Between the 19th and 21st September, as the chair of the Vietnamese Non-Governmental Organisations Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade Network (VNGO-FLEGT), SRD hosted a three-day workshop on "Strengthening the capacity of civil society on the VPA/FLEGT and REDD+" with the support of and funding from UNREDD in Vietnam, FAO and DFID via FERN.
The workshop attracted more than 40 participants and experts, including representatives from CSOs in the VNGO-FLEGT Network, and UNREDD in Vietnam, the Vietnamese Forest Administration (VNForest), the EU Delegation to Vietnam, FAO, the European Forest Institute (EFI) and national and international NGOs based in Vietnam.
Through a series of presentations and discussions participants learned about the progress that have been made on FLEGT through the Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA) between the Government of Vietnam and the EU. Participants were also able to learn about the development and implementation of a timber legality assurance system (TLAS) and how this will affect timber and forestry in Vietnam. Presenters outlined the importance of having civil society involved during the negotiation process and into the implementation of sustainable forest management practices.
Participants reviewed case studies occurring throughout South-East Asia with regards to timber legality and sustainable forest management to learn the ways in which NGOs and CSOs can be involved to increase transparency and accountability. Participants were able to learn best practices from various organisations in combating illegal timber trade and promoting sustainable community-based forest governance.
The workshop was incredibly successful as it further strengthened the capacity of NGOs to engage with and involve civil society. There were several notable results including voting on the Executive Board for the VNGO-FLEGT Network and voting on the Network Charter. Additionally, an expert was brought in from Hue University to develop a community consultation plan for local communities and forest dependent communities, which has been planned for the coming months and will cover the timber legality definition and VPA process. The results of these consultations will be available prior to the New Year.
The commitment of Vietnamese civil society to participate in the FLEGT/VPA process to ensure the rights of local forest dependent communities was demonstrated by the high level of attendance and participation in the workshop. The Network is open to all Vietnamese civil society and welcomes international NGOs as observers. Participants were encouraged to join/share information about the network and to actively get involved.
Additional information about the FLEGT/VPA process in Vietnam and international experiences can be found via the loggingoff website (http://loggingoff.info/) or the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development's Forest Sector Support Partnership website (http://www.vietnamforestry.org.vn/).
For further information on joining the network, please contact SRD or the VNGO-FLEGT Coordinator; Pham Thi Bich Ngoc (phone: 04 3943 6678 or email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ).
Presentations of the workshop can be downloaded here
Participants List can be downloaded here
-SRD-
Centre for Sustainable Rural Development (SRD)
No.31, Alley 19 Kim Dong Street, Hoang Mai District, Ha Noi
Phone: +84 24 3943 6676/78 | Fax: +84 24 3943 6449
