MANAGING FOREST ECOSYSTEMS
THE WORK OF REPAR- CAMEROON
REPAR-CAMEROON is working hard to transform Parliamentarians into a group of key actors in the formulation, implementation and the monitoring of national and international policies in the management of forest ecosystems in Central Africa. The theme coordinator in charge of Parliamentary Action accounts several of the projects initiated by the organization to help turn their objective into a reality.
Hon. Oyono Martin, MP Mr Martin is the theme Coordinator in charge of Parliamentary Action, and contact person for REPAR- CAMEROON
REPAR-CAMEROON was created in 2008. It is the Cameroonian branch of the sub-regional Network of Parliamentarians for the Sustainable Management of Forest Ecosystems in Central Africa (REPAR), which is an affiliate of the Conference of Dense and Humid Forest Ecosystems of Central Africa (CEFDHAC), which in turn is an affiliate of the Forest Commission of Central Africa (COMIFAC). The vision of REPAR is to
transform Parliamentarians into a group of key actors in the formulation, implementation and the monitoring of national and international policies in the management of forest ecosystems in Central Africa. To this end, REPAR seeks to contribute to the promotion of good governance and sustainable and equitable management of natural resources and the environment. Its main objectives include: • To ensure the active involvement of Parliamentarians in the formulation,
the implementation, monitoring and evaluation of policies for the manage- ment of natural and forest resources as well as the environment; and • To enhance dialogue between Parliamentarians and their elector- ate and to enable them to be more accountable to their electorate as regards the management of natural and forest resources as well as the environment.
The activities of REPAR- CAMEROON are carried out with the help of a Coordination Bureau comprising 26 Parliamentarians – representing both the National Assembly and the Senate, focal points in each region and a technical secretariat. It receives an annual budgetary allocation from the National Assembly and regular support from partners. The management of such funds
is controlled by the administrative and finance service of the technical secretariat, an auditor and the General Assembly. To improve its financial management and accounting capacity, its accounts are audited by an external auditor at the end of every financial year. Since its creation, REPAR- CAMEROON has participated in debates and in the process of
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decision-making concerning good governance in the management of natural resources in general and forests resources in particular. Several important projects include:
• The activities of multiple stake- holders to implement the recom- mendations of the national forum on integrated management of forest and mining resources, which took place in July 2009 at the National Assembly; • Taking a common stance in terms of reviewing the forestry policy and devising national strategies to mitigate and to adapt to climate change; and • Initiating dialogue with the gov- ernment on sensitive issues.
The inputs of REPAR- CAMEROON have also been remarkable in diverse international meetings on climate change, the management of forests and biodiversity, especially during the most recent Conferences of Parties to the UN Convention on climate change (Copenhagen, Durban, Doha, Warsaw), and the committee meetings of the Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF). At the regional level, REPAR- CAMEROON participated actively
in two international conferences for Parliamentarians on the sustainable management of ecosystems in Central Africa, held in Yaoundé and Bata respectively. As far as ongoing projects
are concerned, the process of incorporating the Senate into REPAR-CAMEROON that was initiated during the General Assembly of April 2014 is being completed. At the same time, REPAR- CAMEROON is also taking initiatives to regularly participate in discussions at both international and regional levels to enable Parliamentarians to be conversant with sensitive and emerging issues like climate change, the problem of APA (additional benefits awarded to forest communities), and the implementation the Voluntary Partnership Agreement on international trade in wood and wood products (VPA/FLEGT). This agreement was ratified
by the Republic of Cameroon and the European Union in 2011 to concretize Cameroon’s commitment to increasingly implementing its own laws in a bid to promote good governance in the management of forest and natural resources at the national and international levels.
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