By definition, reforms in the forestry sector involve a broad range of actors, including governments, civil society, private sector, local communities and indigenous people. In promoting sustainable forest management in Congo basin countries, the World Bank has been building a broad coalition of partners, including civil society, to nurture and sustain the momentum of forest-related reforms, strengthen national institutions, and protect the rights of local communities and forest-dependent people.
For example, all World Bank-supported work in DRC involves close collaboration and consultation with many Governments ( Belgium, France, Germany, Congo Basin countries, Luxembourg, Netherlands, United Kingdom, and the United States), multilateral donor agencies (European Commission), and international organizations such as FAO.
As an example of engaging with and benefiting from civil society expertise, the World Resources Institute is participating as an international observer in the Bank-sponsored review of logging concessions. Global Witness, an international NGO, is carrying out a scoping mission with the DRC Forest Department as a third-party monitor to help detect and deter illegal logging.
In February 2007, the World Bank unveiled a major paper “Forests in Post-Conflict Democratic Republic of Congo: Analysis of a Priority Agenda,” that was jointly published with 14 NGOs and think tanks [English, French].
A non-exhaustive list of NGO partners includes Africa Wildlife Foundation, CNONGD, CIRAD, Conservation International, Center for International Forestry Research, Groupe de Travail Foret, Global Witness, Lynapco (Pygmy organization) REPEC, Rainforest Foundation, SNV, Wildlife Conservation Society, WWF, World Resources Institute, and Woods Hole Research Center among others.
The Bank recognizes that mobilizing parliamentarians, NGOs, local communities, forest-dependent people including Pygmies, and mass media is essential to break the legacy of past misappropriation and mismanagement of forest resources, and protect the rights of indigenous people in Congo basin countries.
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