The process of political and economic reform in Europe's transition economies has created significant incentives for changing the way forest institutions conserve and manage Europe's forests. These incentives are strong both at the country level, because of the need for institutions which are responsive to local demands for forest services and products, but also within the global context, where various international commitments for forest and biodiversity conservation have created incentives to develop institutional systems which are more responsive to these demands as well.

Forest Institutions in Transition [PDF, 2005] is the result of a review of 17 forest organizations in both transition economies, as well as in several forest-rich OECD economies. Key challenges of forestry sector reform identified relate to how well and how quickly conservative forest organizations have been able to adapt to a combination of two simultaneous factors: increasingly fast and 'fashionable', domestically driven (frequently ad hoc), post-socialist economic and administrative reforms, and more profound and consumer-driven changes in the forest products industries. A major finding from this review is that to be successful in adapting to changing demands, forest institutional reform must focus on how forest organizations can operate as service delivery institutions.

This publication provides strategic guidance on institutional performance criteria for delivering multi-functional and environmentally sustainable forest management. It also addresses some of the special challenges for countries which are moving toward accession to the European Union as they seek to develop their forest management institutions in a manner which is consistent with other EU models and standards.

The process of political and economic reform in Europe's transition economies has created significant incentives for changing the way forest institutions conserve and manage Europe's forests. These incentives are strong both at the country level, because of the need for institutions which are responsive to local demands for forest services and products, but also within the global context, where various international commitments for forest and biodiversity conservation have created incentives to develop institutional systems which are more responsive to these demands as well.

Forest Institutions in Transition [PDF, 2005] is the result of a review of 17 forest organizations in both transition economies, as well as in several forest-rich OECD economies. Key challenges of forestry sector reform identified relate to how well and how quickly conservative forest organizations have been able to adapt to a combination of two simultaneous factors: increasingly fast and 'fashionable', domestically driven (frequently ad hoc), post-socialist economic and administrative reforms, and more profound and consumer-driven changes in the forest products industries. A major finding from this review is that to be successful in adapting to changing demands, forest institutional reform must focus on how forest organizations can operate as service delivery institutions.

This publication provides strategic guidance on institutional performance criteria for delivering multi-functional and environmentally sustainable forest management. It also addresses some of the special challenges for countries which are moving toward accession to the European Union as they seek to develop their forest management institutions in a manner which is consistent with other EU models and standards.

CHALLENGE

Private foreign direct investment (FDI) in the forest sector considerably exceeds public official development assistance (ODA). In recent years, forest financing has been characterized by an increase in FDI into developing countries to approximately US$8-10 billion a year, and a decline in ODA to about US$1.75 billion a year. However, current levels of investment in the forest sector, both domestic and foreign, fall far short of investment requirements necessary to realize the potential of well-managed forest resources to contribute to poverty alleviation, the protection of vital environmental services, and sustainable economic growth in developing and transition countries.

APPROACH

To address this issue, a Forest Investment Forum was convened in October 2003 at World Bank Headquarters in Washington DC. The forum brought together 150 senior executives of domestic and multinational forest product companies, private and public sector financial institutions, and leading conservation agencies from around the world. Organized jointly by the World Bank, the International Finance Corporation (IFC), World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), WWF, the Program on Forests (PROFOR), and Forest Trends, the forum set out to:

• Identify opportunities for investments in environmentally and socially sustainable forestry in developing and economic transition countries;
• Consider actions that the World Bank Group and Forum participants could take to create an enabling environment for responsible private sector investment; and
• Explore the willingness of forum participants to support a process to develop clearly defined and mutually compatible social, economic and environmental investment guidelines specific to the forest sector.

The Forest Investment Forum report includes the forum organizers' outcome statement, a summary of discussions, and an analysis of opportunities and key constraints to environmentally and socially responsible private sector investment in the forest sector.

MAIN FINDINGS

The Forum provided an opportunity for lively discussion that served to successfully hone in on key constraints needing further address, specifically:

