Open Knowledge (FSC OK)

This memo summarises the main activities I undertook during a visit on behalf of the Forest Peoples Programme (FPP) to Congolaise Industrielle des Bois (CIB) logging concessions in northern Republic of Congo, from November 18 � December 2, 2005. The purpose of my visit was to assess progress against the Criteria set out under FSC Principles 2 & 3 protecting the rights of indigenous communities in logging concessions. The mission was a follow-up to FPP�s previous visit to the region in December 2004 as part of a Greenpeace-sponsored visit to examine CIB�s efforts to improve its operations in line with FSC Principles 1-10. The report of that visit contained recommendations to CIB to improve its operations in line with FSC Principles 2 & 3, including establishment of a new social project coupled with a community based mapping process, both specifically targeting indigenous communities, and which CIB directors subsequently agreed to implement. My visit to assess progress was enabled by support from FPP, the World Bank Marketplace Fund8, and CIB in the context of a partnership developed with the Tropical Forest Trust (TFT), and the London School of Economics (LSE). This memo contains a summary of activities, followed by a review of CIB�s progress in meeting the FSC Criteria under Principles 2 & 3, including recommendations for further improvements. During the visit, I reviewed CIB documents and consulted with a wide range of stakeholders, including indigenous communities from Kabo and Toukoulaka concessions, where CIB field activities under the new social and mapping programme are most advanced. I also consulted staff from government, CIB, and the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), who also participate in the PROGEPP partnership. My field visits comprised excursions with indigenous communities and CIB cartographers through AAC parcelles for 2005 and 2006, coupled with community interviews to assess their comprehension of and participation in the new processes that CIB has initiated since last year, and visits to most of the ecoguard posts. Wherever possible, feedback discussions with stakeholders were undertaken at the end of visits. Current plans by CIB are to aim for a certificate for Kabo concession first, followed by a progression through the other concessions as work with communities is completed, so I gave special attention to their work there. During my visit, community representatives field tested prototype GPS units based upon pictorial menus which are being developed to help the mostly illiterate semi-nomad community living in CIB logging concessions to map their own forest use.