A delegation of the forest governance organization, "African Model Forest Network" headed by its board chairperson, Angeline Ndo, yesterday, May 6, proposed its partnership with Cameroon to enable government effectively carry out its forestry policy. Prime Minister, Head of Government, Philemon Yang at the Star Building, had discussions with network's delegation members.
Talking to reporters after the discussions, Angeline Ndo said the initiative started in Canada in the 1990s and came to Cameroon in 2003. "We are here as partners to help the government implement its policy in the forest sector," she said. This is in line with the objective of the African Model Forest Network which developed the initiative of model forest, Angeline Ndo said. "Model forestry is an initiative where we build partnerships between all stakeholders of the forest environment," she explained, stating that, decisions taken in that initiative are bottom up including people at the local level such as rural women and indigenous peoples (pygmies).
The network, its board chairperson said, has two model forests in Cameroon; the Campo Ma'an in the South and Dja and Fimo in the East Regions.
The African Model Forest Network from March 12 to 15, 2013 at the Yaounde Conference Centre organized a model forest conference. Cameroon, the official said, was mandated to be the ambassador of the initiative in the Central African sub-region. The network's leaders therefore used their audience with the Prime Minister to thank the Cameroon government for hosting the conference. The chairperson said they equally updated Prime Minister Yang on their activities. The Prime Minister, Angeline Ndo disclosed, promised government's support to their initiative.
