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April 2008 |
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VERIFOR is a research project on the verification
of legality in the forest sector. It aims to work
with partner institutions in tropical countries to
ensure that timber and forest products are legally
harvested and help producer nations put in
place verification systems with high national and
international credibility. |
NEWS A book-length comparative study of verification systems is currently in final stages of preparation, and due for publication in the second half of the year. Drawing on two years of multidisciplinary research by the VERIFOR team, the book presents a wide range of case studies in the forest sector, from three continents ( New VERIFOR Seminars organised by CATIE as part of their MSc course on Forest Policy and Governance on 7-8 March and 5 April 2008. Edgar Maraví (WB) and John Bazill (EC) spoke about the FLEGT programme whilst Anne Larson (CIFOR) led a discussion on decentralisation issues in the forest sector. Course Details (Spanish) > New resources on system DESIGN - for a full list visit http://www.verifor.org/design A new briefing paper explores the potential for multi-stakeholder processes to enhance the credibility of timber verification. Key issues include 'in which contexts' and 'over which issues' it is appropriate to develop a multi-stakeholder process, and what features of the design can help to enhance their legitimacy and effectiveness. Verifor Briefing 8 - Multi-stakeholder processes: Lessons for the process of timber verification. New resources on KEY PRINCIPLES in verification - for a full list visit http://www.verifor.org/principles Two new briefing papers on election monitoring and ombudsmen provide important lessons of the key principles of verification systems. The lessons range from mechanisms for promoting independence and ownership to the way in which they impact on wider institution building and state accountability. The VERIFOR case study on election monitoring discusses lessons from the experience of election observation The VERIFOR case study on Ombudsmen discusses the parallels between the aims and functioning of ombudsmen and that of forest verification. Ombudsmen share similar working principles to systems of verification - they aim to improve the system, and there is evidence that the most effective ombudsmen are those who seek to improve the workings of the administrative system not to expose or denounce its deficiencies. Ombudsmen and forest verification therefore share a common interest in matters of institution building and state accountability, through self-strengthening systems of democratic governance. More > New BACKGROUND resources - for a full list visit http://www.verifor.org/background
Recent international trade patterns in timber products for the Verifor case study countries: A major driver behind the development of national verification systems is the expectation that exported timber REGIONAL activities International: The development of European public procurement policies on timber is bringing sustainability issues back into focus, in addition to legal compliance. One of the three pillars of sustainability concerns social welfare and the inclusion of social issues in procurement policies raises many questions. A workshop held in Full details on the VERIFOR International page... Africa: In 2007 VERIFOR organised training sessions for students at the University of Dshang, Cameroon. The course content focussed on illegal logging in the tropics, institutional and legal arrangements for forest control in Cameroon and experiences of verification systems based on the VERIFOR case studies. Full details and relevant downloads on the VERIFOR Africa page... Asia: VERIFOR’s Asia Focal Point, Full details and relevant downloads on the VERIFOR Asia page... Latin America: Between February and April 2008 CATIE-VERIFOR has taken part in the implementation of FLEG/T activites within the design process of the Central American Forestry Strategic Programme (PERFOR) of CCAD. VERIFOR representatives produced a synthesis on forest legality and governance in the region through case studies on Guatemala, El Salvador, Panama and Belize, including an adaptation of the Costa Rican, Nicaraguan and Honduran case studies prepared previously by the project. A complete study on Central America cross-border timber trade, including trade with he Full details and relevant downloads on the VERIFOR Latin America page... |
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which have relevance to the issue of timber verification. As is the case with independent monitors in the timber sector, the role of election observers is to alleviate doubts over the functioning of a routine process. They check on the veracity of claims, to improve the performance of the managing institutions and the overall governance system, and to increase the legitimacy of the operations under review. 
may soon have to demonstrate that it has been produced in compliance with the laws of the producer country. For example, this is a key element of the Voluntary Partnership Agreements (VPAs) being developed under the EU’s FLEGT Action Plan. The nature of timber product exports is therefore likely to be a key determinant of how different producer countries move forward this reform agenda. 
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The content of this newsletter is the sole responsibility of VERIFOR and can in no way be taken to reflect the views of the EU or other donors. |