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
Feasibility study for independent forest monitoring in DR Congo (summary)
Forest Watch Special – VPA Update June 2015
Vietnam: Households’ ability to meet timber legality requirements
Simplified community guide to independent forest monitoring
Civil society counter-brief on the Cameroon-EU VPA
Cameroon: FLEGT independent auditors edified on control mechanisms
Key Principles for a VPA in Malaysia
Aide Memoire of the second VPA negotiation between Liberia and the EU
Liberia VPA Steering Committee minutes 23 February 2010
Aide Memoire of the fourth VPA negotiation between Liberia and the EU
NGO Coalition for Liberia press release on final VPA negotiation
