Linkages of Existing certification schemes Timber Legality Assurance

Linkages of Existing certification schemes Timber Legality Assurance to the System (TLAS) "Sharing Lessons on FLEGT VPA Regional Processes: Transitioning from Negotiations to Implementation" Georgetown, Guyana 28 -29 September 2016

CONADEH and IFM Human Rights National Commissioner (CONADEH) Monitoreo Forestal Independiente (MFI)

CONADEH and MFI A. Supporting participation of civil society at the local level. • Promoting citizen participation mechanisms at central and community level • Developing tools to facilitate their role • Conducting training and experience • B. Conducting research on the legality in the production chain of wood • Publishing the reports, improving transparency • Analysis of illegal logging • Monitoring government institutions • Improving coordination between government institutions

CONADEH and MFI All these experiences have been important and have been reflected under construction FLEGT VPA in Honduras: • monitoring the actions of government institutions • Missions Round of Negotiations • Construction of key Attach : II - Legality tables Matrix and V - Legality Assurance System of Honduras (SALH)

Certification schemes and TLAS Private certification processes can be part of the process to ensure the legality of the VPA. Public procurement policies of EU members require that timber products come from sustainably managed forests. The FLEGT Action Plan aims to combat illegal logging

Certification schemes and TLAS FLEGT Action Plan: • Legislation to control imports of illegally harvested timber Timber Regulation EU (EUTR); • A series of measures related to financial due diligence; • Governmental policies of acquisition sustainable by the member states of the EU, and • The Voluntary Partnership Agreements (VPA)

Certification schemes and TLAS The VPA incorporate a legality assurance system that: • defines what is considered legal timber; • verifies compliance under this definition; • monitors the products from the forest during their exportation; • grants licenses for exportation, as providing security to markets; • Independently checks all system elements.

Certification schemes and TLAS There are two types of certifications: • The certification on Forest Management: ensures the origin of wood in a forest is managed according to standards. • The certification of Chain of Custody: guarantees that the wood that comes from certified forests has not been "contaminated" with wood from uncertified sources or unauthorized processes.

Certification schemes and TLAS So we are talking about two elements of sustainable forest management the 'legality' and 'sustainability'. Within a context of purchasing policies, the law is now accepted as a first step towards sustainability as: • The definitions of legality indicate the reach of laws applicable. • The definitions of sustainability that based on agreed or international criteria on sustainable forest.

Certification schemes and TLAS In countries with weak forest governance and inadequate legal frameworks, the combination of both approaches could be more effective than each one separately and act as a powerful engine of change. Voluntary certification continues to put pressure on individuals at a level of detail not reach VPA companies.

Certification schemes and TLAS The VPA complement such detail and ensure that all companies operate under the same rules, so that the entire sector, and thereforest landscape, is under responsible forest management. The certification provides market recognition through statements and labeling does not provide FLEGT VPAs.

Certification schemes and TLAS Certification provides an experience that could benefit the FLEGT VPA process in several ways, including: • provide a working example and testing in practice you can achieve good forest management; • improve understanding of the legal requirements nationally agreed;

Certification schemes and TLAS Certification provides an experience that could benefit the FLEGT VPA process in several ways, including: • use the experience of the private sector in implementing traceability systems, reducing costs of national systems; • use checks forest management units as a means of verification, reducing costs and improving quality and reputation by third party verification.

Certification schemes and TLAS Certification provides an experience that could benefit the FLEGT VPA process in several ways, including: • improve transparency and acceptance of responsibility, including independent audit reports, government data collection and distribution rates, and information on the terms and obligations of the contracts.

Certification schemes and TLAS Certification provides an experience that could benefit the FLEGT VPA process in several ways, including: • improve institutional capacity to govern the sector will avoid competition with illegal forestry operations, improve the regulation and supervision of forest management, and reduce conflicts with stakeholders;

Certification scheme in Honduras VPA Attach II (Legality Matrix) Indicator 3. 3. 3 The forest plantation owners have Plantation certificates with harvesting rights and marketing of products derived from management and utilization of afforested or reforested areas.

Certification scheme in Honduras VPA Attach V (Honduran TLAS) The recognition of private certification: certificates of legality, forest management and chain of custody issued by recognized certification are accepted as evidence of law compliance and as means of simplification of the verification.

Certification schemes and TLAS forest private certification and the FLEGT VPA processes are mutually reinforcing, mainly as a result of increased generating capacity in the forestry sector. In countries with local certification bodies accredited to international certification systems; it is likely to find independent auditors available with appropriate expertise and experience, which will help increase capacity.