Recent and ongoing projects
Preserving Cultural Heritage: Development of a Framework Plan for the Management of Cultural Heritage in Line with International Standards for the Assala Oil Fields in Gabon
Mission:
Assala Gabon, the country’s second-largest oil producer, commissioned Insuco to develop a Framework Plan for Cultural Heritage Management across its oil licences. In areas characterised by vulnerable communities and numerous sacred sites, Insuco supported Assala in establishing a participatory approach to managing the impacts associated with its operations.
The intervention aimed to reconcile national regulations, the requirements of IFC international standards and local traditional systems, in order to foster constructive dialogue among stakeholders and contribute to the long-term preservation of cultural heritage. The study involved the Insuco Gabon team and a Gabonese expert, supporting consultation with stakeholders, including administrative authorities and local management committees, and defining a management framework adapted to local realities.
Results:
The mission resulted in a cultural heritage management framework that reconciles IFC requirements, national regulations and local traditional systems.
- Comprehensive identification of sacred sites within Assala Gabon’s oil licences.
- Development of a Framework Plan for Cultural Heritage Management, including a roadmap for developing internal regulations and participatory work plans.
- Establishment of a participatory system for mitigating operational impacts, through a bespoke negotiation mechanism and local management committees.
- Strengthening of social and cultural impact management and consultation with administrative authorities and local communities.
These results helped strengthen Assala’s social licence to operate and support the long-term preservation of cultural heritage in neighbouring communities.
Extra Miles
Insuco drew on the diagnostic study carried out by SCESIA to develop an operational framework plan, without the need for additional fieldwork. To address the legal vacuum regarding access to forests, Insuco also designed a bespoke negotiation mechanism adapted to the local context and established local management committees involving the relevant stakeholders.