CIEDD meets with the Water-Forest INTERPOL Focal Point to synchronise activities

18 April 2018
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CV4C-EN

Background

A working session on 16/04/2018 brought together the CIEDD team and the Water-Forest- INTERPOL Focal Point under the chairmanship of the Water-Forest Focal Point.

The purpose of this meeting is to analyse planned activities in the Water-Forest-INTERPOL Focal Point 2018 work programme, which should be included in the CIEDD Action Plan in line with the recommendations of the INTERPOL Regional Office for Central Africa.

The activities reviewed highlighted the following points:

  • Some activities of the Yaoundé Action Plan which are taken into account in the CIEDD programme, targeted trainings and missions only.
  • Funding of work materials will be the subject of advocacy with motivated external partners and nationals, as well as some state institutions;
  • Follow-up of the special status document of the Agent of Water and Forest, falls under the competence of the Ministry of Water, Forest, Hunting and Fisheries;
  • Funding for the project to fight illegal logging in CAR will be co-financed by the INTERPOL Regional Office for Central Africa with national funding;
  • Extension of the forest code and its implementing decree will be negotiated with CIEDD in accordance with recommendations from the 2017 Yaoundé workshop.

Activities

Setting up the consultation platform with Interpol

This desired consultation platform will bring together about thirty members including representatives from the Ministry of Water, Forest, Hunting and Fisheries; the Ministries of National Defense, Public Security, Territorial Administration, Finance (Customs), Justice, Agriculture, Environment and Sustainable Development; the Presidency of the Republic, the Minister advising the Presidency on Natural Resources; of ISDR, National Assembly, the Anti-Corruption Committee, WWF, UNESCO, FAO, forest companies, tour operators, youth groups, NGOs, Religious Platforms and the Water-Forest-INTERPOL Focal Point Team (3).

The functions of this Platform are as follows

  1. Analyse claims made by civil society;
  2. Publish data on the fight against forest, wildlife and environmental crime;
  3. Support legal proceedings;
  4. Review data from Forest and Environmental Administration as well as other services;
  5. Seek funding for some planned activities;
  6. Seek partnerships at national and international levels.

Platform operations

  1. Operations of this platform will be managed by a coordination team which has a mandate of 2 years renewable.
  2. Ordinary meetings will be held once every 2 months. However, others may be held in case of an emergency.
  3. The meeting venue will be determined by the CIEDD in agreement with Water-Forest-Interpol Focal Point.
  4. The operating budget is acquired but the supplements will be sought.
  5. Materials will be that of the CIEDD, the Ministry of Water, Forest, Hunting and Fisheries as well as other entities.

Trainings

  • Of the 30 members of the consultation platform;
  • Of the 20 staff of the Mobile Control Brigade (BMC) of Water and Forest;
  • Of brigades staff and checkpoints in DR7;
  • Of Regional Directors and Sub-divisional Inspectors;
  • Specific training of focal points

 

Executing the mission

Missions within the country

Missions within the country will be in forest areas. There are planned joint missions. Initially, 8 Mandated Independent Monitoring (MIM) missions were planned. However, mandate of the Government tends to expire, thus requiring renewal. The consequence of this is a 2 months waiting period; if a mission is triggered by INTERPOL, such a waiting period will not arise.
The missions will be done in close collaboration with the CIEDD / CIDT and BMC on the funding of this Structure of which:

  • The report of the Focal Point will be channeled to the Minister of Water, Forest, Hunting and Fishing as well as that of Environment and Sustainable Development;
  • Summary reports of the Focal Point and the CIEDD / CIDT will be made by the consultation platform and actions to be undertaken in accordance with the adopted terms of reference.

Missions outside the country

Missions will always be in close collaboration with the CIEDD / CIDT, which represents the civil society on one hand and the financial partner on the other hand.
The process of seeking funding for a mission will be followed by these two institutions as soon as INTERPOL convenes a meeting in the sub-region.

The issue of acquisition of materials

Rolling stock, computers and other equipments will be subject to a search for funding from the Technical and Financial Partners through INTERPOL and national projects not included in its budget.

Risks

  • The main risk is that of the insecurity situation in the country.
  • Concerning the training of BMC staff, objectives may not be achieved in teams with high staff turnover, and both teams will have to be replaced in case of poor results.

The importance of Interpol

The contribution of INTERPOL has an advantage to the Ministry in particular, and the country as a whole, by supporting the Government’s capacity building in the fight against forest, wildlife and environmental crimes.

For the Water-Forest -INTERPOL Focal Point, not all activities will be funded by the CV4C project. However, advocacy will be made for complementary funding at INTERPOL level.

The consultation platform will be a very indispensable tool to support the Ministry in the fight against this phenomenon.