CAMEROON

Twenty-four ILC members, along with other stakeholders, have joined together to form Cameroon’s National Engagement Strategy (NES). NES are multi-stakeholder processes set in motion by the ILC to promote people-centred land governance in individual countries, by influencing the formulation and implementation of land policies and programmes. NES processes and their platforms are led by national actors, including both ILC and non-ILC members, and have links to regional and global processes of the ILC.

The creation of NES Cameroon was proposed by Mbororo Social and Cultural Development Association (MBOSCUDA) as they hosted the 2012 ILC Africa Regional Assembly. ILC welcomed the proposal and an autonomous secretariat was established in 2014, with MBOSCUDA as the host organization. In 2017, the Centre pour l’Environnement et le Developpement (CED) became the host for the platform.

WHAT IS THE OBJECTIVE?

The strategic objective of NES Cameroon is to contribute to the improvement of land governance and natural resources through the adoption and implementation of laws and practices that ensure equitable and sustainable management for the well-being of all.

WHAT ACTIONS DO WE TAKE?

In order to advance land reform in Cameroon, the NES will:

• Champion for the recognition of a dual customary property system (individual and collective);
• Develop fact sheets on laws, policies, and procedures used by administrators such as land title, land grant, expropriation and payment of compensations;
• Conduct pilot land mapping actions in vulnerable villages as concrete measures to secure community lands;
• Strengthen the powers of traditional authorities in the protection and good governance of customary properties.

OUR IMPACT

NES Cameroon has consistently advocated for reform of the country’s customary land management practices. Through the production of various knowledge products, 200 people have been educated on land management practices in Cameroon and the NES has successfully established eight inclusive customary land management dialogue frameworks.

Furthermore, following NES Cameroon’s outreach, two communities, Apouh and Koukoue, restructured their council of elders within the traditional chiefdoms to make them more equitable. These bodies that were previously exclusively reserved for men, now each include two youth and two women.