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Capacity building in the Congo Basin and Independent Monitoring of
Forest Law Enforcement and Governance (IM-FLEG) in the Republic of Congo
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
Field mission reports
Field
mission report N°01, validated on 24.05.08 
Other project documents and reports
Please note that you will be redirected to the Forests Monitor's
website by clicking on these links:
Brazzaville
Scoping mission report (2005)
A
point of view from the Ministry (2006) 
Project
background (2007)
Project
documents (2007-2008)
Congo
Basin Scoping mission reports (2008)
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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.
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