Dr Brown explained that as part of the MoU, the UK government would support the Forestry Commission to ensure that timber licensing system maintained the credibility it had earned on the European Union (EU) market, and to broaden that market recognition to other international markets.

He said the partnership was in furtherance of over two decades of collaboration between the UK and Ghana on forest law enforcement, governance and trade.

“We welcome the UK’s offer of support, through this MoU, to work collaboratively with the Forestry Commission to support the introduction of policy and legal reforms as well as the implementation of forest protection strategies that will enable us to confront these pressures head on.

He said without UK’s support to the Forestry Commission in terms of policy, regulatory reforms and engagement of the private sector and civil society was what helped Ghana to achieve the milestone of the first country in Africa and only the second globally, to issue Forest Law Enforcement, Governance, and Trade (FLEGT) licenses to the European Union (EU) market.

“We have four years under this MoU to convert our shared ambition to outcomes by delivering healthier forests and stronger institutions. To realise this ambition, we must maintain the close multi-stakeholder collaboration that enabled us to reach the FLEGT licensing milestone earlier this year,” he said.

He said forests needed to be protected because they played a crucial role in maintaining climate stability, supporting biodiversity and sustainable livelihoods.

“Also, forests act as carbon sinks, protect our watersheds, stabilise soils, and offer both income and cultural identity to our traditional authorities and local communities,” he added.

Dr Brown also said the Forestry Commission would draw on support under this MoU to explore opportunities for Payment for Ecosystem Services to derive additional value for government and local communities from the management of the resource.

Dr Brown said the MoU was timely because it came at a time the Commission was exploring all avenues to protect forest reserves from illegal mining activities.

He said illegal mining had led to serious degradation in a number of forest reserves, and polluted rivers with heavy metals and chemicals, leading to biodiversity loss.  

“A threat of this magnitude can only be effectively addressed when we build on lessons and successes from the past, where government works together with the private sector and civil society in a concerted effort,”. 

UK’s commitment

For his part, Mr Rogg said the partnership was a testament to the commitment of the UK government building on the strong foundation that had already been laid for enhanced forest management in the country.

"The partnership is not just a paper but a critical reflection that the UK and Ghana both see the forest as vital for ecosystem services, fighting the climate crisis, and for job creation," he said.

He commended Ghana for being the first African country and the second in the world to issue FLEGT licence.

Mr Rogg added that the new agreement was a bold step consolidating the gains made in protecting forest resources.

He stressed the need to tackle illegal mining in forest reserves given that it had the potential to destroy the environment, disrupt livelihoods, and also worsened the climate crisis.