The 2010 meeting of the Africa Community Rights Network (ACRN) will take stock of what has been achieved institutionally" nationally and regionally" and strategise to meet challenges to forest governance reform in Africa. 

Using principally Liberia as a case study it will assess the relevance of ongoing international negotiations such as FCPF and VPA" and related trends" such as large-scale land grabs for monoculture plantations on forests and forest communities.

The expected outcomes of the meeting for the African community rights movement include:

a. Stronger awareness and understanding of the political economy of natural resources and community rights in Africa including questions of gender;

b. Greater commitment to the regionalised struggle for community rights in Africa" and better coordination and solidarity amongst the leaders of participating networks and with northern collaborators and like-minded actors globally; and

c. Improved strategy and tactics especially in relation to trade (FLEGT / VPA)" forest carbon (REDD+) and plantation development programmes in Africa;

d. Linking the ACRN network with the global World Rainforest Movement

ACRN is a network of national coalitions and organizations promoting community rights over forests and landed resources.  It was established in 2008 at a meeting in Brussels by representatives of networks that had for 4 years prior to that collaborated around the EU FLEGT / VPA initiative.   

Related Documents

Africa Community Rights Network Statement

Conference Report: Africa Community Rights Network (ACRN) & World Rainforest Movement (WRM) International Conference on Community Rights & Natural Resources
Sustainable Development Institute