Tackling forest illegality in Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific

Tackling forest illegality in Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific

Successes, challenges and ways forward

Year of publication 2012

Place of publication Rome, Italy ;

Pages 4p.

Publisher FAO/EU ;

Product type Document

Edition 1

Full item page

Synopsis (short abstract) Forest illegality occurs when forest products are harvested, transported, processed, bought or sold in violation of national or international laws, or when illegal deforestation takes place. It has been estimated that forest illegality costs governments more than US$10 billion per year in lost revenue. Corruption and poor governance provide an environment that perpetuates illegal behaviour. Inconsistent forest policies, unrealistic laws and insufficient institutional capacity to enforce them con tribute to illicit activities such as illegal logging. Other drivers include a lack of information about forest trends, as well as high demand for cheap timber in both domestic and export timber markets.

Language English

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Project

Contributing to Sustainable Forest Management and Poverty Reduction by Tackling Illegal Logging and Promoting Trade in Legal Timber Products - GCP/GLO/397/EC and GCP/GLO/600/MUL 2023

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Poor forest governance, unclear legal frameworks, weak law enforcement and demand for cheap timber and timber products all contribute to illegal practices in the forest sector. These practices jeopardize efforts to improve sustainable forest management (SFM) and have a significant impact on a country's ability to achieve broader sustainable development goals such as poverty alleviation, food security and climate change mitigation. As part of an effort to tackle illegal logging and associated trade, the European Union’s Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) Action Plan was established in 2003 to help tropical timber producing countries establish and implement measures to promote trade in legal timber products. Under this framework, tropical timber producing countries and the European Union enter into Voluntary Partnership Agreements (VPAs), bilateral trade agreements which commit to exporting only legal timber into European markets. In this context, the FAO EU FLEGT Programme provided technical support and resources for the negotiation and implementation of VPAs, while in countries not engaged in a formal VPA process, the Programme supported measures to improve law enforcement, timber legality assurance and overall forest sector governance.
Meeting
Latin American And Caribbean Forestry Commission Thirty-First Session - Forest Protection: Integrated fire management; Forest health and invasive species; Preventive approach to illegal logging
Montevideo, Uruguay, 2 - 6 September 2019
2019

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Spanish
Book (stand-alone)
Tackling forest crime in West Africa
Training of trainers curriculum
2025

Also available in:

French

This publication presents a comprehensive training of trainers curriculum designed to strengthen the capacity of forestry enforcement officers in West Africa to effectively combat forest crime. Developed under the regional project “Global Transformation of Forests for People and Climate: A Focus on West Africa”, the curriculum addresses key challenges identified in seven West African countries through legal assessments, stakeholder interviews, and literature reviews.Structured into four core modules, the curriculum covers: (1) an overview of forest crimes and their socioeconomic and environmental impacts; (2) the role of international legal frameworks, with a focus on the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES); (3) investigative techniques and evidence gathering; and (4) transboundary cooperation and lessons learned from regional implementation.The curriculum emphasizes participatory learning and includes case studies, exercises, and discussion prompts to encourage engagement and contextual adaptation. It integrates the use of innovative forest monitoring tools and provides guidance on aligning national legislation with international obligations. Trainers are equipped to tailor content to local realities, facilitate interactive sessions, and promote institutional coordination among enforcement bodies.This resource aims to foster more consistent, informed, and cooperative responses to forest crime in West Africa, contributing to stronger legal frameworks, improved governance, and the protection of forest ecosystems and communities dependent on them.