PHOTO: LibTA Head, E. Ekema A. Witherspoon (Middle)
Liberian Timber stakeholders under the banner, “Broader Market Recognition Coalition” (MBRC) has endorsed an international instrument aimed at opening new horizons in the international market that would give them the opportunity to sell Liberia timber species to more countries apart from Britain and the European Union.
The document was endorsed over the weekend, following a two-day brainstorming session in Monrovia by representatives from the government led by the Forestry Development Authority, private sector (logging companies) and civil society.
In their endorsement statement at the end of the verification of the BMRC document, the Liberian stakeholders said the BMRC provides great opportunity to the forest sector of Liberia for known and lesser known indigenous tropical timber species products to access global market in addition to the European Union and the United Kingdom markets which are currently covered by the Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA).
The statement said in view of the above, Liberia’s forest stakeholders recognized that in establishing the BMRC National Committee, consideration should be given to strengthening the existing Multi-stakeholders Processes.
The statement added that to enhance progress of the Liberia BMRC process, attention should be directed at the Government of Liberia as steps should be taken towards reducing challenges faced by logging companies and other operators regarding current infrastructure including roads, port facilities, and handling among others.
According to the Liberian forest stakeholders, the BMRC is a new approach thus concerted efforts should be made to provide education and awareness by the BMRC National Committee of Liberia to ensure that all forest stakeholders fully embrace this global initiative to incentivize tropical sustainable forest systems.
Other Liberian forest stakeholders who signed the MBRC document alongside the FDA include the Liberia Timber Association (LibTA); relevant Government Ministries and Agencies (MAC); Liberia Chainsaw and Timber Dealers Union; NGO Coalition of Liberia; the National Benefit Trust Sharing Board and the National Union of Community Forest Management Board.
In a related news, the Indonesian Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF) in collaboration with the Interim Secretariat and working group for Broader Market Recognition (BMR) convened the second policy forum in Bali on Broader Market Recognition of National Systems. The Policy was a follow up to the “Creating Incentives through Broader Market Recognition of National Systems” session at Indonesia Pavilion at CoP27 in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, November 2022, where coalition countries firstly announced its BMR Joint Statement.
The Bali meeting was attended by government, private sector and civil society delegates from Indonesia, Cameroon, Ghana, Guyana, and Liberia alongside representatives of Timber Development UK and the UK forest Governance, Markets and Climate (FGMC) programme, and with technical input from Sustainable Wood Ltd, a UK based consultancy. Due to logistical matters, delegates from Republic of Congo did not attend; however, the delegates are fully updated and support the forum’s processes and outcomes.