THE Government of Guyana and the European Union (EU) held its fourth negotiation session on the EU’s Forest Law and Enforcement Governance and Trade Action Plan Voluntary Partnership Agreement (FLEGT-VPA) earlier this month. At a preparatory meeting held ahead of the March 10 FLEGT-VPA, between the Ministry of Natural Resources and the National Technical Working Group (NTWG), Minister of Natural Resources, Mr. Raphael Trotman reiterated Government’s commitment to the process, and its confidence in the capability of the team to reach an agreement in the best interest of the country by the close of 2016. The fourth FLEGT-VPA was held in Georgetown, Guyana.
The VPA is a key element of the FLEGT Action Plan, and a VPA with the EU would facilitate increased market access for Guyana’s timber into the lucrative EU market. Guyana formally entered into the negotiation process with the EU for a VPA, in December 2012. The FLEGT-VPA process provides an opportunity for Guyana to further strengthen and mainstream its consultation and engagement process to enhance forest governance, improve legal compliance and build in-country capacity for community engagement in forest-policy development and implementation.
At this session, Guyana provided an update on the progress of the development of the VPA, highlighting key concepts and strategic considerations in the further development of the Agreement. The parties stressed that the VPA represented a general commitment to communication, transparency, and consultation, and emphasised that these are key pillars of a robust agreement.
The two parties recognised that the VPA is framed by the existing legislation governing different aspects of timber legality, including forest use. While the focus of the VPA remains on forest operations-related legislation, Guyana and the EU acknowledged that this agreement represents an opportunity for the promotion of broader governance issues, including those related to land titling and land use. Both parties expressed satisfaction on growing integration and linkages of REDD+ and FLEGT in Guyana and also encouraged the promotion of synergies with the broader forest policies and other major initiatives in the forestry sector, such as the EITI (Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative) so that they are mutually supportive. Consideration of the linkages between private certification and the VPA were also welcomed. (GINA)