Author: AEFJN

     First field survey of the secretariat : May 2014 In May 2014, the secretariat went for a first time to the villages of Koudiadiène et Thiafathie. A member of the network had notified the secretariat about mining activity in the region and its impacts on the local population and the environment.  During the visit, the secretariat inquired about the situation on the ground, visited several locations in the area and consulted members of the community, men, women, youth and leaders of the rural committee of the time. The secretariat considered that more investigation was needed on this case....

Illegal timber exploitation After the Amazon, the Congo Basin is the second largest tropical mass on our planet. Covering six African states, its intensive exploitation has become a source of revenue but also a source of conflict. Four African wood-producing countries have committed themselves through the Voluntary Partnership Agreements (VPAs) to ensure the traceability of timber exported to the European Union. These bilateral trade agreements are part of a wider European commitment known as Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT), which aims to improve forest governance and combat illegal logging. This fight against the illegal exploitation of forests...