The Ministry of Natural Resources, Guyana Forestry Commission, European Union and IICA support the “FLEGT joint implementation framework”
Guyana is the first South American country to implement the Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA) on Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT). The VPA implementation is ongoing with the expectation for the first license to be issued in 2026. The European Union (EU) has committed to providing funds to assist with the VPA implementation.
Forests cover approximately 87% of Guyana’s land area, making it one of the most forested countries in the world. Guyana’s forests are globally recognized as extremely valuable reservoirs of biodiversity and provide a broad range of services that are not limited to but include timber production and environmental services.
A high proportion of the forests (roughly 45%) of Guyana is primary forest, and the vast forest area comprises an important stock of carbon. While about half of the country’s forests are used for timber extraction, forests fulfil multiple land-use functions and are an essential part of the national patrimony.
The VPA on FLEGT entered into force between the Co-operative Republic of Guyana and the European Union (EU) in June 2023 as the mechanism to reduce illegal logging, improve governance, and promote trade in legally produced timber.
To move forward on the implementation of the VPA, the current Action is defined by the EU to support the Guyana Forestry Commission and the forest stakeholders to implement the necessary regulatory changes, system audits and joint evaluation, and achieve the FLEGT license system. The Action will be implemented by the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA).
The Action will have an implementation period of 3 years and a contribution of 2 million euros from the EU and will be closely aligned with other EU-funded programmes such as “Support for the implementation of the FLEGT VPAs”, implemented by Agence Française de Développement (AFD), “Sustainable forest livelihoods for communities of Guyana and Suriname” for the period 2023-2027 also implemented by AFD, and with the Forest Partnership “Forest Governance and Value Chain” programme.
Outcomes for guidance:
- Improved compliance of Guyana forest sector governance system with the EU Forest Law on Governance and Trade (FLEGT) requirements, including to operationalize the Guyana Timber Legality Assurance System (GTLAS).
- Strengthened participation and improved compliance of stakeholders in the VPA-process, and in the implementation of sustainable forest management practices.
- Enhanced information exchange for FLEGT compliance between EU and Guyana partners and ensure the long-term sustainability of the FLEGT VPA
Some of the benefits of the VPA for the Guyanese forest sector include:
- Improved forest governance
- Reduced illegal logging
- Increased market access
- Facilitate compliance of the private sector with the upcoming national certification standard
- Increased incentives for sustainable forest management
- Capacity building
- Improved livelihoods
- Enhanced global climate action
The funding is being provided through a contribution agreement signed between the EU Guyana Office and IICA.
The agreement was signed in Georgetown by the Ambassador, Delegation of the European Union to Guyana, Rene Van Nes, and the IICA Representative in Guyana, Wilmot Garnett.
In witness were Hon. Vickram Bharrat, Guyana’s Minister of Natural Resources; the Head of Cooperation of the European Union Delegation to Guyana, Joan Nadal Sastre, representatives from the Guyana Forestry Commission; and the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Natural Resources, Mr. Joslyn McKenzie.
Source: IICA
