1. General Description:
ID:CN-21009
Project resulting from this CN: N/A
Note: CNs are developed into project proposals following consultation with donor(s).
1.1 Project Title:
Strengthening and consolidating the national process for addressing illegal logging
and associated trade in Cameroon

1.2 Submitting Country/ies:
Cameroon

1.3 Specific Location & Country/ies/regions/areas benefitting from the project:
Cameroon

1.4 Endorsement from ITTO Focal Point:
Letter of endorsement.pdf
1.5 Intended Project Duration (in months):24
1.6 Indicative Budget (in US$):
ITTO

201,581

Counterpart

6,725

Total

208,306

1.7 Programme Line Focus
Legal and Sustainable Supply Chains (LSSC)
1.8 Project TypeCapacity Building/Training, Innovation, Policy development/implementation
1.9 Proposal Summary:This concept note is partly based on TRAFFIC’s 2017 proposal, submitted to ITTO
(serial number: TFL-PD 839/17 (M) and approved but not funded. The 2017 proposal
had been developed based on lessons learnt and experience acquired from anearlier ITTO project “Strengthening the national process for controlling illegal logging
and associated trade in Cameroon (TFL-PD 003/09 Rev (2) M)”, jointly implemented
by TRAFFIC and the Ministry of Forest and Wildlife (MINFOF) in Cameroon. This
present concept note also incorporates action points discussed during a recent twoday meeting between MINFOF and TRAFFIC. It will consolidate achievements of theprevious project, taking account of recent developments in the forestry sector,
continuing to build capacity and coordination between two key actors (MINFOF andMinistry of Finance-Customs), all designed to address key forest governance issues
and legality and transparency in the timber trade in Cameroon. By the end of the
project in 2023, expected outputs are: i) An updated and relevant legal framework isdeveloped and submitted to the governing bodies ii) capacity to track and intercept
illegal shipments will be improved iii) a platform for information exchange related toforest management and infringement /crime records will be operational. Key
activities include: a review of the forestry policy; high-level advocacy for the adoptionof an amended forestry law; the provision to MINFOF of operational tools for
effective enforcement of the law; the dissemination of tools, guides and manuals on
forestry legislation and harvesting; optimizing use of the information exchange andseizures data platform AFRICA-TWIX and the initiation of a data information sharing
system between MINFOF and MINFI (Customs). The governance structure put inplace for this project, with MINFOF at the centre of implementation, will ensure anexit plan for their full empowerment in the activities and products/deliverables
generated at the end of the project.

2. Proponent Information:

2.1 Executing Agency Information:
Name of Agency/Organization/Institution:
TRAFFIC International

Name of main Contact Person:
Caroline Gill

Email:
caroline.gill@traffic.org
Phone:
0044 1223 277427

URL:
https://www.traffic.org

2.2 Type of Organization:
International Organization
2.3 Collaborating Agency/ies:
Name of Agency/Organization/Institution:
Ministry of Forest and Wildlife

Name of main Contact Person:
Mr Mouncharou Georges, Director of Cooperation and Programming Division

Email Address:
gem4fr@yahoo.fr

Phone:00237 699907135

URL:
https://www.minfof.cm/

2.4 Relevant experience of EA:
TRAFFIC’s work on forest governance and timber trade, in Cameroon and globally,
tackles legality and sustainability challenges in the supply chain through engagement
and provision of resources and training for industry and Government agencies. Thisdraws on cross-cutting expertise in behavior change, data analysis and tackling
financial crime. TRAFFIC has operated in Cameroon for over 13 years. Previous
timber projects include partnerships with ITTO, DFID, WCO and EU.

3. Relevance:
3.1 Conformity with ITTO objectives (ITTA, 2006) and priorities (current SAP):The project goals and expected outcomes fulfil ITTO’s objectives and priorities underthe 2006 International Tropical Timber Agreement (ITTA 2006) in particular: (d)Enhancing the capacity of members to implement strategies for achieving exports oftropical timber and timber products from sustainably managed sources; (l)Strengthening the capacity of members for the collection, processing anddissemination of statistics on their trade in timber and information on the sustainable
management of their tropical forests; (n) Strengthening the capacity of members to
improve forest law enforcement and governance, and address illegal logging andrelated trade in tropical timber.

