Forest governance in the Democratic Republic of Congo

This policy briefing examines the governance challenges facing the forestry sector in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) following a review of logging titles between 2006 and 2010. It highlights systemic issues including corruption, institutional incapacity, and a significant gap between legal policy and practical implementation, particularly regarding the involvement of local communities.

• The DRC forestry sector suffers from severe governance failures, including a culture of impunity, corrupt practices, and insufficient institutional capacity. The government's commitment to involving local communities is described as theoretical, and the sector's contribution to the national GDP is only 1%, significantly lower than the 5% average of other Central Africa Forestry Commission (COMIFAC) countries.
• A review of old logging titles conducted by an inter-ministerial commission between 2006 and 2009 resulted in the DRC having 80 logging concessions by the end of 2010, which cover less than 20% of the country's forested area.
• There is a critical failure in informing and educating local populations about forest laws. While the government contracted the Swiss company Société Générale de Surveillance (SGS) to monitor logging due to the inability of local inspectors, the document asserts that monitoring remains ineffective without the involvement of the local population.
• A June 2010 order requires logging companies to negotiate social contracts (cahiers des charges) with local communities to fight poverty. However, these negotiations are hindered by a lack of community bargaining capacity and an information asymmetry that allows urban, political, and commercial elites to dominate the process.
• Financial governance is plagued by conflicts over the distribution of forest taxes and royalties. Although the 2002 Forest Code mandates a 60/40 split between national and local administrations, this is not occurring. Additionally, a March 2004 tax reform intended to increase revenue and traceability has been resisted by officials who benefit from unofficial taxes.
• The document identifies three specific strategic threats: the 'Asian rush' (increased pressure from Asian operators acting as brokers or focusing on bio-energy/agriculture), the 'vengeance of the non-runners' (those with cancelled titles reverting to illegal artisanal exploitation), and the continued marginalization of local communities during the negotiation of social contracts.

APA

Kiyulu, J. (2011). Forest governance in the Democratic Republic of Congo. South African Institute of International Affairs. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/Policy-Briefing-33.pdf

Chicago

Kiyulu, Joël. Forest governance in the Democratic Republic of Congo. South African Institute of International Affairs, 2011. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/Policy-Briefing-33.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Kiyulu |first1=Joël |title=Forest governance in the Democratic Republic of Congo |publisher=South African Institute of International Affairs |date=July 2011 |url=https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/Policy-Briefing-33.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{kiyulu2011forest, author = {Kiyulu, Joël}, title = {{Forest governance in the Democratic Republic of Congo}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2011}, month = jul, url = {https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/Policy-Briefing-33.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }