Update: Forests, Conflict and the Return of Governance in Liberia Jerilyn Levi International Programs US Forest Service Chatham House London ~ January 2007

Combating Illegal Logging A U.S. Priority The President’s Initiative Against Illegal Logging Recent Accomplishments MOU with Indonesia ITTO/CITES cooperation Asia, Africa and Europe/North Asia FLEG processes 12 Tropical Forest Conservation Act agreements Congo Basin Forest Partnership Liberia Forest Initiative (LFI)

Commercial Forestry Financial Management ConservationCommunity Forest Mgmt. Governance Rule of Law USFS, World Bank, FAO USAID,PWC, US OTA, WB CI, IUCN, FFICIFOR, ICRAF USAID, FFI ELI, UNEP, GA, UNMIL LFI Assistance Priorities for FDA Liberia Forest Initiative (LFI) Partnership of organizations promoting forest sector reform, in collaboration with Liberia’s Forest Development Authority (FDA) Objective: Support the FDA and partners to rehabilitate and reform Liberia’s forest sector

Importance of Liberia’s Forests 4.52 million hectares (2003) 42% of remaining Upper Guinea Forest Priority for biodiversity conservation 25% of GDP 50% of foreign exchange earnings 7000 jobs Unclear and overlapping forest concessions with substantial over-harvesting $20 million of annual revenue for goverment

History of Conflict May 2003 UNSC sanctions on timber August 2003 Taylor expelled January 2006 Ellen Sirleaf Johnson inaugurated October 2006 Sanctions lifted unconditionally October 2006 New Forestry Law enacted

UNSC Resolution 1521 February 2003 “ensure that government revenues from the Liberian timber industry...are used for the benefit of the Liberian people… …establish oversight mechanisms for the timber industry that will promote responsible business practices, and to establish transparent accounting and auditing mechanisms…”

Key Reform Goals ( 3 C’s ) Return Rule of Law to Forest Sector in Liberia Restart Commercial forestry on a sustainable basis Promote Conservation and Community-based natural resource management (CBNRM)

Step 1 Concession Review Step 2 Enact Reform Package Step 3 Pass New Forestry Law Step 4 Implementation

Creation of a Concession Review Committee Creation of a Technical Secretariat (TS) Step 1: Concession Review Review Criteria Bona fide legal business Authenticity of the concession contract No concession overlap No timber for arms or aiding & abetting civil instability Compliance with rule of law Compliance with financial obligations Endorsement by Government

Review Findings: Unsustainable forest management Annual Coupe limits not followed by concessionaires Mismanagement of Concession Sites (overlaps) Financial Issues: 64 Million dollars in arrears, 14% of revenue accounted for. Social issues: Pervasive reports of transgression of community rights, non-payment of salaries, etc. Legal Issues: No concession or permit holder could demonstrate legal acquisition of their contract

Forest Reform Monitoring Committee Cross-Cutting Technical Secretariat Land Use Planning Technical Unit Bidding Process Technical Unit. Contract Reform Technical Unit. Revenue Collection Reform Technical Unit Legal and Public Participation Technical Unit “Recommended the cancellation of all existing concessions due to pervasive non-compliance with even the minimum contractual requirements… and…the creation of a Forestry Reform Monitoring Committee.” END RESULT: Signing of Executive Order #1 (Feb 2006) proclaiming all concessions “Null and Void” and enacting FRMC

Step 2: Enact reform package Coordinate LFI Support (USG, WB) Keep in step w/ conservation + CBNRM Solidify changes via training, new regs Step 3: Pass new Forestry Law Target text to maintain “3 C” reforms Engage Liberian, Int’l. experts Build support via outreach, lobbying Tie law to UN Sanctions Law enacted on October 4, 2006

Lessons Learned 1.Structure the Review Process to reinforce fundamental goal of restoring rule of law 2.Energize civil society and GOL, build constituencies via outreach 3.Link the Concession Review to legal and institutional reform 4.Coordinate international and domestic pressure on GOL for reform (UNSC) 5.New Law: Can’t have too much inclusion

Step 4: Implementation Develop core regulations to implement new law Vet new regulations with stakeholders; revise accordingly Perform public consultation on forest use allocation plan Issue new contracts for commercial forest management (Goal = 10 contracts in 2007) Expand protected areas network Develop additional law and programs on community forestry

Re-starting commercial forestry in Liberia on a sustainable basis For more information contact: Oliver Pierson, Africa Program Coordinator US Forest Service