Capacity building in the Congo Basin and Independent Monitoring of Forest Law Enforcement and Governance (IM-FLEG) in the Republic of Congo

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This project, implemented in partnership with Forests Monitor, aims to contribute to the realization of good governance in the forestry sector and support the execution of effective policies for sustainable development. This means ensuring, through IM-FLEG, that the Republic of Congo government commitments made through EU FLEGT Voluntary Partnership Agreements, for example, translate into real action in the detection and suppression of illegal logging, recovery of taxes and effective sanction of companies or individuals breaching national legislation. Sustainable forest management is not likely to be realized in tropical countries if good governance in the sector is not enforced. The comparative advantage that illegal operators have in the market place and in gaining access to the forest resource seriously hinders progress.

This project is a 3 year venture, and started in December 2007.

The main activities of the project are the following:

• Independent Monitoring of Forest Law Enforcement and Governance (IM-FLEG) in the Republic of Congo, to systematically document infractions in forest sector activities and analyse gaps in forest law enforcement. IM-FLEG is implemented through field missions, analysis of administrative processes, and multi-stakeholder meetings. Provide recommendations to improve the efficiency of forest law enforcement and promote reform in the forest sector in the Congo Basin region.
• Training workshops, such as a regional policy workshop to exchange information with civil society representatives, national training workshops in target countries to train civil society representatives in techniques and functioning of IM-FLEG, and advanced training on IM-FLEG to six civil society representatives in the Republic of Congo, otherwise known as the ‘Shadow Team’
• Scoping Missions in the Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo and Gabon to discuss with all stakeholders IM-FLEG’s function, possible institutional setting and role, adapted to national contexts
• Publication of IM-FLEG reports, training outputs and scoping mission findings

What we aim to achieve In the Republic of Congo

• Information on illegal logging activities and gaps in State control is available
• The strategic deployment of the law enforcement services is improved
• Documentation of illegal logging by forest law enforcement services is improved
• Actions are taken on cases of illegal activities in the Forest Sector, sanctions paid
• Transparency in administrative processes of forest law enforcement is increased
• Sustainability of the legal, institutional and political reform process currently ongoing in the forests sector is ensured

In the Congo basin

• Civil society’s understanding of IM-FLEG and monitoring ability is increased
• Civil society’s participation in and understanding of regional processes concerning illegal logging is increased
• A process has been established towards IM-FLEG
• Sustainability of the reform process in the forests sector in the region is ensured
• Information about the forest sector is available to the public

Partners

REM's main partners in the project are: Forests Monitor (FM) - FM and REM work in close collaboration on technical as well as strategic aspects of the project, such as the realisation of scoping missions to develop new IM-FLEG projects in the Congo Basin. FM’s main focus however, is on the civil society training component of the project. Centre pour l’Environnement et le Développement (CED, Cameroon) works mainly on the training component of the project. CED will diffuse its knowledge of IM-FLEG to local NGOs, and provide technical and theory training on IM-FLEG during the workshops planned for this project.

Reports and documents

For all reports and documents, please Click here.

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This project is implemented with financial assistance from the European Union, for an amount of 1,682,794 Euros, and the Department For International Development, for an amount of 140,000 Euros. Its content is the sole responsibility of REM, and can in no way be taken to reflect the views of the EU or DFID.