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Update : Forests, Conflict and the Return of Governance in Liberia

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

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Update : Forests, Conflict and the Return of Governance in Liberia

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  1. Update: Forests, Conflict and the Return of Governance in Liberia Jerilyn LeviInternational ProgramsUS Forest Service Chatham HouseLondon ~ January 2007

  2. Combating Illegal LoggingA 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)

  3. 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 LFI Assistance Priorities for FDA Commercial Forestry Financial Management Conservation Community Forest Mgmt. Governance Rule of Law USFS, World Bank, FAO USAID,PWC, US OTA, WB CI, IUCN, FFI CIFOR, ICRAF USAID, FFI ELI, UNEP, GA, UNMIL

  4. 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

  5. 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 2006New Forestry Law enacted

  6. UNSC Resolution 1521February 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…”

  7. 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)

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

  9. Step 1: Concession Review Endorsement by Government Creation of a Concession Review Committee Creation of a Technical Secretariat (TS) 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

  10. 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

  11. 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

  12. 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

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

  14. 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

  15. Re-starting commercial forestry in Liberia on a sustainable basis For more information contact: Oliver Pierson, Africa Program Coordinator US Forest Service opierson@fs.fed.us

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