The Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA) negotiations on legal timber with the European Union (EU) gave Cameroon an opportunity to improve forest governance and create a model for multi-stakeholder consultation on important national policy decisions. Both the EU and the government of Cameroon were committed to conducting transparent and participatory negotiations.

Cameroon formed a multi-stakeholder technical commission to inform the development of their negotiating position. The EU and Cameroon tasked the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) with facilitating the participation of civil society and the private sector in the technical commission and the VPA negotiations in Brussels.