By: Ashiadey Dotse
Ghana is on track to become the first country in Africa and the second in the world to issue a Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) license by June 30, 2025. This announcement was made by the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah.
He shared the news during a meeting with the European Union (EU) Ambassador to Ghana, Irchad Razaaly on, in Accra. The meeting focused on strengthening the partnership between Ghana and the EU, especially in managing Ghana’s forests in a sustainable way.
The FLEGT license will allow legal timber from Ghana to be exported to the EU, helping to fight illegal logging and promote responsible forest management. Ghana signed the Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA) with the EU in 2009 to begin this process and has since made strong progress.
The Minister said the only step left before issuing the license is for Parliament to approve a second batch of Timber Utilization Contracts (TUCs) after the Easter break.
He also called on the EU to support Ghana in key areas, such as developing timber-tracking technology, investing in commercial tree plantations, and improving efforts to fight illegal mining and restore damaged lands and water bodies.
Mr. Buah thanked the EU for its continued support and expressed hope for more cooperation in protecting Ghana’s natural resources and fighting climate change.
This achievement could set a powerful example for other African countries aiming to improve forest governance and trade practices.
