Topic : Independent Forest Monitoring (IFM) / Observation Indépendante des Forêts (OIF) / Supervisión Independiente de Bosques
Independent forest monitoring (IFM) is a tool for assessing and strengthening legal compliance in the forest sector internationally. By complementing official forest law enforcement activities with the objectivity and public credibility of an independent third party, IFM can improve transparency in the short term while contributing to the development of a sound legislative and regulatory framework for responsible forest management[citation needed].
Transparency was emphasized as a key element in reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD) by the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) at the Conference of the Parties (COP-15) in Copenhagen in December 2009 in its decisions on methodological guidance for forest monitoring systems
VPA questionnaire responses from Gabon, Malaysia, Vietnam, DR Congo and Honduras
Second Technical Working Group meeting on Indonesia-EU VPA
LoggingOff slideshow introducing the EU FLEGT
Summary of questionnaires presented to Fern on VPA process, October 2012
Joint statement on Guyana-EU VPA, July 2012
Forest Trends briefing: Honduras VPA
Letter about illegal timber harvesting in published Guyana’s Stabroek News
Indonesia’s Timber Legality Assurance System under scrutiny
EU NGO statement on the murder of Indonesian activist Indra Kailani
Ghana Forestry Commission’s proposed wood tracking system
Third Technical Working Group meeting on Indonesia-EU VPA