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Domestic timber trade is large in volume: in a lot of tropical countries it represents a high percentage of the total timber production. Governments have struggled to deal with this often informal sector. The inclusion of the domestic market in FLEGT/VPAs is a way to put pressure on governments to recognize, legalize and organize the informal timber sector.
TBI is supporting the effective integration of domestic timber markets in FLEGT/VPAs. In the EU CSM project, TBI is facilitating multi-stakeholder dialogue to address domestic timber issues. Our experiences with this approach provide important lessons for stakeholders in other countries.
Together with theIDLgroup, TBI organises a Forest Governance Forum in Kinshasa, DR Congo. The Forum is inspired by the illegal logging stakeholder update meetings held biannually at Chatham House in London, and is designed to create an in-country space for discussion and open exchange of ideas, experience and research.
A broad range of topics will be presented at the Forum including FLEGT/VPA, the EU Timber Regulation (EUTR), US Lacey Act, monitoring forest governance, regulating the domestic market and REDD+. Two sessions will be dedicated to regional and domestic timber trade with presentations from TBI DR Congo, TBI Ghana, CIFOR and government representatives from DRC. At the event the new book by TBI DR Congo exploring artisanal logging “Le bois à l’ordre du jour” will be launched.
For more information, please check the website http://forestgovernanceforum.com/. For registration, please send a message to ForestGovernanceForum@theIDLgroup.com
