Theme.- Land restoration, desertification and drought resilience

The Commission commends the efforts of the Government and its national and international partners to restore ecosystems, combat desertification and mitigate the devastating effects of drought to preserve biodiversity. This is evidenced by the signing of Decree No. 2023/07526/PM of 6 October 2023 which lays down the conditions of implementation of Law No. 2021/014 of 9 July 2021, governing access to genetic resources, their derivatives and associated traditional knowledge, and the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from their use.

The Commission welcomes the signing in Yaoundé on 7 May 2024, in the presence of the Minister of Decentralisation and Local Development, of the framework agreement on the anticipation of natural disasters in the country’s cities, between the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development (MINHDU), the United Councils and Cities of Cameroon (UCCC) and the National Observatory on Climate Change (NOCC). 

The Commission commends the cancellation, by letter from MINDCAF dated 29 April 2024, duly signed in accordance with the instructions of the President of the Republic contained in Letter No. B1621/SG/PR of 5 April 2024, of the terms of Letter No. 053755/Y.6/MINDCAF/SG/ D2/EA/MEF of 12 December 2023 granting  special exemption to Mr Jean Baptiste Nganda, a representative of Lyrebird Capital Company Limited in Cameroon, for the implementation of the temporary concession procedure on about 400,000 hectares of State property, divided among 12 local communities in the Nanga-Eboko Sub-Division.

The Commission backs the endeavours of civil society and development partners to safeguard biodiversity and thus foster a healthy ecosystem, a key factor in sustainable development. The Commission particularly supports the organisation, from 21 to 23 October 2023, in Bertoua by the Archdiocese, of a national exhibition on the participation of young people in environmental management, to instil in them values related to environmental protection. 

The Commission is still concerned about the expropriation of indigenous peoples’ ancestral lands by local populations or by entrepreneurs without their free and informed consent, within the framework of the implementation of local development plans.

 The Commission recommends to the Ministry of State Property, Surveys and Land Tenure (MINDCAF) and the Ministry of Forestry and Wildlife (MINFOF) to enhance the security of indigenous peoples’ land rights on their ancestral lands by the full implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples of 13 September 2007.

 The Commission recommends to MINFOF, MINDDEVEL, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and CSOs to ensure that councils comply with reforestation agreements.

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