The Centre for Sustainable Rural Development (SRD) cooperated with the Vietnam Administration of Forestry hosted the Consultation meeting on “Monitoring and Evaluation Indicators for monitoring the impacts of VPA/FLEGT on ethnic minorities and Method of selecting surveyed points”  which was implemented by the Centre for Rural Development in Central Vietnam (CRD). The meeting is in the framework of the project “Research and develop set of indicators and database for monitoring the impact of VPA/FLEGT on ethnic minorities” funded by Fern.

The Center for Sustainable Rural Development (SRD) in collaboration with the Vietnam Administration of Forestry chaired the consultation meeting

In order to ensure efficiency and participants’ safety in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic, the meeting was organized in 2 forms online and offline. There were participants from the Vietnam Administration of Forestry, FLEGT permanent office, research institutes, experts, members of the VNGO-FLEGT network. . Delegates discussed, constructively give opinions to provide a research direction and set of indicators giving clearer and more optimal results.

The meeting was organized in 2 forms online and offline

The objective of this meeting is to develop a set of indicators and an initial database for monitoring the impacts of VPA/FLEGT on ethnic minority communities in Vietnam. Specific objectives of the meeting include document overview of indicators for monitoring VPA/FLEGT impacts on ethnic minorities; Identifying 10 districts nationwide to develop an initial database for monitoring impacts of VPA/FLEGT on ethnic minority communities in the upcoming time; Survey, evaluate and develop an initial database for monitoring the impact of VPA/FLEGT on ethnic minority communities. 

Speaking at the meeting, Mr. Pham Van Dien, Deputy General Director of the Vietnam Administration of Forestry highly appreciated the research team’s set of indicators based on 4 groups of JIC factors and broadened. At the same time, the research needs to identify the negative and positive impacts of VPA/FLEGT on different subjects. In addition, Mrs. Vu Thi Bich Hop, Executive Director of the Centre for Sustainable Rural Development said that VPA Agreement focuses not only on exporting timber to Europe but also on national issues, especially forest governance. The European believes that the intention of this VPA is to reform the forestry sector. Ethnic minorities are a vulnerable group. Their participation in economic agreements is of particular concern. It is necessary to expand the research purpose of the indicator sets, what negative and positive impacts of VPA/FLEGT on them. From the set of indicators, it is necessary to draw the analysis and judgment about the ethnic minorities living in the forest.

Mr. Pham Van Dien – Deputy Director of the Vietnam Administration of Forestry spoke at the meeting

 Ms. Vu Thi Bich Hop – Executive Director of Center for Sustainable Rural Development summarized some important points in the meeting