Resulting from the collaboration between FAO and EFI, the first voluntary guidelines for forest concessions in the tropics have been published. The guidelines help to make concessions more transparent, accountable and inclusive - all for the benefit of some of the poorest and most isolated communities in the world.
The guidelines provide a set of principles to be respected by all stakeholders during the full cycle of concessions, and tailored recommendations for specific stakeholders: governments, concession-holders, local communities, donors, non-governmental organizations.
The guidelines also include a self-assessment tool so that stakeholders can verify if enabling conditions for sustainable forest concessions are in place.
The guidelines went through consultations with governmental, the private sector, civil society and local community in Africa, Asia-Pacific and Latin America, which gathered more than 300 participants, and provided for a practical approach to the guidelines, which can be used for reviews or implementation of concession regimes.
The guidelines are now available in English and will be translated into French, Spanish and Portuguese.
Y.T. Tegegne, J. Van Brusselen, M. Cramm, T. Linhares-Juvenal, P. Pacheco, C. Sabogal and D. Tuomasjukka. Making forest concessions in the tropics work to achieve the 2030 Agenda: Voluntary Guidelines. FAO Forestry Paper No 180, Rome. 128pp.
Read also the full news item on the FAO website.
More information: yitagesu.tekle @ efi.int