The government of Cameroon through the Ministry of Forestry and Wildlife (MINFOF) in partnership with the European Union (EU) and the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) has flagged off a seven-month programme on how the system of private certification of legality and sustainable forest management on the deliverance of legality certificates could be integrated into the national scheme. The programme, code-named, "EU-FAO-FLEGT/MINFOF programme," was launched in Yaounde on Tuesday February 4 and stakeholders sensitised on how it is going to work to attain set objectives.

This was in a workshop chaired by the Secretary General in MINFOF, Koulagna Koutou Denis. He said since signing the voluntary partnership agreement with the European Union in 2010 and its full entry into force on December 16, 2011, government has been unwavering in the efficient implementation of the agreement so as to reap the benefits accruing from it. Mr Koulagna Koutou noted that the ongoing programme will help government to obtain a procedure manual for the deliverance and recognition of private legality certificates within the FLEGT authorisation framework. He called on logging companies and private certification firms to make maximum use of the programme so as to align with universal norms.

According to the programme Coordinator, Jean Avit Kongape, the objective is to improve governance in the forest sector through improvement of policy, legal and regulatory frameworks, increasing capacity of civil society, private sector and forest sector staff to manage forest resources and the enforcement of forestry legal frameworks and knowledge sharing on the FLEGT process. He said the programme also contributes to national or regional forestry programmes and/or FLEGT-related initiatives, increases participation, partnerships and communication among the stakeholder groups, promotes long-term sustainable outcomes and develops innovative and replicable systems in sustainable forest governance.