UNEP will be the GEF Implementing Agency of the project, UNEP GRASP Lifeweb initiatives will support the baseline activities through direct investment on critical wildlife species conservation and capacity building of key stakeholders in PA management.

Ministry of Environment, Nature Protection and Sustainable Development (MINEPDED) : Is the national Executing Agency of the project and will be in charge of national institutional coordination Fauna & Flora International: Has been involved since 2004 in the protection of Cross River gorilla in SW Cameroon and recently commissioned some ecological and socio-economics studies conducted by the University of Dschang and a local NGO (ERUDEF) to inform the development of the proposed landscape level project. FFI will technically backstop execution of component 1 & 2 and will provide financial support in the areas of flagship species conservation and protected area development and management, ecosystem valuation, high conservation value assessment and monitoring, payment for environmental services, REDD and REDD+, local interpretation of principles and criteria of RSPO especially with the imminent development of large scale palm oil plantation in the area.

University of Dschang will be the local executing partner of the project in Bakossi Banyang Mbo. The University carried-out a baseline ecological and socio-economic study of the Bakossi Banyang Mbo landscape sponsored by FFI. It will be supporting ecological and socio-economic data collection and analysis, protected areas development, zoning and mapping. Environment and Rural Development Foundation (ERUDEF): will play an important role in the implementation of conservation activities on the ground. In addition to its growing expertise on ape conservation, ERUDEF is currently involved in small scale oil palm development initiatives as a base for improved community livelihood especially in communal forest areas outside protected or high conservation value areas.

The South Western Cameroon regional and districts technical departments: These bodies will be the direct representative of the national technical departments and will be responsible of the on the ground supervision and monitoring. Whenever possible their expertise will be used to implement the project on the ground. They will be members of regional and district project coordinating bodies. During the PPG phase their specific role and responsibilities along with other stakeholders will be assess and decided through a participative process.

The Indigenous and local communities (ILC) both in South Western Cameroon: These groups will be at the center of the local dialogue both in terms of considering their expectations, responsibilities in the development and implementation of the Integrated Plans but also in terms of handling the issues of potential socioeconomic impacts the project may have on their livelihoods particularly as gazzettement is anticipated in the Southern area. The PPG phase will conduct an environment and social impacts assessment

Ministry of Planning and Landscape Management (MINEPAT): Will be responsible for the resources mobilization, land use planning and therefore will play an important role in the execution of Component 2 and 3 of the project.

Ministry of Forestry and Wildlife (MINFOF): Will be the key partner in the identification and conduct the necessary steps for the Inclusion in the protected areas system key ecosystems.

Ministry of Tourism (MINTOUR): Will be the key player in the identification and promotion of eco-tourism activities.

Ministry of Research High Level Education and Innovation (MINRESI): As the institutional body in charge of the research and academic institutions will facilitate their involvement and consideration of research thematic activities in the national academic and research agenda.

CHEDE Cooperative Union Ltd: a private sector institution which is the federation of local Agricultural cooperatives Societies and affiliated to some international private sectors e.g.: Racines SA Montpellier- French, CHEDE International. It will be one of the local executing partners of the project. It has done research and field work for the past several years. Chede is additionally working with the Cameroon government through MINEPAT to mobilize investments for economic activities designed to protect the peninsula’s ecosystem while also boosting the incomes of its inhabitants.

National Universities: Will support research activities and some targeted capacity building.

CTFC: In charge of communal forest, will be a key partner in the development of the Integrated Ecosystem Services targeting forests ecosystem.

WWF, IUCN and ICRAF: Will be the international organizations playing key technical roles as will be identified by national stakeholders during the PPG phase.

Global Water Partnership: Both regional (Africa) and national representations will be involved and collaboration particularly on water management issues will be developed in close collaboration and support of UNEP Fresh Water Unit.
All stakeholders indicated above will be consulted either for collaboration and synergies or for lessons learn from the past interventions, a comprehensive stakeholder’s involvement plan will be negotiated and will be provided in CEO endorsement.