Ghana is on observe to difficulty its first Forest Legislation Enforcement, Governance and Commerce (FLEGT) License by June 30, 2025 to affirm that its forest merchandise are from authorized sources.
This milestone will make Ghana the primary nation in Africa and the second on the earth to attain this feat, the Minister of Lands and Forestry, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah has disclosed.
The Minister made this announcement throughout a courtesy name on him on Thursday by the European Union Ambassador to Ghana, Mr Irchad Razaaly.
The assembly supplied a chance to replicate on the enduring bilateral cooperation between Ghana and the EU and discover additional collaboration areas.
Relating to the implementation of the Voluntary Partnership Settlement (VPA), a legally binding commerce settlement between the EU and timber producing nations, ratified by Parliament in 2009, the Minister famous that Ghana had made substantial progress in strengthening forest governance programs.
“All is about for the issuance of Ghana’s first FLEGT License. The one excellent process is the ratification of a second batch of Timber Utilisation Contracts (TUCs), which we count on Parliament to deal with after the Easter break,” he acknowledged.
Trying forward, the Minister emphasised key areas for strengthened cooperation, together with investments in logistics, capability constructing, and know-how to help the deployment of the Wooden Monitoring System (WTS) and the Ghana Legality Assurance System (GhLAS).
He additionally urged the EU for help in creating large-scale business plantations and the Tree for Life Reforestation Initiative.
Moreover, the Minister emphasised different areas that require help, similar to logistical assist within the ongoing battle in opposition to unlawful mining, land reclamation, restoration of polluted water our bodies, and technical support to modernise the timber business.
He additionally highlighted the necessity for local weather financing to advertise sustainable forest administration.
The Minister reaffirmed Ghana’s dedication to strengthening its longstanding partnership with the European Union (EU), significantly in sustainable forest governance.
Mr Buah acknowledged the Union’s vital position in Ghana’s exterior commerce, describing the EU as one among Ghana’s most important buying and selling companions, which accounted for about 14 per cent of commerce volumes in 2022.
The minister expressed gratitude to the EU for its continued assist to Ghana’s pure assets and environmental sector and seemed ahead to a stronger and extra fruitful partnership within the years forward.
The EU printed the FLEGT in 2003 with wide-range measures for member states to deal with unlawful logging on the earth’s forest, and to make sure that no unlawful timber or timber merchandise could be bought within the EU.
Unlawful logging includes harvesting, processing, transporting, shopping for or promoting timber in breach of nationwide and worldwide legal guidelines.
