The coalition of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) working in the forestry sector, known as Forest Watch Ghana, has raised alarms regarding the state of Ghana’s timber trade and forest resources due to the government's lack of action on the implementation of the legal framework for legal timber trade.

The warning comes amidst ongoing challenges in enforcing environmental protection laws and rampant illegal activities in the country’s forests.

At a press conference on October 2, 2024, representatives from Forest Watch Ghana highlighted the implications of failing to ratify essential timber permits and leases that are crucial for maintaining access to the European Union (EU) market.

The organization recalled the Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA) established between Ghana and the EU in 2009, aimed at promoting sustainable management of timber resources. This agreement, which was ratified by Parliament, was intended to ensure that all timber exported to the EU meets strict legality standards.

However, the implementation of the VPA has faced significant hurdles over the years. Notably, an assessment conducted in 2014 revealed that 148 permits and leases required parliamentary ratification to comply with the Timber Resources Management and Legality Licensing Regulations, 2017 (L.I. 2254). Alarmingly, only 11 of these permits have been ratified, leaving a substantial backlog that threatens Ghana’s standing in the international timber market.

During the press conference, the coalition expressed disappointment with the government's inaction, stating, “While we commend the recent ratification of 11 extant leases by Parliament, the continued delays in finalizing the remaining permits reflect a lack of commitment to the sustainable management of our forest resources.”

They called upon the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, the Forestry Commission, and the Parliamentary Select Committee on Lands and Forestry to expedite the ratification process and convene a multi-stakeholder meeting to outline the government's plans for implementing sustainable forest management laws.

Forest Watch Ghana warned that Ghana risks losing access to the EU market for legal timber if the government fails to address these issues.

“With the inordinate delays by successive governments in fully implementing these laws, our forest reserves are becoming playgrounds for illegal activities. We cannot afford to add illegal logging to this destruction,” Dorrin Yebaoh a representative of Forest Watch Ghana said.

AM/OGB

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