3.2 Relevance to the ITTO Programme Lines:
The proposed project has relevance to the ITTO Programmatic line #1: Legal andSustainable Supply Chains Identify and promote incentives throughout the tropicaltimber demand and supply chain to increase efforts to address sustainability, legality
and traceability by the introduction of the timber tracker tool Enhance the capacity oftropical timber producing countries for the production of legal and sustainable timberand non-timber products and services

3.3 Relevance to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Global
Forest Goals (GFGs) and other forest related global agenda:
SDG 12: Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns. Will promotesustainable harvesting of high value timber species through improved management
and transparency (12.2) in Cameroon (12.1) UNSPF Global Forest Goals GFG1:
Reverse the loss of forest cover worldwide through sustainable forest management,
including protection, restoration, afforestation and reforestation, and increase efforts
to prevent forest degradation and contribute to the global effort of addressing climatechange. GFG 3: Increase significantly the area of protected forests worldwide andother areas of sustainably managed forests, as well as the proportion of forest
products from sustainably managed forests. GFG 5: Promote governanceframeworks to implement sustainable forest management.

3.4 Relevance to submitting country’s policies:
The forest-wildlife sector is the second largest source of employment in Cameroon,and makes a contribution of about 3.7% to Cameroon’s non-oil GDP (Eba’a et al.
2013). Illegal logging is one of the many threats facing these forests. In order to stem
such activities and ensure that forests are sustained, the government has developed
and put in place various policies and legal frameworks to govern the sector including:1993 Forestry Policy, Forest Law of 1994, Environment Framework Act of 1996,
Yaoundé Declaration of 1999 and the Convergence Plan of the Central African
Forests Commission (COMIFAC), National Development Strategy 2020-2030(NDS30), African Forest Law Enforcement and Governance and Forest Law
Enforcement Governance and Trade (FLEGT) commitments and the FLEGTVoluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA) with the European Union (December 2011).
This project also supports the national policy on sustainable management of forest
resources which has as its overall goal maintaining and developing economic,
ecological and social functions of forests in Cameroon, as part of an integrated
management, which ensures sustained and sustainable, conservation and use offorest resources and ecosystems. Although this project will take the opportunity toreview and update Cameroon’s Forest Policy, it is worth noting that, the concept
supports the following two themes of the Forest Policy: i) Develop forest resources inorder to increase the share of forest production in GDP, while preserving the
productive potential ii) Revitalize the forestry sector by setting up an effective
institutional system and involving all stakeholders in the management of the sector.
The project is also in line with the forest and wildlife sub-sectoral strategy which'projects an ecologically viable and economically prosperous green Cameroon, that
ensures the conservation of its biological diversity and the rational use of natural
resources for present and future generations.

3.5 Linkages to previous/ongoing ITTO and other projects/activities (if any):
The ITTO project implemented by TRAFFIC Strengthening the national process forcontrolling illegal logging and associated trade in Cameroon” covered the period
October 2011 to April 2014. Project outputs included development of training
materials for government staff responsible for enforcing logging and timber tradecontrols; development of a database of stakeholders involved in forest law
enforcement in Cameroon; creation of an inter-agency committee for collaboration;
identification of threats and gaps in the timber trade legislation and traceability(SIGIF); recommendations for an online timber trade information management
system dedicated to more transparency and inter-agency communication. Additional
intervention opportunities, which could not be addressed within the timeframe of thatproject included fraudulent harvesting certificates, lack of correlation between
contract volumes and the forest areas allocated for logging, lack of clear linkages
between the traceability system (SIGIF) and transportation waybills and uncontrolled
harvesting of CITES-protected species. The ultimate consequences of such
shortfalls include: a lack of credibility in timber export documents, loss of tax revenue
and livelihood income to forest communities and increased threats to biodiversity.
This ITTO proposal will address the issues related to a traceability system. Further
work was undertaken between 2015 – 2021 to support the timber trade legality
process from Cameroon to China (phase 1) and from Cameroon, Republic of theCongo to China, plus Vietnam (phase 2) funded by the UK Foreign Commonwealth
Development Office. One project result was an MOU signed with a Chinesecompany for the sourcing of legal timber from community forests. The AFRICA-TWIX
project under implementation in Central Africa promotes information and dataexchange between various law enforcement officials and will continue to coordinate
efforts to combat illegal logging.

