PARLIAMENTARY EARLY DAY MOTION
BAKA PEOPLE (15 July 2012)

That this House respects the traditional hunter gatherer lifestyle of the Baka people in the rainforests of Cameroon and their extraordinary knowledge of these threatened forests; is concerned that this way of life is being threatened by logging, mining and plantation interests, the destructive influence of illicit alcohol, and the introduction of national parks that exclude the Baka from their ancestral forests; whilst applauding the establishment of these protected areas, believes that every opportunity should be given to the Baka to participate in and contribute their knowledge to the management of these vitally important forests; and calls on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Department for International Development to work with the government of Cameroon as a matter of priority to resolve these issues to ensure the long-term survival and integrity of the Baka culture.

Sponsored by:
Baroness Clark of Kilwinning (Labour)