1.
China-Africa Forest Governance Learning Platform
Fourth 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

2.
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

3.
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 when
acting alone
• Constructive alliance with international NGOs
for field actions

4.
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 market
is 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 legality
certification
• « good relation » with law enforcers
4. Trading companies
• Most are of very small size
• « Very invisible »
• Limited engagement for legality
certification
• « very good relation » with law enforcers

5.
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

6.
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

7.
Main achievements of China-Africa Forest Governance Project

8.
Mapping China investments and trade in the forestry sector in Cameroon

9.
266568
381017
315127 309174
418218
503278
146069
226633
267174
187697
204319
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

10.
« 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)

11.
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 better
defend their interest
• Performance assessment in
2017 (with good progress)
• Action plan updated based
on 2017 results (including
HCV, RIL…)
ALPICAM
• Support in the FSC
Forest Management
process, based on the
FSC Controlled Wood
audit
• Support concentrated
on wildlife management
• Strengthening local
communities to better
defend their interest
Chinese Association in
forestry sector
• Training giving on
legality during SFA visit
in June 2016
• MoU drafted and still to
be commented by the
Association

12.
Policy works
• Providing technical and financial support
for the national consultation in the revision
of the forestry law
• Co-facilitation of the visit of SFA (high level
officials) 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 obersee
investments
• Assessment of the enabling environment in
forestry sector in Cameroon (using EEAT
developed by WWF)
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
Accountability
Efficiency
Effectiveness
Fairness/Equity
Inclusiveness
(Participation)
Transparency
CAMEROON: SCORES FOR EACH GOOD
GOVERNANCE PRINCIPLE
Pillar I. Policies, Legislation,
and Institutions
Pillar II. Planning, Decision-
making, and Dispute
Resolution
Pillar III. Implementation,
Enforcement, and
Compliance

13.
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

14.
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