A ROUNDTABLE TO DEVELOP PRACTICAL PLANS TO ASSIST AND IMPLEMENT THE GOVERNMENT’S NEW VISION FOR LIBERIA’S FORESTS

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Most of Liberia’s people depend on forests for their livelihoods. Large-scale logging in the country prior to 2006 has provided little benefits for local people and the environment, but the past ten years have seen a major shift in Liberia’s forest sector resulting in several policy and governance reforms. President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has taken firm steps against the challenges facing Liberia’s forest sector and introduced a new vision aimed at halting illegal logging. As part of these actions, the government signed a deal with the Government of Norway to protect Liberia’s forests in return for financial and technical support.

If successful, the Liberia-Norway deal could bring about lasting, positive change for Liberia’s forests, the communities that depend on them, and the wider economy. In the post-Ebola context, incentives have returned to sell community land to logging companies, but national and legal processes are underway to protect the forests and put local communities at the center of forestry policy. A draft Land Rights Act, for instance, would recognize community tenure without requiring communities to present a deed.

This conference, opened by President Ellen Johnson Sirlief, aims to develop practical strategies for preserving Liberia’s vital natural resources for the benefit of its communities and to strengthen the global battle against climate change. It will bring together leaders from the Liberian government, forest community representatives, and national and international experts on the challenges facing Liberia’s forest sector. Participants will take stock of the country’s forest resources, debate a vision for Liberia’s forests and people, and agree on concrete steps to turn this new vision for Liberia’s forests into a reality.

The conference is co-organized by Liberia’s Forestry Development Authority, Global Witness, and the Rights and Resources Initiative, and supported by a planning team that includes representatives from the Liberia Land Commission, the NGO Coalition of Liberia, and development partners supporting the forest sector.

For more information, visit http://www.rethinkingliberiasforests.org/

For questions, please contact [email protected]