Fourth Joint Monitoring and Review Committee

The JMRC was convened in Georgetown, Guyana, on 04 April 2025. This third JMRC meeting was chaired by the Hon. Vickram Bharrat, Minister of Natural Resources of Guyana, and Mr René van Nes, Ambassador and Head of the EU Delegation to Guyana.

The Technical Committee of the JMRC, hereinafter called the “Technical Committee,” convened on 01 and 02 April 2024 between the EU and Guyana (hereinafter called the Parties). It was co-chaired by Mr James Singh for Guyana, and Ms Layla El Khadraoui for the EU, with the participation of the VPA stakeholder observers. Other Guyana government representatives, EU officials, and VPA stakeholder observers attended. The conclusions of the Technical Committee are captured in this Aide Mémoire.

The Parties committed to making the Aide Mémoire, supporting documents, and presentations public.

The Parties agreed on the agenda of the meeting and on drafting this Aide Mémoire of the third JMRC.

Aide Mémoire, 04 April 2025 | Download

Day 1 Presentations, Reports and Documents

  1. Progress Report 2012-2024 | Download
  2. Independent Audit – Background and Next Steps | Download
  3. Draft VPA Capacity Strengthening Plan/Strategy | Download
  4. Updates on the Development of the FLEGT Complaints Mechanism | Download
  5. Role and Requirements of the Government Coordination Body (GCB) According to the VPA | Download
  6. IICA Project Scope | Download
  7. Review of the Regulatory Framework and Relevant Procedures of GTLAS Agencies | Download
  8. The Requirements of the TLAS versus PEFC | Download

Day 2 Presentations, Reports and Documents

  1. Data Collection for the Baseline of the EU-Guyana VPA Impact Monitoring Frameworks | Download
  2. A Review of the Regulatory Framework – GTLAS Agencies | Download
  3. EFITAP Guyana Updates | Download
  4. AFD and OCA Global – Operational support to the FLEGT VPA Secretariat in Guyana | Download
  5. Development and Implementation of the Digital Wood Tracking System (dWTS) in Guyana | Download
  6. DAI Global – Support to Guyana Forestry Commission VPA/GTLAS | Download
  7. AFD EU FLEGT VPA Programme | Download
  8. IICA Support to FLEGT Joint Implementation Framework | Download

Third Joint Monitoring and Review Committee

The JMRC was convened on 07 June 2024 in Georgetown, Guyana. This third JMRC meeting was chaired by the Hon. Vickram Bharrat, Minister of Natural Resources of Guyana, and Mr René van Nes, Ambassador and Head of the EU Delegation to Guyana.

The Technical Committee of the JMRC, hereinafter called the “Technical Committee”, convened on the 04 and 05 June 2024 between the EU and Guyana (hereinafter called the Parties), was co-chaired by Mr James Singh for Guyana and Head of Cooperation of the EU Delegation to Guyana Mr Joan Nadal Sastre. It was attended by other Guyana government representatives, EU officials, and VPA stakeholder observers. The conclusions of the Technical Committee are captured in this Aide Mémoire.

The Parties committed to making the Aide Mémoire, supporting documents, and presentations public.

The Parties agreed on the agenda of the meeting and on drafting this Aide Mémoire of the third JMRC.

Aide Mémoire, 07 June 2024 | Download

Second Joint Monitoring and Review Committee

The JMRC was convened on 24 November 2023 in Georgetown, Guyana. This second JMRC meeting was chaired by the Hon. Vickram Bharrat, Minister of Natural Resources of Guyana, and Mr René van Nes, Ambassador and Head of the EU Delegation to Guyana.

The Technical Committee of the JMRC, hereinafter called the “Technical Committee”, convened on 23 November 2023 between the EU and Guyana (hereinafter called the Parties), was co-chaired by Mr James Singh for Guyana and Head of Cooperation of the EU Delegation to Guyana Mr Joan Nadal Sastre. It was attended by other Guyana government representatives, EU officials, and VPA stakeholder observers. The conclusions of the Technical Committee are captured in this Aide Mémoire.

The Parties committed to making the Aide Mémoire, supporting documents, and presentations public.

The Parties agreed on the agenda of the meeting and on drafting this Aide Mémoire of the second JMRC.

