A sub-regional symposium organized by the Network of Indigenous and Local Communities for the Sustainable Management of Forest Ecosystems in Central Africa (REPALEAC) highlighted indigenous communities' perspectives on the governance of protected areas and ongoing land reform processes in the region, and agreed on key messages to Central African Heads of State and the 21st session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 21) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
September 2015: A sub-regional symposium organized by the Network of Indigenous and Local Communities for the Sustainable Management of Forest Ecosystems in Central Africa (REPALEAC) highlighted indigenous communities’ perspectives on the governance of protected areas and ongoing land reform processes in the region, and agreed on key messages to Central African Heads of State and the 21st session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 21) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
The discussions, which took place from 26-28 August 2015 in Douala, Cameroon, covered, among other issues: the links between communal land tenure rights and efficient management of forests; the need to inventory and secure communally managed conservation areas in the sub-region; experiences in implementing REDD+ pilot projects in Congo Basin countries and opportunities to build synergies; and indigenous peoples’ priorities and participation in pre- and post-COP 21 activities.
The symposium was attended by representatives of indigenous peoples’ organizations and networks from Cameroon, Chad, the Central African Republic, the Congo, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Rwanda and several development partners. The German International Cooperation Agency (GIZ) provided technical and financial support for the meeting through its support to the Central African Forest Commission (COMIFAC), in collaboration with the COMIFAC PREREDD programme and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
In their final Communiqué, participants underscored the importance of ecosystem services provided by forests in the Congo Basin as well as the contribution of indigenous and local communities in sustainable forest management and called for, inter alia: ensuring full involvement of indigenous peoples, especially women, in forest governance and management of protected areas; providing access to REDD+ funding from the Dedicated Grant Mechanism for Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (DGM) of the Forest Investment Program; and incorporating the concerns of indigenous and local communities when finalizing and validating Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs) from the region. [Congo Basin Forest Partnership News Announcement] [REPALEAC Symposium Report (in French)] [Symposium Communique (in French)] [REPALEAC Common Position to COP 21 (in French)]