• Insecurity of raw material supply and political instability. These represent risks for investors and threaten the continuity of manufacturing operations. Special emphasis was given to the need for the reform of timber concessions, with the aims specifically of: introducing greater transparency into timber allocation processes; involving local communities in the dialogue; achieving equitable revenue sharing; encouraging value-added processing; and guaranteeing to responsible timber companies the long-term security of raw material supply.
• Illegal logging and forest-related corruption. Illegal activities in many countries are a deterrent to responsible private sector investment. Numerous initiatives have been launched to address these issues, and some governments have displayed a willingness to put the issues of forest-related corruption and improved forest governance high on their agendas.
• Lack of environmental assessment procedures and safeguard policies. This can both deter socially and environmentally responsible companies and encourage investment by irresponsible operators. Weak institutional mechanisms for the monitoring of environmental procedures and safeguard policies furthermore can impede the implementation of such procedures and policies.
• Lack of consensus on independent certification. There is much confusion in the marketplace over the merits of the different certification schemes. Attempts to achieve mutual recognition so far have been unsuccessful, and the emphasis has shifted to development of minimum standards or legitimacy thresholds, and to the definition of processes for measuring step-by-step progress toward SFM.
• Inconsistent strategies for the protection of high-conservation-value forests (HCVFs). The different strategies employed by industry and conservation groups to protect HCVFs and to integrate biodiversity protection into forest management practices must be brought into accord.
• Debate on the impacts of plantation-based forestry. Given the worldwide trend toward greater reliance on plantation forests, there is a need for agreement between the conservation community and industry on where and how plantation forests can be developed such that any potentially negative social and environmental impacts can be avoided. Small-scale farm and community-owned plantations can play a key role in contributing to income generation and to economic growth.
• Markets for forest environmental services are underdeveloped. An enabling environment must be developed to help accelerate private sector investment in environmental services such as carbon sequestration, biodiversity protection, and water services must be encouraged through developing an enabling environment for such investment. Encouraging progress has been made in recent years, and some 280 deals have been concluded. However, uncertainties about these markets and their potential financial benefits remain a constraint to the replication of such deals.
• The financial mechanisms and technical assistance support for small and medium-size forest enterprises are inadequate. The forum discussed opportunities for partnerships between larger forest industrial companies and small-scale, low-income producers. A number of partnerships are making a significant contribution to community livelihoods and to resolving problems such as the clarification of land rights. However, community bargaining power and the ability to mobilize capital remain weak.

CHALLENGE

Private foreign direct investment (FDI) in the forest sector considerably exceeds public official development assistance (ODA). In recent years, forest financing has been characterized by an increase in FDI into developing countries to approximately US$8-10 billion a year, and a decline in ODA to about US$1.75 billion a year. However, current levels of investment in the forest sector, both domestic and foreign, fall far short of investment requirements necessary to realize the potential of well-managed forest resources to contribute to poverty alleviation, the protection of vital environmental services, and sustainable economic growth in developing and transition countries.

APPROACH

To address this issue, a Forest Investment Forum was convened in October 2003 at World Bank Headquarters in Washington DC. The forum brought together 150 senior executives of domestic and multinational forest product companies, private and public sector financial institutions, and leading conservation agencies from around the world. Organized jointly by the World Bank, the International Finance Corporation (IFC), World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), WWF, the Program on Forests (PROFOR), and Forest Trends, the forum set out to:

• Identify opportunities for investments in environmentally and socially sustainable forestry in developing and economic transition countries;
• Consider actions that the World Bank Group and Forum participants could take to create an enabling environment for responsible private sector investment; and
• Explore the willingness of forum participants to support a process to develop clearly defined and mutually compatible social, economic and environmental investment guidelines specific to the forest sector.

The Forest Investment Forum report includes the forum organizers' outcome statement, a summary of discussions, and an analysis of opportunities and key constraints to environmentally and socially responsible private sector investment in the forest sector.

MAIN FINDINGS

The Forum provided an opportunity for lively discussion that served to successfully hone in on key constraints needing further address, specifically:

