By Annie Babelle Odounlami 

Young Volunteers for Environment, best known as JVE Cameroon amongst other Civil Society Organisations, CSOs, have began a nationwide sensitisation of communities and local authorities on how to obtain justice regarding any negative impacts that may have arise during the implementation of projects financed by the Green Climate Fund, GCF.

The information was recently revealed  during an advocacy campaign organised by Young Volunteers for Environment, JVE Cameroon, as part of the activities of the CSOs with respect to the Independent Redress Mechanisms, IRM, of the Green Climate Fund.

The campaign aims at schooling community leaders, local officials, people living near the implemented projects on how the IRM works, how to complain and obtain justice in the event of any negative impacts that may arise. This, according to the Executive Director of JVE Cameroon, Blondel Silenou, shall be done via community dialogues, awareness raising campaigns.
JVE Cameroon Executive Director explaining the Redress mechanisms process to victims in Lagdo 

“This activity falls within the framework of the Request for Quotation (RFQ) N°2023/006-A issued by the IRM of the GCF, by which it mandated JVE Cameroon to carry out an awareness, communication and information campaign on the missions and values of the MRI in the localities impacted by the projects financed by the GCF, with a view to reinforcing its appropriation at local level,” he stated.

Created in 2010, the GCF is the world’s largest fund dedicated to the fight against climate change, and a helping hand to developing countries engaged in combating climate change by providing financial resources to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and enable them adapt to the consequences of climate change.

To date, the GCF funds over 200 projects and/or programmes in developing countries with a 100 of them in Africa and seven in Cameroon respectively. However, in the course of their implementation, these projects cause adverse effects and unforeseen damages, adversely affecting the targeted communities and neighboring populations.

Reason why, “the GCF created the Independent Recourse Mechanism (IRM) to offer potential victims avenues of recourse to obtain justice and reparations,” Blondel Silenou explained amidst the fact that, most victims are not informed of the existence of this mechanism, which would enable them complain or seek legal redress for the damage they have suffered.

That is why, JVE Cameroon, being one of the three CSOs selected to carry out this campaign, organised, last month a series of community dialogues in the localities concerned with the FP092 project. It therefore comprised of meetings, interviews with local authorities, awareness raising campaigns.

Also, there were training workshops, community visits, online campaigns, webinars as well as various communications on the IRM in local media outlets. It should be noted that, these campaigns were done in the local languages of the victims so as to ease their understanding, said Hervé Makebel, JVE Cameroon and IRM Consultant.
Hervé Makebel, schooling the people on the importance of IRM

He maintained that, “any person, group or community who believes they have been adversely affected by a project or program financed by the Green Climate Fund may lodge a complaint.” But, “the complaint must relate to a project or programme financed by the Fund, or to a project currently under consideration,” reiterated Hervé Makebel.

According to him, the seven programmes implemented in Cameroon and funded by the GCF consist of the FP092 project which is the programme for integrated development and adaptation to climate change in the Niger Basin (PIDACC / NB), which is currently being implemented in the Northern part of the country, and more specifically in the Layo Oulo, Guider of the Mayo Louti Division.

Going by his words, this same project is equally implemented in “the Faro Division (municipality of Béka and Poli); the Division of Bénoué (municipality of Pitoa, Lagdo, Bardnaké, Baschéo, Gaschiga, Ngong, Bibémi, Garoua 1,2,3) and the Division of Mayo Rey (municipality of Rey Bouba).”

It is worth highlighting that, the IRM’s main missions is to resolve complaints lodged by people who consider themselves adversely affected by projects or programmes financed by the Green Climate Fund, and to help the Fund comply with and be accountable to its policies and procedures.