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…to bolster certification requirements for EU exports—Minister Bharrat
Minister of Natural Resources, Vickram Bharrat
Kaieteur News – Guyana’s continued efforts to strengthen its forestry sector saw its Forestry Commission recently engaging a diverse group of stakeholders on the proposed establishment of a national forest management standard and certification system for approval by the Programme for Endorsement of Forest Certification, also known as (PEFC).
According to Natural Resources Minister, Vickram Bharrat, “the Government of Guyana is convinced that the development of the national certification system is important.”
He was adamant the move “adds to our efforts to showcase our sustainable forest management practices and gain greater acceptance in the globally demanded markets.”
The Ministry in a missive over the weekend noted that on the global market, the PEFC is a recognised forest management and chain of custody certification system that can be used to demonstrate sustainability in addition to the legality of timber and timber products.
According to Minister Bharrat, the Government of Guyana is convinced that a certification system will complement the work done through the Guyana – European Union Forest Law Enforcement, Government and Trade Agreement, and will create more opportunities for operators in promoting and marketing their products, particularly in markets that require verification of both legality and sustainability.
The meeting on Friday last included participants from civil society bodies such as the Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association, Forest Products Association, National Steering Committee for Community Forest Organisations, Guyana Organisation of Indigenous People; private sector: concessionaires, exporters, sawmillers, lumberyard dealers; academia: Guyana School of Agriculture; and Government Ministries and Agencies: Ministry of Natural Resources, Ministry of Legal Affairs, Environmental Protection Agency, Forest Products Development & Marketing Council and Forestry Training Centre Inc.
According to the Ministry’s missive, the next steps are to seek stakeholders’ endorsement of the process following which a system that meets international sustainability and legality benchmarks, and allows stakeholders to meet its requirements in practical and cost-effective terms will be developed.
The system, the Ministry said, could be finalised by the end of the year to be used by any exporter at their discretion for market access.
As the PEFC endorsement requires an independent third-party assessment of Guyana’s system, the formal endorsement would be achieved sometime in 2022, the Ministry said.
It was pointed out that all certificates achieved in the interim will gain international PEFC status once the Guyana system has been endorsed formally by the PEFC.
The initiative by the Guyana Forestry Commission comes on the heels of a recent warning issued in relation to illegal logging and mining in protected areas.
The Natural Resources at the time said that it, in conjunction with the Protected Areas Commission was calling on all miners and loggers carrying out illegal operations within designated Protected Areas to cease forthwith.
The identified areas include the Kaieteur National Park, Iwokrama, Kanuku Mountains, Shell Beach, and the Kanashen Amerindian Protected Areas.
The Ministry, the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission, the Guyana Forestry Commission and the Protected Areas Commission said it continues to receive reports of illegal mining and logging in Protected Areas, particularly Kanuku Mountains, Iwokrama and Kaieteur National Park.
It was noted that “these illegal activities are not in keeping with the various Acts that govern these regulatory agencies. As such, seizure of all equipment and legal actions will be instituted to prosecute those found guilty.”
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