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Forest Law and Governance: NGO Statements

No support still for the FLEGT-VPA between Malaysia and the EU

A statement by Jaringan Orang Asal dan NGO Tentang Isu-Isu Hutan (JOANGOHutan), Jaringan Orang Asal Se-Malaysia (JOAS) and the Sarawak Indigenous Lawyers’ Association (SILA).

Since the withdrawal of JOANGOHutan and JOAS from the multi-stakeholder consultation process of the Forest Law Enforcement Governance and Trade – Voluntary Partnership Agreement (FLEGT-VPA) between the European Union and Malaysia in March 2008, it has been apparent that no significant changes have been introduced to the structure and content of the process. This statement warns that until such a time that the Government of Malaysia is willing to review the structure of the consultation process and is prepared to reconsider some of its flawed positions on a series of legal and governance matters, the outcome of its FLEGT-VPA process with the European Union is unlikely to be in line with the aims and aspirations of the FLEGT EU Action Plan. The organisations are clear that they are unable  to give their support to the Malaysia-EU VPA process if it is to remain in its current state.

Letter to Director General Karl Falkenberg re implementation of the EU FLEGT Action Plan

To see that the European Commission keeps up the high standard of consultation, 16 European NGOs have asked DG Environment of the European Commission to ensure that ongoing negotiation processes will be as inclusive as those already completed. Concerns focus specifically on Malaysia, where to date no inclusive consultation process has yet started, although negotiations for a VPA are ongoing. 

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Letter to Falkenberg.final_.pdf392.1 KB

Joint NGO letter re: prerequisites for improved forest governance

A letter to the UK treasury, the Department for International Development, the Department for Food, Environment and Rural Affairs and, the Department for Energy and Climate Change. It outlines NGOs support for the EU FLEGT Programme, including the EU illegal timber regulation, which will become operational next year, and the focus on governance through ‘Voluntary Partnership Agreements’.  

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Letter to DFID.pdf118.27 KB

Briefing on wood related criteria for the EU Ecolabel and green public procurement

Briefing by the European Environmental Bureau, FERN and Greenpeace, looking at wood related criteria for the EU ecolabel and Green Public Procurement.

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OPEN110 KB

Civil Society Condemns Massacre of Indigenous People in Peru

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ABRIR39.61 KB

FERN and Rainforest Foundation UK submission to UNFCCC

Submission by FERN and Rainforest Foundation UK to the UNFCCC SBSTA on indigenous peoples rights and climate. The submission spells out that recognition of forest peoples' rights is pre-condition for a succesful forest - climate agreement

Letter to Commission re Malaysia VPA

Letter from FERN to the European Commission spelling out  problems with the existing VPA process in Malaysia. The letter also specifies what needs to be changed for the VPA process to have a real impact on the ground.

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OPEN171.7 KB

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Most recent publications

GabonMaTerreMonDroit, an initiative to support local communities

GabonMaTerreMonDroit is a group of 20 Gabonese NGOs facilitating community action towards improved tenure security in Gabon. This network advocates for improved recognition of community rights and has been raising awareness of local communities on land tenure issues in four regions: Kango, Mouila, Minvoul and Libreville. This slideshow and accompanying song summarizes the ongoing dynamics of this network from July 2012 until April 2013. For more information, see www.gabonmaterre.org

FLEGT VPA Update May 2013

Every six months, FERN produces an update looking at the present situation with regards the EU's Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) Action Plan, with a specific focus on Voluntary Partnership Agreements (VPAs). This May 2013 example looks at VPAs in Africa, Asia and South and Central America.

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VPA Update May 2013.pdf163.94 KB

ForestWatch Issue 182 April 2013

  • Moving extractive industries closer to transparency
  • Shadow forces ranged against VPAs
  • 7EAP: Council’s opportunity to be effective
  • CITES creates loopholes in the EU Timber Regulation
  • Complaint of human rights violations in DRC
  • Airport challenged due to poor biodiversity offsetting
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FW 182 May 2013.pdf359.58 KB
VPA Update May 2013.pdf163.94 KB

Multinational Corporations and their Impact on Rural Community Rights to Land and Natural Resources

This report from Robert Lawrence Nyahn of Save my Future Foundation Liberia finds that if the motivation for issuing concessions for multinational corporations is to lift ordinary Liberian citizens out of poverty, then it has become evident that the

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FINALREPORT_Liberia_2.pdf662.36 KB

Forest Watch Update on REDD+ in the Congo Basin

Following on from FERN's Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA) updates. This is the first of FERN's six monthly updates on Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD+) for five countries in the Congo Basin: the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Republic of Congo, the Central African Republic, Cameroon and Gabon. It shows that although REDD+ processes are ongoing in four of the five countries, they are not inclusive, and are led in a top-down manner.

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REDD update.pdf206.49 KB

Improving forest governance: A comparison of FLEGT VPAs and their impact

Ten years since the EU Forest Law Enforcement Governance and Trade Action Plan was launched, and one month before the introduction of the EU Timber Regulation which makes it a criminal offence to put illegally sourced timber on the EU market, new research by FERN has shown strong

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VPAComparison_internet.pdf973.6 KB

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