FOREST WATCH GHANA

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FOREST WATCH GHANA

• PERSPECTIVES
• ON
• EUFLEGT PROCESS

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Whats happening? Pamu Berekum Reserve Story
(satellite imagery)

• 1990

2000
Non Forest Cover
Forest Cover
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Whats happening? the Pamu Berekum Reserve
Story (statistics)

• Reserved 1932
• Area 189.10 Sq Km
• forest loss 1932 - 1990 48
• forest loss 1991 - 2000 99
• 48 forest loss in 58 yrs compared to 99 loss in
  10 yrs

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Who we are

• 20 national organisations leading in
• Rural livelihoods support
• Forestry research
• Environmental activism
• Socio-economic rights
• Socio-cultural rights
• Media information rights
• Public interest law
• Links to 100s of CBOs in forest fringe communities

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What we believe

• Structural crisis of deforestation, rural poverty
  and low contribution of forestry to development.
  
• State-sponsored destruction of resources and
  livelihoods without compensating investment in
  national development.
• Situation is now volatile and potentially violent

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What we do

• Campaign for
• Fair access to forest resources
• Fair distribution of forest rents
• Improved (participatory) sector governance
• Better CSO networking to give voice to
  marginalised forestry stakeholders

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FLEGT EXPECTATIONS

• Current attitude to FLEGT / VPA is hopeful but
  cautious based on experience of previous top-down
  reform initiatives.
• Ghana CSOs will support programme if it meets
  basic standards of
• Participation
• Scoping
• Mutuality.

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Participation

• Exclusion is at heart of Ghanas forestry problem
  and author of exclusion is EUs negotiating
  partner - GoG.
• We demand full open participation for all
  stakeholders in all FLEGT / VPA processes no
  lip service, no window dressing.
• Concerned about quality of current consultation

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Scope

• FLEGT and especially VPAs must
• transcend technical problems of Timber Industry
  regulation and address political economy of
  forestry.
• address resource sustainability Governance
  issues
• Once policy targets agreed CS will accept a
  phased approach

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Mutuality

• EU must pass enforce tough universally
  applicable laws and use diplomatic resources to
  support forest-in-development agenda.
• Producer countries must re-negotiate their forest
  governance and laws and put in place effective
  tracking verification systems.
• Mutual commitments expressed in VPAs

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