The 15th edition of the World Forestry Congress (WFC) was hosted in Seoul, South Korea, from 2nd – 6th May 2022. This landmark conference of the world’s forestry sector serves as an international platform for exchange between government representatives, civil society organisations and development partners. It is also a forum for drafting recommendations and declarations on key forestry issues, namely, sustainable management, desertification, biodiversity conservation, etc. Thus, the conference is of great strategic importance for the Congo Basin which, as the second green lung of the planet, also has many claims to make.
Traditional fishing traps
On this occasion, during a conference held in the COMIFAC - ECCAS Hall[1], the GIZ Regional Support Project for COMIFAC presented the results of two of its five pilot initiatives (PIs), which were designed to impact the conservation and sustainable use of forest resources at the local, national, and sub-regional levels. The pilot initiatives selected stem from the COMIFAC Convergence Plan, the 2018-2025 strategic framework of the Network of Indigenous and Local Peoples - REPALEAC and the Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and Fair and Equitable Sharing of the Benefits Arising out of their Utilisation (ABS). The two pilot initiatives presented in Seoul concern: i) the contribution of traditional knowledge to biodiversity conservation in Central Africa, the case of the Sangha Tri-national (TNS) and the bi-national Boumba Ndjida - Sena Oura complex (BSB Yamoussa) and ii) Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC): the importance of an effective involvement of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities.
- The contribution of traditional knowledge to biodiversity conservation in Central Africa: Case of the Sangha Tri-national (TNS) and the BSB Yamoussa
The pilot initiative captioned: “Support for the use of local and indigenous knowledge, innovations, and practices already identified in the management of protected areas” was implemented in close collaboration with the Network of Indigenous and Local Communities for the Management of Central African Forest Ecosystems (REPALEAC). It was carried out using a two-stage methodological approach. Firstly, date collection on traditional knowledge from indigenous populations and local communities (PACL) listed within the protected area groups of the Yamoussa BSB (Cameroon, Chad) and the Sangha Tri-national - TNS (Cameroon, Central African Republic and Republic of Congo). On the other hand, several workshops were organised on a local and sub-regional scale to facilitate exchanges between the various actors and stakeholders and to strengthening their capacities, such as the innovative concept of “Useful Holidays for Biodiversity” organised around the BSB Yamoussa complex, which contributed to valorising traditional knowledge between adults and young people.
This pilot initiative has clearly contributed to valorising and highlighting PACL’s traditional knowledge, thus ensuring its generational sustainability. Although some of this knowledge is used on a daily basis by protected area managers or researchers (e.g., tracking and other signs of animals during wildlife inventories), its valorisation remains in most cases unrecognised by the holders. Moreover, the gradual loss of the transmission rituals of this traditional knowledge among the younger generations should be considered. This is why it is vital, to maintain these rituals within traditional groups, to ensure that their contribution to the conservation of Central African forest ecosystems is taken into account.
However, the use of this knowledge requires compliance with intellectual property requirements as defined by the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) and the African Intellectual Property Organisation (OAPI). Rather, any process of collecting promoting/valorising traditional knowledge of PACL implies their Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) as defined by ILO Convention No. 169 and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. As a result, FPIC has been a requirement for our approach throughout this initiative.
2- Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC): the importance of effective involvement of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities.
FPIC is a fundamental principle of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (2007). It gives them the right freely give or withhold their consent (without intimidation or manipulation) to any development project that is likely to impact on their way of life and well-being. To contribute to the systematic application of FPIC in all processes related to the management of protected areas by its member states, COMIFAC, in collaboration with REPALEAC, has implemented the PI: “Support for the development of a mutual approach to Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) in protected areas in the COMIFAC area based on existing experiences: Case of TNS and BSB Yamoussa”.
A participatory and phased methodology was chosen for its implementation in the TNS. As a result, several local and sub-regional workshops were organised, bringing together different actors in the TNS to improve on their capacity in FPIC and human rights. Thus, a FPIC approach was tested as part of the reviewing process of the Lobeke National Park management plan, in collaboration with the Cameroon TNS branch, COMIFAC, REPALEAC, and the GIZ Regional Project in support of COMIFAC. This dual-purpose capacity building aims at: (1) providing information on FPIC and the concerns of local people for conservation purposes; (2) providing people with information on FPIC, the management plan review process, and the importance of local people’s participation.
It was noted that a lack of information and communication could quickly lead to confusion and misunderstanding among stakeholders in the sustainable management of protected areas. Providing relevant information and building the capacity of all stakeholders is therefore of utmost importance. Although the implementation of the FPIC approach requires time, it is one of the most effective ways of involving and inclusively engaging PACLs in the sustainable management of protected areas and their peripheral zones.
At the end of the implementation process, guidebooks (Sub-regional Guide to FPIC) and catalogues (Catalogue of Traditional Knowledge) were produced for national and sub-regional use. These products stem from experiences and lessons learnt on site, and are designed to be used in other COMIFAC sites.
[1] Economic Community of Central African States
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GIZ Support Project to COMIFAC
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