• Insecurity of raw material supply and political instability. These represent risks for investors and threaten the continuity of manufacturing operations. Special emphasis was given to the need for the reform of timber concessions, with the aims specifically of: introducing greater transparency into timber allocation processes; involving local communities in the dialogue; achieving equitable revenue sharing; encouraging value-added processing; and guaranteeing to responsible timber companies the long-term security of raw material supply.
• Illegal logging and forest-related corruption. Illegal activities in many countries are a deterrent to responsible private sector investment. Numerous initiatives have been launched to address these issues, and some governments have displayed a willingness to put the issues of forest-related corruption and improved forest governance high on their agendas.
• Lack of environmental assessment procedures and safeguard policies. This can both deter socially and environmentally responsible companies and encourage investment by irresponsible operators. Weak institutional mechanisms for the monitoring of environmental procedures and safeguard policies furthermore can impede the implementation of such procedures and policies.
• Lack of consensus on independent certification. There is much confusion in the marketplace over the merits of the different certification schemes. Attempts to achieve mutual recognition so far have been unsuccessful, and the emphasis has shifted to development of minimum standards or legitimacy thresholds, and to the definition of processes for measuring step-by-step progress toward SFM.
• Inconsistent strategies for the protection of high-conservation-value forests (HCVFs). The different strategies employed by industry and conservation groups to protect HCVFs and to integrate biodiversity protection into forest management practices must be brought into accord.
• Debate on the impacts of plantation-based forestry. Given the worldwide trend toward greater reliance on plantation forests, there is a need for agreement between the conservation community and industry on where and how plantation forests can be developed such that any potentially negative social and environmental impacts can be avoided. Small-scale farm and community-owned plantations can play a key role in contributing to income generation and to economic growth.
• Markets for forest environmental services are underdeveloped. An enabling environment must be developed to help accelerate private sector investment in environmental services such as carbon sequestration, biodiversity protection, and water services must be encouraged through developing an enabling environment for such investment. Encouraging progress has been made in recent years, and some 280 deals have been concluded. However, uncertainties about these markets and their potential financial benefits remain a constraint to the replication of such deals.
• The financial mechanisms and technical assistance support for small and medium-size forest enterprises are inadequate. The forum discussed opportunities for partnerships between larger forest industrial companies and small-scale, low-income producers. A number of partnerships are making a significant contribution to community livelihoods and to resolving problems such as the clarification of land rights. However, community bargaining power and the ability to mobilize capital remain weak.

Assessment of forest landscape restoration potential in Ghana to contribute to REDD+ strategies for climate change mitigation, poverty alleviation and sustainable forest management

CHALLENGE

The negotiations on mitigating climate change have moved from a narrow focus on avoided deforestation to a broader approach to reduced emissions called "REDD+". The "plus" encompasses conservation, sustainable management of forests and enhancement of forest carbon stocks. The importance of forest landscape restoration in addressing climate change and other societal needs was brought home in November 2009 when the Global Partnership on Forest Landscape Restoration (GPFLR) concluded that more than 1 billion hectares of lost forests and degraded lands worldwide present restoration opportunities that could sequester significant amounts of carbon.

Ghana, a country where gradual degradation is more of a threat to tree cover than outright deforestation, is eager to assess and harness the potential of forest landscape restoration. It is an active participant in the Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF) and was chosen as a pilot country for the Forest Investment Program (FIP).

APPROACH

With support from PROFOR, IUCN and the UK government, the World Bank's Africa region lead the following analytical work in partnership with the GPFLR:

• Preliminary national assessment of forest landscape restoration (FLR) potential, including mapping, assessment of carbon potential and economic analysis
• Development of recommendations on the contribution of FLR within the national and global REDD+ debate and identification of opportunities for investment
• Development and dissemination of a methodology that could benefit other countries

The project was carried out in a participatory manner to ensure that the analysis is credible and has the support of multiple stake-holders.

RESULTS

The activity produced forest reserve cover maps indicating whether the forests are degraded or not, but did not deliver an assessment of the potential for forest landscape restoration nationwide. There was a strong interest in Ghana in assessing the degradation status of the forest reserves against a 1995 baseline. There was also an opportunity to gain experience comparing remotely sensed and ground-based information that could later be extended to other parts of the country.

The project generated a methodology for assessing forest degradation in Ghana as well as information showing that significant degradation had indeed taken place since the last systematic assessment carried out by Hawthorne and Abu-Juam in 1995.

The methodology for assessing forest degradation involved:

• Image acquisition and pre-processing (Landsat data between 1999 and 2010)
• Image classification (using Iterative Self-Organizing Data Analysis) and field validation to assess mapping accuracy
• Map composition and presentation

After the end of the PROFOR grant in September 2011, the work on forest landscape restoration assessment continued under the German-funded International Climate Initiative.

Assessment of forest landscape restoration potential in Ghana to contribute to REDD+ strategies for climate change mitigation, poverty alleviation and sustainable forest management

CHALLENGE

The negotiations on mitigating climate change have moved from a narrow focus on avoided deforestation to a broader approach to reduced emissions called "REDD+". The "plus" encompasses conservation, sustainable management of forests and enhancement of forest carbon stocks. The importance of forest landscape restoration in addressing climate change and other societal needs was brought home in November 2009 when the Global Partnership on Forest Landscape Restoration (GPFLR) concluded that more than 1 billion hectares of lost forests and degraded lands worldwide present restoration opportunities that could sequester significant amounts of carbon.

Ghana, a country where gradual degradation is more of a threat to tree cover than outright deforestation, is eager to assess and harness the potential of forest landscape restoration. It is an active participant in the Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF) and was chosen as a pilot country for the Forest Investment Program (FIP).

