Training workshop on methodologies for independent monitoring of household compliance with VPA/FLEGT timber legality requirements

From May 14th to 16th 2015, a “Training workshop on methodologies for independent monitoring of household compliance with VPA/FLEGT timber legality requirements” was held in Da Nang City.

The training workshop was conducted under the broader project “Promoting FLEGT in SE Asia through proactive CSO engagement”- VM051 funded by the European Commission, the Executive Body of the European Union and being implemented by SRD over three years (2014-2016).

 Mr Dien Nguyen, a representative of VCCI Da Nang speaking at the workshop

To prepare for the participation of CSOs in independent monitoring after a Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA) is signed and implemented, SRD and the VNGO-FLEGT network will conduct baseline studies in 2015 in some pilot provinces. The studies will identify the initial state of vulnerable group in wood supply chain and their capacity to comply with the timber legality requirements in the Vietnamese VPA.

Mrs Vu Thi Bich Hop, a Executive Director of SRD representing 

The aims of the workshop were to improve the capacity of organizations and research quality by the VNGO-FLEGT network. The workshop also provided methodologies and essential skills for organizations to conduct the research. Attendees at the workshop included 30 people from organizations in the VNGO-FLEGT network drawn from different project provinces and local partner groups.

The workshop focused on key issues such as qualitative and quantitative research tools; how to identify causes leading to legality definition (LD) non-compliance and identifying connections between compliance capacity and local forest governance. During the workshop, participants took part in discussions to select research sites and build a field research plan.

 Participants taking picture together

***VNGO-FLEGT  is the network of Vietnamese Non-Governmental Organizations on Forest Law Enforcement was established in 2012 January and now has 50 member organizations. The network has positively contributed to the negotiation and implementation of the VPA and FLEGT Program in Viet Nam, with the ultimate goal of contributing to the implementation of the Vietnamese Forest Management, Protection and Development Plan 2011 – 2020, and to promote the establishment of mechanisms and policies supporting equitable and sustainable benefits for local forest-dependent communities.The central purpose of a Voluntary Partnership Agreement under the FLEGT plan (VPA FLEGT) between the European Union (EU) and timber-exporting countries outside the EU is to ensure the legal origins of timber and timber products imported by the EU. The agreement helps the timber-exporting countries prevent illegal exploitation by strengthening their forestry governance.

-SRD-