Programme FAO-UE FLEGT

Sharing lessons on FLEGT Voluntary Partnership Agreements in Guyana

28/09/2016

Georgetown, Guyana - Experts from across the world are meeting in Georgetown, Guyana, today to exchange lessons learned on the Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA) process under the European Union (EU) Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) Action Plan to combat illegal logging.
 
Guyana has one of the largest unspoiled forests left in South America, covering approximately 75% of its land area, and the country entered into VPA negotiations with the EU in March 2012 to reinforce its efforts to address illegal logging and related deforestation.
 
This week’s two-day seminar will examine the challenges and opportunities of transitioning from VPA negotiations to implementation, with countries including Indonesia and Liberia that have completed negotiations and begun to implement measures required to issue FLEGT-licensed timber sharing their experiences.
 
Participants will also be discussing experiences of timber legality assurance systems, the international timber market, and the role of civil society, including indigenous peoples, in the VPA process.
 
The event is organized by Guyana’s National Technical Working Group for the VPA, in cooperation with the Guyana Forestry Commission, Iwokrama, the Amerindian People’s Association, the Forest Products Marketing and Development Council, the European Forest Institute, the FAO FLEGT Programme and the FLEGT Facilitation Support Office.
 
FAO's FLEGT Programme has enabled the participation of government officials, civil society and private sector representatives from countries in the region, including Honduras which is also at the negotiation stage of the VPA  process, to share experiences in Guyana.
 
More information: http://www.forestry.gov.gy/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Guyana-Seminar-Announcementv1.pdf

Image: Flickr Creative Commons/Dallas Reeves