VPA

There were almost 25 participants at the three day workshop organized by Well Grounded in Yaoundé: associations of small- and medium-sized businesses, civil society organisations and community forest groups met and exchanged about their experiences of the Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA). In 2010, Cameroon signed a Voluntary Partnership Agreement with the European Union to develop legal wood trade and improve forest governance. Large exporting companies quickly benefited from the opportunities offered by the VPA. Civil society has played an important role in the negotiation and implementation of this agreement, advocating for the common good, particularly that of indigenous and neighbouring communities. [...]