FLEGT and Lao CSO The Role and relevance of Civil Society in the FLEGT process in Lao PDR “La ingeniería de eq de fases comprende la aplicación del conocimiento fenomenológico del comportamiento de sistemas homogéneos y multifásicos, y su predicción mediante herramientas termodinámicas, con la finalidad de contribuir al desarrollo de procesos químicos. El diseño del equilibrio de fases es un nexo entre los requerimiento de un dado proceso y las actividades académicas de medición y modelado de datos experimentales. […] Esta disponibilidad (de simuladores computacionales) hace necesario estudiarla, con la finalidad de alcanzar un uso más fehaciente y efectivo de éstos, a través del desarrollo de criterios generales que faciliten la comprensión del potencial y limitaciones del proceso químico.” Pereda, tesis doctoral, PLAPIQUI/UNS 2003, pp 4.1.

FLEGT and CSO What is FLEGT? What makes FLEGT unique? Stakeholder participation in FLEGT Civil Society in FLEGT Benefits of Civil Society engagement Land Tenure and FLEGT

What is FLEGT? Forestry Law Enforcement Governance and Trade ETR (EU Timber Regulations) The VPA The VPA process

What is FLEGT? The VPA Timber Legality Assurance System (TLAS) Timber Legality Definition (TLD) Supply Chain Control Monitoring and Inspection

Why FLEGT? EU Timber Regulations (ETR) are established to prevent environemental (especially climate change), social (especially land tenure conflict), and economic harms (as well as issues of governance, such as corruption) EU members must assure the timber they purchase is legal FLEGT hopes to facilitate timber trade by allowing countries to certify their own timber as legal

What makes FLEGT unique? The FLEGT VPA, TLAS, and TLD are based on the national legal framework of legality The VPA process will result in a trade agreement that is mandatory after signing The EU requires strong participation of stakeholder groups, including private sector and civil society The EU and member countries provide support to help the country develop their VPA, TLAS, TLD

Stakeholder Participation Government Private Sector Civil Society EU requires consultation and participation of national stakeholders Why? Stakeholders’ participation in the development of the VPA can address needs, avoid impacts, and Stakeholders will be involved in the implementation when the VPA is signed Buy-in from national stakeholders provides confidence for regulators (EU) and buyers

Structure of Lao FLEGT STEERING COMMITTEE Stakeholder Representatives: STANDING OFFICE Head: Director of Division of DOFI STEERING COMMITTEE Chairman: Minister/Vice Minister of MAF Vice Minister of MOIC and MONRE DGs of DOFI, PMO, MOIC, MOJ, MOFA, …… Stakeholder Representatives: Government Private Sector Civil Society Academia Experts Technical Working Group Timber Legality Definition/Timber Legality Assurance System Thematic Expert Groups Prepare drafts for Timber Legality Definition

Lao CSO Network

Civil Society in FLEGT

Benefits of CSO Engagement Experiences of the local communities are reflected in the negotiation process Promotes transparency, access to information, and reduction of corruption Builds trust and cooperation between stakeholders Keeps civil society involved to support enforcement and monitoring following signing of the VPA Strengthens CSO capacities for future collaboration

Land Tenure and FLEGT TLD Standards and Land Tenure: 1: Production forest: Communities will be involved in Production forest and harvest area deliniation and harvest planning; impact assessments 2: Conversion areas: ESIAs and IEEs will be conducted with community involvement; compensation for impacts will be required as a condition of timber legality 3: Plantations: Promoting smallholder plantations will promote land registration/titling; Large plantations will require impact assessments

Land Tenure and FLEGT Land Tenure and CSO engagement: CSOs are involved in land governance initiatives: LIWG LIFE LSSWG Land Law Revision Forest Law Revision Many projects to promote land tenure / registration CSOs promote strong tenure for forest-dependent communities

Recommendations The FLEGT VPA process is robust, open, and will result in a framework for forest / timber management Alternative licensing / monitoring initiatives should contribute to the VPA process – not distract from it The CSOs engaged in the VPA process have strong ownership and recognition from stakeholders in the process Efforts to support civil society should work with and through the existing framework without distracting from their ongoing contributions

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