Liberia, EU Conclude the 12th Joint Implementation Committee of Their Bilateral Timber Trade Agreement

Representatives of Liberia and the European Union (EU) have concluded their 12th Joint Implementation Committee (JIC) Meeting, which oversees the implementation of the Forest Law Enforcement Governance and Trade (FLEGT) Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA) between Liberia and the EU.
This agreement aims to improve forest governance and promote legal timber trade between the EU and Liberia. 
The 2-day meeting held in Monrovia on November 26 and 28, 2024, was co-chaired by Hon. 
Philip Parker IV, Chairman of the Board of Directors, Forestry Development Authority (FDA) and Chair of the Liberia Implementation Committee (LIC) for the Republic of Liberia, and Ambassador Nona Deprez, Head of the EU Delegation to Liberia for the EU. 
The meeting was also attended by officials from the Liberian ministries concerned, representatives from the European Commission in Brussels, and forest sector stakeholders, including civil society organizations, rural communities, the private sector, and development partners. 
During the high-level discussions, the European Union informed the Government of Liberia(GoL) of its desire to transition from the Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA) to a Forest Partnership (FP), which the EU thinks is a more holistic and cost-effective instrument, aligned with evolving EU policies and regulations and more suited to the needs and opportunities of the Liberia Forest Sector.
The GoL listened to the EU’s proposal and requested a formal communication from the EU to the Government of Liberia to inform internal discussions, emphasizing the need for high-level engagements on the subject. 
The Parties and forest sector stakeholders had in-depth conversations on the progress regarding benefit sharing, efforts to increase legal compliance, and the implementation of prior JIC decisions. 
There was also a session on support from the EU for forest governance and sustainable forest management, most notably a recently signed 3.5 million Euro program which will be implemented by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). 
The Parties also exchanged on the policy context at the level of the EU, in particular on the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR). The EUDR will impact the trade of timber products between the EU and Liberia. 
In relation to this, the Parties discussed measures that could be integrated in a future form of partnership. Looking ahead, Liberia and the EU have agreed to continue to remain constructively engaged as they strive to ensure sustainable forest governance in Liberia.