This milestone will make Ghana the first country in Africa and the second in the world to achieve this feat, the Min­ister of Lands and Forestry, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah has disclosed.

The Minister made this announcement during a courtesy call on him on Thurs­day by the European Union Ambassador to Ghana, Mr Irchad Razaaly.

The meeting provided an opportunity to reflect on the enduring bilateral coop­eration between Ghana and the EU and explore further collaboration areas.

Regarding the implementation of the Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA), a legally binding trade agreement between the EU and timber producing countries, ratified by Parliament in 2009, the Minister noted that Ghana had made substantial progress in strengthening forest governance systems.

“All is set for the issuance of Ghana’s first FLEGT License. The only outstanding task is the ratification of a second batch of Timber Utilisation Contracts (TUCs), which we expect Parliament to address after the Easter break,” he stated.

Looking ahead, the Minister empha­sized key areas for strengthened cooper­ation, including investments in logistics, capacity building, and technology to aid the deployment of the Wood Tracking System (WTS) and the Ghana Legality Assurance System (GhLAS).

He also urged the EU for assistance in developing large-scale commercial plan­tations and the Tree for Life Reforesta­tion Initiative.

Additionally, the Minister emphasized other areas that require assistance, such as logistical support in the ongoing fight against illegal mining, land reclamation, restoration of polluted water bodies, and technical aid to modernise the timber industry.

He also highlighted the need for climate financing to promote sustainable forest management.

The Minister reaffirmed Ghana’s commitment to strengthening its long­standing partnership with the European Union (EU), particularly in sustainable forest governance.

Mr Buah acknowledged the Union’s critical role in Ghana’s external trade, describing the EU as one of Ghana’s most significant trading partners, which accounted for approximately 14 per cent of trade volumes in 2022.

The minister expressed gratitude to the EU for its continued support to Ghana’s natural resources and environ­mental sector and looked forward to a stronger and more fruitful partnership in the years ahead.

The EU published the FLEGT in 2003 with wide-range measures for member states to tackle illegal logging in the world’s forest, and to ensure that no illegal timber or timber products can be sold in the EU.

Illegal logging involves harvesting, processing, transporting, buying or selling timber in breach of national and international laws.