Ghana's VPA process aimed to reform the country's forest sector governance through multi-stakeholder engagement. Over 150 years, Ghana's elite had expropriated communal forest resources, leading to environmental devastation, rural poverty, and corruption. The VPA process formally focused on illegal logging but served as a vehicle for pro-community forces to engage with powerful economic interests. Through the process, civil society participation in forest policy discussions increased substantially. The VPA process also raised public awareness of Ghana's forest crisis and the importance of community rights. Lessons from Ghana's experience show that political will can be strengthened by organized civil society groups engaging strategically with clear objectives to leverage pressure on governments.

1. Ghana's VPA process:
Some tactical lessons for multi-level,
multi-stakeholder engagement for
national rights and governance
reform

2. Ghana’s forest sector
• 150 years of repressive elite expropriation of
communal resources for corporation:
• resource devastation;
• deepening rural poverty & alienation
• massive accumulation of private wealth
• growing corruption & weakening state legitimacy
• growing internecine conflict
• brilliant rhetoric and formally decent
institutions
• Complacent “international community”
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3. VPA process
• VPA de jure
• timber trade agreement
• state-state bilateral
• focus on illegal logging
• certification arrangement
• VPA de facto
• Vehicle of pro-community forces in state and
civil society in both jurisdictions in engaging
the “wall of capital”
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4. Achievements: Process
• Most substantial CS participation in (Ghana) history
• Representation
• Steering Committee 0 > ±1 > 1 > 2 > 2.5 = 200%
• Negotiating Committee = 0 > 2
• Working Groups – 4/4 (including 2 chairs)
• Policy subcommittee 1 / 8
• Direct SC engagement with NGOs (FWG & non-FWG), GAWU &
TWU, RAOs, Traditional Leaders, District & Regional Forest Forums
• Improved informal channels
• GOG commitment to institutionalise & expand
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5. Achievement: substantive
• Formal of governance objectives -
statement
• 3 – year participatory process towards
policy, regulatory and institutional reform
supporting Governance Objectives
• Now benchmarks for NREG multi-donor
support – threatened by FCPF

6. Achievement: Political
• Substantial CS mobilisation around forest
& community rights agenda
• Greater public awareness of forest crisis
and its importance
• Collapse of State-Industry consensus
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7. Ghana Context
• EU buyers & EU have disproportionate
leverage over GOG/GTI
• Network’s of CSOs in Europe, Asia and
Africa worked in tandem
• CSOs cultivated important allies amongst
GOG & EU negotiators
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8. Lessons
• levers for intervention & even “soft”
quot;conditionalitiesquot; often exist – not “black or
white”
• Malaysia process stuck on participation and
rights
• Ghana process will lead to “best practice”
statement that applies to others
• Issue is political will.
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9. Lessons
• political will can be strengthened by organised &
strategically focused CSOs engaging with clear
objectives
– e.g. EU – Ghana NGO engagement
• gave cover to EU officials
• gave cover to Ghanaian officials

10. Lessons
• involves using formal legal arguments
• Constant expansion of participation is crucial –
tactics must compliment not substitute for
peoples’ struggle
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11. THANK YOU