This document discusses the role of civil society in the Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) process in Lao PDR. It provides background on FLEGT and its Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA) process, which requires stakeholder participation, including from civil society. It outlines the benefits of civil society engagement, such as ensuring community needs are addressed. It also discusses how the Timber Legality Definition being developed will incorporate community consultation and land tenure standards. The document recommends civil society organizations continue supporting the ongoing FLEGT VPA process in Lao PDR to develop a robust framework for sustainable forest management.

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

8. FLEGT Lao VPA Process
1. Lao PDR Notifies EU of desire
to engage in VPA process
2. Lao Stakeholders consult and
prepare for negotiations
3. Thematic expert
groups study Lao laws
to create the VPA
content
7. When it is finished, Lao and
EU sign the agreement and
begin implementation
4. Civil Society and
local government
stakeholders consult
with communities on
VPA issues
5. Technical working
groups prepare the
issues for negotiation
6. Lao and EU
representatives
negotiate the FLEGT
agreement
The Lao Stakeholders form
the committees to work on
the FLEGT VPA, with all
three stakeholders included
in each committee
The VPA will include a
Timber Legality Definition
based on the standards of
the Lao law. This includes
standards for timber from
production forest,
plantations, conversion
areas, village use forests,
seized timber, imported
timber, and cross-cutting
standards of labor, social,
and environmental
requirements
Community Consultations in the
FLEGT VPA Process

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
Technical Working Group
Timber Legality Definition/Timber Legality
Assurance System
Thematic Expert Groups
Prepare drafts for Timber Legality Definition
Stakeholder
Representatives:
Government
Private Sector
Civil Society
Academia
Experts

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