FLEGT and Lao CSO

1. FLEGT and Lao CSO The Role and relevance of Civil Society in the FLEGT process in Lao PDR

2. 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

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

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

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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

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

10. Lao CSO Network

11. Civil Society in FLEGT

12. 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

13. 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

14. 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

15. 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

16. Thank you