)

1. Large size companies

• More carrot (75%) than pepper/stick (25%)

• Entering into a collaboration agreement

• Technical support for adoption and implementation of best practices

2. Medium size companies

• 50/50 carrot and pepper/stick, for not more than 5 years

• Then revise the menu according to the company response

3. Small size companies

• More pepper/stick than carrot (75/25)

• Denunciation

4. Trading companies

• More pepper/stick than carrot (90/10)

• Denunciation

The content of our main « Menu with more carott »

1. Technical support to logging companies in the areas of:

• Reduced impact logging

• High conservation values

• Wildlife inventories

• Monitoring of the impacts of logging activities

• Corporate social responsibility

• Relations with communities & conflict resolution

• Socio-economic studies

2. Capacity building of local NGOs

• Conflict resolution

• Corporate social responsibility

• Norms for environmental and social best practices

• Environmental and social impact assessment

• Public policy and advocacy

• Monitoring and denunciation of illegalities

3. Strengthening local communities

• Negotiation with logging companies

• Conflict resolution

• Reporting illegal activities

• Small size project development and implementation

Main achievements of China-Africa Forest Governance Project

Mapping China investments and trade in the forestry sector in Cameroon

266568

381017

315127 309174

418218

503278

146069

226633

267174

187697204319

276943

0

100000

200000

300000

400000

500000

600000

Year 2009 Year 2010 Year 2011 Year 2012 Year 2013 Year 2014

China Other countries

% of Cameroon wood products exported to China compared to other countries (2009-2014)

Trends (in m3) of logs exported to China compared to other countries (2009-2014)

Mapping China investments and trade in the forestry sector in Cameroon 2/2

« Construction » of collaboration with companies

• MoU signed with logging company SIM (410 000 ha)

• MoU signed with ALPICAM (450 000 ha)

• Discussions engaged with Chinese Association in forestry sector in Cameroon (MoU drafted)

• Discussions engaged with STBK (250 000 ha)

• Discussions engaged with SEFECCAM-SIENCAM (280 000 ha)

Technical support to companies

SIM

• Baseline assessment vis-à-vis legality in 2016

• Support development and implementation of action plan to comply with legality

• Strengthening local communities to betterdefend their interest

• Performance assessment in 2017 (with good progress)

• Action plan updated basedon 2017 results (includingHCV, RIL…)

ALPICAM

• Support in the FSC Forest Management process, based on the FSC Controlled Wood audit

• Support concentratedon wildlife management

• Strengthening local communities to betterdefend their interest

Chinese Association in forestry sector

• Training giving on legality during SFA visitin June 2016

• MoU drafted and still to be commented by the Association

Policy works• Providing technical and financial support

for the national consultation in the revisionof the forestry law

• Co-facilitation of the visit of SFA (high levelofficials) to Cameroon (June 2016)

• Co-organization (with CED and NESDA) of the national workshop to share results of different studies to policy-makers/implementers

• Training CSOs on environment and social guidelines for Chinsese oberseeinvestments

• Assessment of the enabling environment in forestry sector in Cameroon (using EEAT developed by WWF)

0

1

2

3

4

5

6Accountability

Efficiency

Effectiveness

Fairness/Equity

Inclusiveness(Participation)

Transparency

CAMEROON: SCORES FOR EACH G OOD G OVERNANCE PRINCIPLE

Pillar I. Policies, Legislation,and Institutions

Pillar II. Planning, Decision-making, and DisputeResolution

Pillar III. Implementation,Enforcement, andCompliance

And what next? (seeing beyond the project life)

• Valorize result of the current phase of the project (ending March 2018) to influence policy processes

• Continue engaging Chinese Association, hopefully to reach an MoU and work « together »

• Persue « constructing » collaboration with STBK and SEFECCAM-SIENCAM

• Continue providing technical support to logging companies, with focus of legality compliance

• Continue to strengthen the capacity of CSOs for monitoring and denunciation of illegal activities (perpetrated by companies « closed » to collaboration), with result to be picked up by Intenational NGOs for lobbying

THANKS

14

Norbert SONNE Forest Programme Coordinator

WWF Cameroon

Nsonne@wwfcam.org

Skype: nsonne1

(+237) 6 96 63 06 16

Visit: http://gftn.panda.org