The Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC) hosted its first meeting with local stakeholders on Wednesday as it moves to establish a Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA) within the European Union (EU) aimed at realising stricter forestry practices that will see the exclusion of illegal timber from the market.
The consultations will also include informing the local interest groups about the European Union Forestry Law Enforcement Governance and Trade (EU FLEGT) programme and the soon to be implemented National Log Export Policy 2012-2014, a Government Information Agency (GINA) press release said. Eight sessions have been planned.
In his address to the gathering at the GFC Multi-Complex Hall in Kingston, Minister of Natural Resources and the Environment Robert Persaud said the move is part of the ministry’s proactive approach, ensuring a scenario whereby the views of all are considered.
“It is the manner in which we do businesses within the Natural Resources sector…we work, we engage and we develop that type of buy-in with all stakeholders,” he said, adding that wide consultations foster a win-win scenario, which allows the ministry to continue to advance its sustainable development programmes while ensuring that everyone who depends on the sector benefits.
Persaud also said that government’s move to join the EU FLEGT will enhance significantly transparency in the forestry sector. The meeting heard that the partnership will allow the sector to be open to various tests and periodic reviews by the EU as the EU FLEGT programme sets out a number of measures that partnership countries must adopt to achieve its goal of excluding illegal timber from the market.
According to Persaud, under a number of national initiatives and through partnerships with other external groups, government has already started conducting independent forestry monitoring exercises allowing for full transparency in 55 areas.
The minister noted that the administration has employed a regulation system that it reviews frequently, and upgrades its legislation framework and forestry plan that has allowed it to maintain national and international targets of low deforestation and reduction in forest degradation without this impacting negatively on the interest shown by stakeholders in the sector.
EU Ambassador to Guyana Robert Kopecky drew attention to the fact that if the stakeholders properly manage their activities, it will result in them being able to use the resources for generations.
GINA noted that Food Agriculture Organisation representative Dr Lystra Fletcher-Paul also attended the first session.
