Local Communities Face Challenges in Drafting and Implementing Companies’ Community Development Agreements
In an attempt to offset the negative effects of these projects and to achieve “benefit sharing”, and thus peaceful cohabitation between the companies and the communities, it is necessary for private sector actors to invest in local socio-economic development. Yet, when companies reach agreements with communities, the companies do not always respect them. The best way to make these agreements binding, while ensuring that the company is accountable to the communities, is to document them in what is known as “Community Development Agreements”. However, communities face many challenges associated with the drafting and implementation of these Community Development Agreements. These challenges include participating in the drafting process, accessing the document, and monitoring its implementation.