APPROACH

With support from PROFOR, IUCN and the UK government, the World Bank's Africa region lead the following analytical work in partnership with the GPFLR:

• Preliminary national assessment of forest landscape restoration (FLR) potential, including mapping, assessment of carbon potential and economic analysis
• Development of recommendations on the contribution of FLR within the national and global REDD+ debate and identification of opportunities for investment
• Development and dissemination of a methodology that could benefit other countries

The project was carried out in a participatory manner to ensure that the analysis is credible and has the support of multiple stake-holders.

RESULTS

The activity produced forest reserve cover maps indicating whether the forests are degraded or not, but did not deliver an assessment of the potential for forest landscape restoration nationwide. There was a strong interest in Ghana in assessing the degradation status of the forest reserves against a 1995 baseline. There was also an opportunity to gain experience comparing remotely sensed and ground-based information that could later be extended to other parts of the country.

The project generated a methodology for assessing forest degradation in Ghana as well as information showing that significant degradation had indeed taken place since the last systematic assessment carried out by Hawthorne and Abu-Juam in 1995.

The methodology for assessing forest degradation involved:

• Image acquisition and pre-processing (Landsat data between 1999 and 2010)
• Image classification (using Iterative Self-Organizing Data Analysis) and field validation to assess mapping accuracy
• Map composition and presentation

After the end of the PROFOR grant in September 2011, the work on forest landscape restoration assessment continued under the German-funded International Climate Initiative.

Assessment of forest landscape restoration potential in Ghana to contribute to REDD+ strategies for climate change mitigation, poverty alleviation and sustainable forest management

CHALLENGE

The negotiations on mitigating climate change have moved from a narrow focus on avoided deforestation to a broader approach to reduced emissions called "REDD+". The "plus" encompasses conservation, sustainable management of forests and enhancement of forest carbon stocks. The importance of forest landscape restoration in addressing climate change and other societal needs was brought home in November 2009 when the Global Partnership on Forest Landscape Restoration (GPFLR) concluded that more than 1 billion hectares of lost forests and degraded lands worldwide present restoration opportunities that could sequester significant amounts of carbon.

Ghana, a country where gradual degradation is more of a threat to tree cover than outright deforestation, is eager to assess and harness the potential of forest landscape restoration. It is an active participant in the Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF) and was chosen as a pilot country for the Forest Investment Program (FIP).

APPROACH

With support from PROFOR, IUCN and the UK government, the World Bank's Africa region lead the following analytical work in partnership with the GPFLR:

• Preliminary national assessment of forest landscape restoration (FLR) potential, including mapping, assessment of carbon potential and economic analysis
• Development of recommendations on the contribution of FLR within the national and global REDD+ debate and identification of opportunities for investment
• Development and dissemination of a methodology that could benefit other countries

The project was carried out in a participatory manner to ensure that the analysis is credible and has the support of multiple stake-holders.

RESULTS

The activity produced forest reserve cover maps indicating whether the forests are degraded or not, but did not deliver an assessment of the potential for forest landscape restoration nationwide. There was a strong interest in Ghana in assessing the degradation status of the forest reserves against a 1995 baseline. There was also an opportunity to gain experience comparing remotely sensed and ground-based information that could later be extended to other parts of the country.

The project generated a methodology for assessing forest degradation in Ghana as well as information showing that significant degradation had indeed taken place since the last systematic assessment carried out by Hawthorne and Abu-Juam in 1995.

The methodology for assessing forest degradation involved:

• Image acquisition and pre-processing (Landsat data between 1999 and 2010)
• Image classification (using Iterative Self-Organizing Data Analysis) and field validation to assess mapping accuracy
• Map composition and presentation

After the end of the PROFOR grant in September 2011, the work on forest landscape restoration assessment continued under the German-funded International Climate Initiative.

Assessment of forest landscape restoration potential in Ghana to contribute to REDD+ strategies for climate change mitigation, poverty alleviation and sustainable forest management

CHALLENGE

The negotiations on mitigating climate change have moved from a narrow focus on avoided deforestation to a broader approach to reduced emissions called "REDD+". The "plus" encompasses conservation, sustainable management of forests and enhancement of forest carbon stocks. The importance of forest landscape restoration in addressing climate change and other societal needs was brought home in November 2009 when the Global Partnership on Forest Landscape Restoration (GPFLR) concluded that more than 1 billion hectares of lost forests and degraded lands worldwide present restoration opportunities that could sequester significant amounts of carbon.