4. Project synopsis:

4.1 Objectives (reflecting reference to elements within all ITTO Guidelines asapplicable):
Development objective: Improve forest governance to increase the volume of legal
timber in Cameroon. It is expected that by the end of the project in 2023: i) progress
will have been made towards the goal of full compliance with a timber legality
assurance system ii) forestry sector tax revenues will have increased. Specificobjective: To reduce illegal logging and associated illegal timber trade in Cameroon.
It is expected that by the end of the project: i) A relevant and up-to-date forestry
policy and legal framework is developed and submitted for consideration by thegoverning bodies. ii) The provision of operational tools and supporting guides
improves the tracking of timber and law enforcement capacity. iii) A system for theexchange of information related to forest management, trade and enforcement
records is operational and accessible by both MINFOF and MINFI.

4.2 Key problem(s) to be addressed:
Forests (including Non-Timber Forest Products) are threatened by various factors
including illegal logging and the associated trade driven by export markets, although
local markets are also beginning to have an impact. A priority issue, which
undermines efforts to address the challenges of climate change, good governanceand sustainable trade, is the outdated 1993 Forest Policy. The Forest Policy provides
the framework for any subsequent forestry legislation, including the 1994 Forest Law,
which in its current form, fails to cover the demands put on the country’s forestry
sector. The previous ITTO project identified and documented some of the illegal
practices that threaten forests in Cameroon (as mentioned in section 3.5 above). In
addition, there are challenging operational issues for MINFOF which need to beaddressed if it is to be fully effective in managing timber resources. This includes
refinement of the SIGIF (2) platform, which for reasons of complexity and time, lies
outside the scope of this proposal. There are however two areas which can bereadily addressed, both of which are fundamental to the full implementation of SIGIF
2. One is the introduction of a timber tracking tool that can link to the SIGIF system,
for validation and verification of movements of forest products, beginning with logs
(from legal sources), through the supply chain to the point of export. Second is theneed for training on legality, verification and validation of timber movements, whichcurrently is not sufficiently covered by government budgets. There are various
training documents and materials in existence, but these need to be updated,consolidated and supported with physical training as part of MINFOF’s continuous
staff improvement program. Cameroon is a key exporter of tropical logs and timber,synergy of action between MINFOF and MINFI Officials must also be further
enhanced to combat corruption and laundering of illegal logs and associated timbertrade.

4.3 Main stakeholders and beneficiaries:
Primary stakeholders and beneficiaries: Government of Cameroon (MINFOF andMINFI-Customs) – as primary users of the tracker tool and information exchangesystem. Secondary stakeholders and beneficiaries: The private sector timberindustry in Cameroon – as a group, are expected to follow the protocols andprocedures imposed by law. Further clarity in legislation will help the industry to becompliant. Local communities – especially those local traditional chiefs and theircommunities in seven community owned forests associated with the ReCTrad
Network of Traditional Rulers for the Sustainable Management of Ecosystems inCentral Africa (Reseau des Chefs Traditionnels d’Afrique pour la gestion durable dela biodiversité et des écosystemes et des forets) that will be identified in a project
funded by a European government donor. Our funded project will work on theoutreach and capacity building trainings on legality to these groups, complemented
by this ITTO funding. Cameroon NGO SAILD (Service d’Appui aux Initiatives Localesde Développement) is the local member of the SAILD international network.
TRAFFIC’s funded project will also work with SAILD to build capacities of farmers
and small holders in Cameroon, complementing SAILD’s COTTRACKS App to trace
timber and collect field data for community forests and small holders to the timbertracker activities in this concept. This ITTO concept will link the App to the training
events and outreach to target stakeholders.

