Ebolowa, Cameroon, 16 - 21 September 2024 – Cameroon has taken another significant step towards revising its environmental legislation through a national workshop to revise the country's Framework Environmental Law (Law No. 96/12 of 5 August 1996). The workshop, jointly organized by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), formed part of a broader national consultation process aimed at strengthening the country's environmental governance framework.

The workshop in Ebolowa was one of three stakeholder and expert consultation workshops held in Ebolowa and Mbankomo to support the revision of the 1996 Framework Environmental Law. The consultations brought together representatives from the Government of Cameroon, UNEP, UNODC, local authorities, civil society organizations, the private sector, environmental experts and other resource persons to ensure that the revision process reflected a broad range of perspectives and technical expertise.

Cameroon's Framework Environmental Law has served as the cornerstone of the country's environmental governance for nearly three decades. Since its adoption, new environmental challenges, evolving international environmental obligations and advances in environmental law have underscored the need to update the legislation to better respond to contemporary environmental priorities.

The consultation workshops were designed to promote an inclusive and participatory legislative reform process. Participants reviewed the findings of a comprehensive gap analysis of the existing law and examined proposed amendments aimed at strengthening environmental management and governance. The discussions also sought to build consensus on the rationale and scope of the revision process while providing an opportunity for participants to contribute technical comments and recommendations to improve the draft amendments.

Throughout the consultations, participants exchanged views on how the revised framework law could strengthen environmental protection, improve implementation and enforcement, enhance institutional coordination and support sustainable development. The process also highlighted the importance of ensuring that the revised legislation reflects current international good practices and provides a robust legal foundation for addressing emerging environmental challenges.

The consultations resulted in the preparation of a consolidated revised draft Framework Environmental Law relating to environmental management in Cameroon. By engaging government institutions, local authorities, civil society, the private sector and technical experts, the consultation process helped build ownership of the proposed reforms and laid the foundation for a revised environmental legal framework to support sustainable development and effective environmental governance.

The initiative also reflects UNEP's work under the Fifth Montevideo Programme for the Development and Periodic Review of Environmental Law (Montevideo Environmental Law Programme), which supports countries in strengthening environmental legislation and advancing the environmental rule of law through technical assistance, capacity-building and multi-stakeholder dialogue.