Box 9. Free, Prior and Informed Consent: Forestry Management in the Congo Basin A feasibility study was prepared by two Swiss CSOs to assist governments, the forestry industry and affected populations to address the principle of free, prior and informed consent (FPIC) when working in regions of indigenous peoples’ territories. The report investigated strategies for integrating FPIC into the legal, commercial and social context of forestry management. Experiences from industry practice suggested that the best way to achieve sustainable forest use was to negotiate fair and committed agreements by consent with affected indigenous peoples across the Congo Basin. This ensured, both for communities and for industry, that forestry programmes were stable, beneficial, and accountable to all stakeholders. Several challenges were found that needed to be addressed if adherence to FPIC was to be achieved. The report offers practical steps for overcoming these challenges, including recommendations on:  ways to integrate FPIC into national forestry laws;  managing differing understandings of ‘consent’ across stakeholders;  ensuring transparency in decision-making on forestry development;  devising forestry management partnerships with indigenous peoples;  how to map usage zones for key economic and cultural resources;  improving access to information on forestry management, including for the most marginalised within indigenous communities;  building institutional capacity for integrating FPIC into forestry programmes. Source: Lewis, et al, Free, Prior and Informed Consent and Sustainable Forest Management in the Congo Basin (2008); see also http://www.tropicalforests.ch/. Box 10. Global Environment Facility (GEF) Small Grants Programme: Involving Indigenous Peoples women in sustainable development community-based initiatives. In Cameroon, the UNDP GEF programme has supported capacity building for indigenous minority communities and given particular attention to the participation of indigenous women. Since 2007, a series of community-based projects for the conservation of native crops, medicinal plants, Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFPs) and other biodiversity-based products are being supported for three highly marginalised groups, the Mbororo, the Bakola and the Bagyeli indigenous peoples. The Mbororo community project seeks the valorization of traditional knowledge through an inventory of traditional knowledge and practices for the conservation of herbs and plants used in animal healthcare (CMR/SGP/OP4/RAF/07/03). It promotes the complementary use of indigenous and conventional veterinary medicine for sustainable livestock production, basic animal health care with the Mbororo community, and promotes the conservation of medicinal plant resources. Chapter 4: Minorities in Development 67