Ghana is making significant efforts to address illegal logging through improved forest sector governance and regulations.
The West African country could soon become first on the continent and second in the world to meet the European Union legal timber trade requirements.
This follows the successful conversion of existing 156 extent timber concessions and permits into Timber Utilization Contract (TUCs) by the Ghanaian government.
The approval follows many years of advocacy by Tropenbos Ghana and other forest sector civil society organizations for the implementation of the country’s commitment to the EU Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA).
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The newly converted TUCs are yet to be approved by the Ghanaian Parliament.
If successfully ratified by the Parliament and endorsed by the President, the new law will usher the country into a new regime of sustainable timber harvesting and trade especially within the VPA Forest Law Enforcement Governance and Trade (FLEGT).
Ghana signed the Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA) with the European Union in 2009.
The VPA seek to ensure that all timber and non-timber products exported to European market are from legal sources.
By signing the VPA, Ghana became bonded by the EU Forest Law Enforcement Governance, and Trade (FLEGT) to develop action plan to address illegal timber harvesting.
Tropenbos Ghana identified the absence of a well-structured TUCs and poor forest governance as major challenges to the fight against illegal timber trade and deforestation in Ghana.