Aide Mémoire, 24 November 2023 | Download

Presentations:

  1. DAI Presentation | Download
  2. JIF Monitoring Plan | Download
  3. Roadmap to Licensing | Download
  4. Rules of Procedure (RoP) | Download
  5. VPA Impact Monitoring Framework (IMF) | Download

First Joint Monitoring and Review Committee

The JMRC was convened on 29 June 2023 in Brussels, Belgium. This first meeting of the JMRC was chaired by the Hon. Vickram Bharrat, Minister of Natural Resources of Guyana, and Ms Jutta Urpilainen, EU Commissioner for International Partnerships.

The Technical Committee of the JMRC convened on the 26 and 27 June between the EU and Guyana (hereinafter called ‘the Parties’), was co-chaired by Mr James Singh for Guyana and Head of Cooperation of the EU Delegation to Guyana Mr Joan Nadal Sastre with the participation of the VPA stakeholder observers.

The content and conclusions of these technical sessions are captured in the Aide Mémoire.

Aide Mémoire, 29 June 2023 | Download

Second Meeting of the Pre-Joint Monitoring and Review Committee

The Pre-Joint Monitoring and Review Committee (Pre-JMRC) was convened on 27 October 2022 in Georgetown, Guyana. This second meeting of the Pre-JMRC of the Guyana-EU FLEGT VPA, was chaired by the Hon. Vickram Bharrat, Minister of Natural Resources of Guyana, and the Ambassador of the European Union (EU) to Guyana, Rene van Nes represented by Mr. Joan Nadal Sastre, Head of Cooperation of the European Union Delegation to Guyana.

This Pre-JMRC was preceded by technical sessions held on 25 and 26 October between the EU and Guyana (hereinafter called ‘the Parties’), and with the participation of the VPA stakeholders. The content and conclusions of these technical sessions are captured in the Aide Mémoire.

Mr. Joan Nadal Sastre, Head of Cooperation of the European Union Delegation to Guyana, representing Ambassador Rene van Nes, and Hon. Minister Bharrat welcomed all present and delivered opening remarks.

The Parties committed to making the Aide Mémoire and the technical sessions’ presentations publicly accessible.

The Parties agreed on the agenda of the meeting and the drafting of this Aide Mémoire.

Aide Mémoire, October 27, 2022 | Download

Presentations

  1. EFITAP Guyana Update | Download
  2. AFD EU FLEGT Programme Implementation in Guyana | Download
  3. Presentation of the Indigenous Peoples Organisations of Guyana on the EU FLEGT VPA | Download

First Meeting of the Pre-Joint Monitoring and Review Committee

The Pre-JMRC was convened on 10 March 2022 in Georgetown, Guyana.

This first meeting of the Pre-JMRC of the Guyana-EU FLEGT VPA was chaired by the Hon. Vickram Bharrat, Minister of Natural Resources of Guyana, and the Ambassador of the European Union to Guyana, Fernando Ponz Cantó. A list of participants is presented in Annex I.

This Pre-JMRC was preceded by technical sessions held on 8 and 9 March between the EU and Guyana (hereinafter called ‘the Parties’), and with the participation of the VPA stakeholders. The content of these technical sessions is captured in this Aide Mémoire.

The Parties agreed to this meeting’s agenda and Aide Mémoire and committed to making the Aide Mémoires and the technical sessions’ presentations publicly accessible.

They also agreed to the Joint Implementation Framework (JIF) and a joint press release following the conclusion of the Pre-JMRC.

Aide Mémoire, March 10, 2022 | Download

Presentations

  1. Updated Joint Implementation Framework (JIF) | Download
  2. Comments on the VPA by the Indigenous Peoples Organisations of Guyana | Download
  3. Comments on the VPA by the Forest Products Association and Guyana Manufacturing & Services Association Ltd | Download
  4. Comments on the VPA by Conservation International – Guyana, WWF-Guianas and the Iwokrama International Center for Rainforest Conservation and Development | Download
  5. Proposal for an EU Deforestation Regulation  | Download
  6. AFD EU FLEGT Programme | Download
  7. EFITAP Guyana | Download
  8. FLEGT Secretariat Capacity Assessment | Download