4.4 Key activities:
1. Draft a new Forestry Policy and Forest Law for public consultation 1.1. Develop
TOR and recruit a Consultant to draft a new Forestry Policy and amendment to theForest Law 1.2. Facilitate meetings with MINFOF to review and agree the draft
Forestry Policy document & draft Forest Law. 1.3. Present revised Forestry Policy &Forest Law at meeting with the Prime Minister’s office to prime for next stage of
public consultations. 2. Conduct high-level advocacy for the adoption of the newForestry Policy and Law. 2.1. Design and develop an advocacy initiative, building on
behavior change science to develop the right messaging, communications materials
and the means of engagement to secure a favourable consideration of the newforestry policy and law during the stakeholder consultation process. 2.2. MINFOF will
deliver communications messaging to target audiences. 3. Provide MINFOF with
operational tools for effective enforcement of the law. 3.1. Acquisition, training andsupport for the implementation of a Timber Tracker Tool at 5 strategic MINFOF forest
produce checkpoints (to complement work under the complementary project and in
partnership with private sector companies). 3.2. Identify existing tools, guides andmanuals covering legality in the forestry sector, consolidate and update the various
materials for dissemination, including a plan for prioritising key target staff and units.
4. Optimize the use of the information exchange and seizures data platform AFRICATWIX. 4.1. Recruit new field-based members (MINFOF & MINFI-Customs) to theplatform through focal point representatives at Central Offices of Ministries. 5.
Facilitate a data information sharing system between MINFOF and MINFI Customs.
5.1. Develop a TOR for information sharing of data collected from timber tracker. 5.2.
Organize a round table to agree TOR within the framework of an MOU between
MINFOF and Customs. 5.3.Support development of data sharing system

4.5 Expected outcomes and impacts, including innovation/transformation:
This proposal is designed to address (in so far as the budget will stretch) some key
weaknesses in the management of forest resources in Cameroon. These include an
incomplete and outdated legal framework; a lack of transparency and poor control oftimber activities, low overall operational capacity for MINFOF law enforcement
officials, all of which are compounded by poor coordination and informationexchange between law enforcement officials, especially MINFOF and MINFI. The
innovation of a timber tracker tool, pioneered in the Tanzania forestry service withassistance from TRAFFIC, will assist Cameroon to address its timber traceability
challenges. The successful implementation of activities will result in the following
outcomes: Progress towards the target of full compliance of traded timber in
Cameroon with the timber legality assurance system; Progress towards enhanced
transparency and credibility of timber traded by Cameroon at both the national andinternational levels; Increased State revenue earned from forestry sector taxes. The
ultimate impact of the project is to improve forest governance to increase the volumeof legal timber in Cameroon. MINFOF will be central to the implementation of the
project, supporting and fully participating as part of a capacity building process toempower and create institutional sustainability as part of the project exit plan.

4.6 Existing funding for (related) initiative(s)/established contacts to potential
donors:TRAFFIC is currently finalizing a five-year funding agreement with a European
Government funder addressing climate and forest work, which will complement theactivities in this proposal. This project funding will focus on three main areas of work:
Outcome 1: Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities in ReCTrad network, woodbased industry and Chinese operators increasingly place legal timber in the supply
chain in Cameroon and Republic of Congo; Outcome 2: Private and public sector
buyers in China and Vietnam increasingly comply with legislative frameworks forpurchasing imported timber from Cameroon and Republic of Congo; and Outcome 3:
Strengthened transparency and knowledge along the timber value chain, to include
enforcement agencies and through increased suspicious transaction reporting byfinancial institutions to law enforcement. The project will also include thedevelopment of a Wood ID tool, using timber species macroscopic anatomy
identification, and state of the art machine vision learning to be able to identify timber
species in a field-ready Wood ID tool. The European funded project will complement
and support the ITTO proposed project in pilot testing the timber tracker tool at
fifteen key timber check points. Along the same theme, TRAFFIC funding alreadysecured under the ReTTA project, will provide the opportunity to conduct a baseline
study on the Cameroon timber traceability system, to gather information and identify
the check points where the timber tracker tool will be pilot tested. The proposed
ITTO-funded work will further build on the AFRICA -TWIX project, operational in
Cameroon since 2016, to offer a platform of information and seizure data exchange
for real and joint action of two key law enforcement groups, forestry and customs
officials, thereby encouraging greater collaboration between these two important
players.

