Despite the nascent history of extractive activities in Cameroon, very few studies have examined social license to operate (SLO) from the perspective of the local communities. Indeed, SLO is an informal social contract that aims to bridge the gap among the views of the most important stakeholders involved in extractive activities. As such, the novelty of this paper lies in the fact that it discusses the current situation and the future prospects of granting an SLO, and seeks to assess whether SLO exists in the extractive industries (EI) of Cameroon - by considering the perceptions of the members of the local community and local officials in the areas around where the extractive activities are carried out. In this sense, a conceptual framework is developed to identify and assess the key factors involved in gaining and maintaining an SLO. By highlighting the factors that may affect the views of all involved stakeholders, focusing on the joint efforts that are required by the EI and the society, as well as on the main technological, social, political, and legal issues, which are relevant to the process. Since one of the characteristics of an SLO is that it should take place before, during, and after the completion or closure of the extractive operation. From this, it is believed that if trust is developed between the involved stakeholders, the SLO may prove an important tool in future extraction to safeguard the supply of raw materials, minimise the environmental footprint, and improve the quality of life in the affected regions. In this regard, an exploratory qualitative method is used to confirm the elements of the framework, and to establish whether SLO existed in practice in the Cameroonian context. This is to achieve the main aim of the paper, which is to establish the extent to which SLO exists in the EI of Cameroon - by assessing the various processes followed by the corporations in relation to the communities, as well as the different administrative levels within the government to gain an SLO. With the tendency to identify the key issues that require further research that could contribute to the ongoing policy discourse on the beneficial, effective, and efficient management of the extractive natural resources in the country.
Fountain, SLO, Trends, Implications, Extractive Industries, Cameroon
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