‘Really impressive’ Guyana can soon be licensed under FLEGT

FLEGT Licences will be issued when it is verified by both the European Union (EU) and Guyana that the Guyana Timber Legality Assurance System (GTLAS) works. Once FLEGT Licensing begins, a valid FLEGT Licence must accompany all exports to the EU of Guyanese timber-based products listed in Annex I of the VPA.

“The thing with deforestation you can monitor it from the sky, you can see it on satellite images

“We [the EU] are working with the [Guyana] Forestry Commission using EU forestry systems that works with high level resolution and has special modules to monitor deforestation.

“Guyana has made very good progress in meeting the stringent conditions [of FLEGT],” The Ambassador told local media operatives last week during an engagement.

And to support the progress made, another support programme will be rolled out this year to help communities, dependent on the forest, to build a sustainable livelihoods.

For this purpose, the EU has committed five million euros.

“So we are not going to build a big fence around the forest and say don’t touch it but we will teach you how to use it in a sustainable way and if people can do that then they will have an interest in protecting it.”

The EU has been supporting Guyana in forest management and protection for over 10 years.

Good governance of Guyana’s forests is crucial to sustainable development. Moreover, it helps  both Guyana and the EU contribute to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, including  by mitigating climate change and protecting biodiversity.