4.7 Any other information deemed necessary/important:
TRAFFIC has an established and trusted relationship with MINFOF and Customs, asboth stakeholders are partners to TRAFFIC in past and present projects covering
forest governance, timber trade legality, the AFRICA -TWIX information sharing andseizures data exchange, and capacity building in law enforcement. TRAFFIC, alongwith WWF, ZSL, and IUCN, supported the recently published national anti-poaching
and wildlife crime strategy for Cameroon (2020-2030), currently being implemented
primarily by MINFOF, with the support of other agencies. TRAFFIC and MINFOF arecollaborating extensively under the TRAFFIC AFRICA-TWIX platform and processes
are underway for MoUs to be signed soon. The text has been approved by bothparties, supporting documents submitted to MINFOF and the final MOU is currently
sitting with the Head of State cabinet, pending approval before formal signing. WithMINFI (Customs), the General Directorate of Cameroon has assigned a task team towork on the details of an MOU and this team is meeting regularly to finalize thedocument for final approval. Moreover, TRAFFIC is a partner to the Commission ofCentral African Forests (COMIFAC) with whom there is a signed MoU forcollaboration on activities in Central Africa. COMIFAC supervises the AFRICA-TWIX
platform and will be an important collaborator in ensuring dissemination of project
results to other countries in Central Africa. A TRAFFIC representative also chairs the
Civil Society Advisory Group (CSAG) of ITTO, where we can disseminate informationof relevance back to ITTO Council and members, especially on work with local
communities.

4.8 Risk mitigation measures:
Risks that may hinder achievement of results fall into two categories: internal andexternal. INTERNAL i) Project stakeholders do not engage proactively. TRAFFIC, aspart of the design and planning process of this project concept, has already engaged
with the main stakeholder, MINFOF, to secure their contributions and support during
a meeting that took place in early April. For other stakeholders, if the proposal is
successful, engagement will be initiated before and during the project launchworkshop. Three MINFOF staff have been selected to be part of the project
management unit to provide guidance to project implementation. This will also
ensure continued ownership of the initiatives at the end of the project. The project
steering committee will also be chaired by MINFOF. Given the potential benefits to
MINFI, it is not envisaged that there will be any reluctance to participate in the design
and implementation of a shared information system with MINFOF. ii) Poor uptake oftraining and materials provided to forest sector officials. TRAFFIC has extensive
experience in the design and delivery of support and will draw on this to ensure thattraining and guidance documentation is relevant and engaging. EXTERNAL i)
COVID inhibits project activities. If necessary, TRAFFIC will increase use of virtual
communications for project management and implementation. However, it isinevitable that some trainings which require face to face interaction to be fully
effective (such as the timber tracker tool), may have to be postponed. ii) Conflict andcivil unrest within the country. In this case the project will adaptively manage thesituation and shift any field training activities to safer locations. iii) Financial impact of
currency fluctuations. TRAFFIC monitors exchange rates on an ongoing basis andadjusts spending accordingly to avoid negative budget variances.

5. Indicative Budget (in US$):Indicative Budget (in US$):Description

ITTO

Counterpart

Total

Personnel

67,175067,175Sub-contracts

42,000042,000Travel and DSA

19,4963,300

22,796

Capital Items

0

3,425

3,425

Consumables

2,276

0

2,276

Publication /

2,239

0

2,239

Miscellaneous

16,797

0

16,797

Total

149,983

6,725

156,708

ITTO Project Monitoring

20,000-20,000

Annual/Final Audit

10,000-10,000ITTO Programme

21,598-21,598ITTO Ex-post Evaluation

0

-

0

GRAND TOTAL

201,581

6,725

208,306

Dissemination& Review

Support