Akyawkrom, (Ash), Dec 1, GNA - Mr Henry Kamel Ford, Deputy Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, has said the government would uphold its pledge to involve civil society organizations and other stakeholders in the management of Ghana's forest resources. Sustainable forest management, he noted, could not be achieved without the active involvement and cooperation of local community members and other stakeholders.

Speaking at the third national forestry forum at Akyawkrom, in the Ejisu-Juaben Municipality on Tuesday, the Deputy Minister said the forestry sector had continued to receive tremendous support both locally and internationally because of good governance and prudent and sustainable management practices in the sector. The three-day forum, organized by the National Forestry Forum-Ghana (NFF-G) is under the theme: "Empowering the National Forestry Forum to Enhance its Role in Current Forest Management Initiatives." It aims at bringing together local and civil society groups in the sector to discuss their roles in the implementation and achievement of the various initiatives to achieve sustainable management of the country's forest resources.

Mr Ford said a lot of policy and legal reforms had taken place in the sector over the years to promote sustainable management, adding that, the launch of the plantation development programme had not only helped to provide tree cover but also created about 40,000 jobs across the country. He said the success of the various initiatives would depend on the active participation and collaboration of the local people and noted that the NFF-G was a reliable partner of the government in efforts at ensuring effective management of the forest. He appealed to the members to step up the education of the people to help them to appreciate the various initiatives of the government and win their support. Mr Yaw Kwakye, Manager, Climate Change, Forestry Commission, said the issue of land tenure and land security was a major challenge confronting the country in its quest to implement some international programmes in the sector that could have tremendous benefit to the nation. He called for a closer look at the land tenure system and finding ways of helping more people to participate in the tree planting initiatives. Naa Robert Loggah, President of NFF-G, urged the members to work hard to achieve the goals of forum to ensure greater say in the forestry governance. 01 Dec. 10