Multi stakeholder forums and Extractives in Africa

Public participation & environmentally and socially

responsible natural resource use

Background

• IUCN – A international union established in 1948 with a membership that includes Government and Non-Governmental organizations

• Provides neutral forum for governments, NGOs, scientists, business and local communities to find practical solutions to conservation and development challenges

• Implementing the Fair Coasts initiative in Cabo Delgado, Northern Mozambique – aimed at contributing towards enhancing transparency, accountability and governance of the Gas/LNG sector in Mozambique

Fair Coasts initiative

• Establishment of the Cabo Delgado Sustainable Development Forum (CDSDF) aimed at bringing together stakeholders based and active in the province from both public and private sectors as well as communities & civil society to:

Foster regular, structured, evidence-based, inclusive and solution driven multi-partite, dialogue in jointly identifying and addressing social, economic

and environmental challenges in the region of Cabo Delgao directly and indirectly affected by natural gas development

Mozambique development

Cabo Delgado Development

Broader social and economic development

Urban development and support

infrastructures

Supply chain

LNG and port development

Gas extraction

CDSDF – Engaging beyond immediate impacts

Multi Stakeholder Engagement – Why & When

From the onset - as a mechanism to enable participatory planning & joint decision

making During a crises – often in response to

conflict

Conflicts of interestComplex problems

Lack of trust

Tension

Crises resolutionInformation Sharing

Participatory development

Who engages?

LESSONS & REFLECTIONS

Significance of enabling multi-stakeholder dialogue?

• The “trickle-down” of benefits requires a receptacle or benefits have a tendency of flowing in multiple and often un-desired directions

• There is a strong relationship between communication and conflict – Communication & dialogue require multiple skills at multiple levels

• All too often the focus is on the direct impacts of the development – with limited attention to cumulative & longer term changes. This requires collaboration, systemic cooperation and the creation of meaningful spaces for engagement

Critical conditions • A Common vision - Taking the time to ensure that there is in fact a reason

for multi-stakeholder dialogue and a shared understanding of this reason

• Understanding and engaging with power and power dynamics – the seen & the unseen

• Facilitation & process – Enabling constructive dialogue amidst complexity, conflicting views, dynamism and chaos

• Beyond “talk” – Enabling concrete decision-making and timely action

THANK YOU