Intercooperation and RRI" with the support of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation" convened this workshop to address the underlying factors causing the slow transfer of forest resource management to communities in the Sahel. The primary objective of this francophone workshop was to contribute to the national debates on decentralization and the recognition of community forestry resource rights in Mali" Burkina Faso and Niger. A key theme of the debate was the human rights based-approach" which asserts that community rights are human rights and should therefore be at the foundation of policy and programs.

Participants focused the discussion on how to use research results to inform policy makers" community leaders" and governments about the importance of pro-poor tenure reform and forest policy processes. Case studies on community forest ownership by RRI partners Intercooperation (Mali and Niger)" CIFOR (Burkina Faso) and IUCN (Mali) were core inputs to the workshop. 

During the workshops" an action plan was drafted for each country" with priorities and recommendations for a participatory and effective transfer of power in land and forest resources management. Participants also formulated broader recommendations for the Sahel sub-region" under three categories: Local Conventions" gender equity" and transfer of power.

See the summary in English below for further information. More information is avaible en français" including proceedings" outcomes and case studies.

• Workshop Report