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The Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA) between Ghana and EU was signed in a ceremony in Brussels on November 20, 2009. Ghana is in the process of developing the relevant systems to implement the provisions of the agreement. A Wood Tracking System (WTS) and the protocols for assessing legal compliance are key elements under development.
From the 27th - 29th of January 2010, Ghana hosted the first Joint Monitoring Review Mechanism (JMRM) meeting in Accra, since then, seven more JMRM sessions have been held. This monitoring mechanism is established under the Agreement to facilitate the implementation of the VPA, provide recommendations for capacity building and assess the social, economic, and environmental impacts of the Agreement.
About Ghana's VPA
The VPA, proposed in the EU-FLEGT action plan are voluntary, bilateral agreements between producing countries (FLEGT Partner Countries) and the EU. The agreement sets out the commitments and actions of both parties to tackle illegal logging. In 2003, the Minister for Lands, Forestry and Mines formed a VPA Steering Committee to provide strategic leadership for the VPA process as well as advice the Government of Ghana on the approach to the negotiations. The VPA steering committee is a multi-stakholder body called M-SIC with representation drawn from the government sector, Timber Industry and Civil Society.
News & Events
Inauguration of the Timber Validation Committee
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