Ghana, a country where gradual degradation is more of a threat to tree cover than outright deforestation, is eager to assess and harness the potential of forest landscape restoration. It is an active participant in the Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF) and was chosen as a pilot country for the Forest Investment Program (FIP).

APPROACH

With support from PROFOR, IUCN and the UK government, the World Bank's Africa region lead the following analytical work in partnership with the GPFLR:

• Preliminary national assessment of forest landscape restoration (FLR) potential, including mapping, assessment of carbon potential and economic analysis
• Development of recommendations on the contribution of FLR within the national and global REDD+ debate and identification of opportunities for investment
• Development and dissemination of a methodology that could benefit other countries

The project was carried out in a participatory manner to ensure that the analysis is credible and has the support of multiple stake-holders.

RESULTS

The activity produced forest reserve cover maps indicating whether the forests are degraded or not, but did not deliver an assessment of the potential for forest landscape restoration nationwide. There was a strong interest in Ghana in assessing the degradation status of the forest reserves against a 1995 baseline. There was also an opportunity to gain experience comparing remotely sensed and ground-based information that could later be extended to other parts of the country.

The project generated a methodology for assessing forest degradation in Ghana as well as information showing that significant degradation had indeed taken place since the last systematic assessment carried out by Hawthorne and Abu-Juam in 1995.

The methodology for assessing forest degradation involved:

• Image acquisition and pre-processing (Landsat data between 1999 and 2010)
• Image classification (using Iterative Self-Organizing Data Analysis) and field validation to assess mapping accuracy
• Map composition and presentation

After the end of the PROFOR grant in September 2011, the work on forest landscape restoration assessment continued under the German-funded International Climate Initiative.

Assessment of forest landscape restoration potential in Ghana to contribute to REDD+ strategies for climate change mitigation, poverty alleviation and sustainable forest management

CHALLENGE

The negotiations on mitigating climate change have moved from a narrow focus on avoided deforestation to a broader approach to reduced emissions called "REDD+". The "plus" encompasses conservation, sustainable management of forests and enhancement of forest carbon stocks. The importance of forest landscape restoration in addressing climate change and other societal needs was brought home in November 2009 when the Global Partnership on Forest Landscape Restoration (GPFLR) concluded that more than 1 billion hectares of lost forests and degraded lands worldwide present restoration opportunities that could sequester significant amounts of carbon.

Ghana, a country where gradual degradation is more of a threat to tree cover than outright deforestation, is eager to assess and harness the potential of forest landscape restoration. It is an active participant in the Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF) and was chosen as a pilot country for the Forest Investment Program (FIP).

APPROACH

With support from PROFOR, IUCN and the UK government, the World Bank's Africa region lead the following analytical work in partnership with the GPFLR:

• Preliminary national assessment of forest landscape restoration (FLR) potential, including mapping, assessment of carbon potential and economic analysis
• Development of recommendations on the contribution of FLR within the national and global REDD+ debate and identification of opportunities for investment
• Development and dissemination of a methodology that could benefit other countries

The project was carried out in a participatory manner to ensure that the analysis is credible and has the support of multiple stake-holders.

RESULTS

The activity produced forest reserve cover maps indicating whether the forests are degraded or not, but did not deliver an assessment of the potential for forest landscape restoration nationwide. There was a strong interest in Ghana in assessing the degradation status of the forest reserves against a 1995 baseline. There was also an opportunity to gain experience comparing remotely sensed and ground-based information that could later be extended to other parts of the country.

The project generated a methodology for assessing forest degradation in Ghana as well as information showing that significant degradation had indeed taken place since the last systematic assessment carried out by Hawthorne and Abu-Juam in 1995.

The methodology for assessing forest degradation involved:

• Image acquisition and pre-processing (Landsat data between 1999 and 2010)
• Image classification (using Iterative Self-Organizing Data Analysis) and field validation to assess mapping accuracy
• Map composition and presentation

After the end of the PROFOR grant in September 2011, the work on forest landscape restoration assessment continued under the German-funded International Climate Initiative.

Assessment of forest landscape restoration potential in Ghana to contribute to REDD+ strategies for climate change mitigation, poverty alleviation and sustainable forest management

CHALLENGE

The negotiations on mitigating climate change have moved from a narrow focus on avoided deforestation to a broader approach to reduced emissions called "REDD+". The "plus" encompasses conservation, sustainable management of forests and enhancement of forest carbon stocks. The importance of forest landscape restoration in addressing climate change and other societal needs was brought home in November 2009 when the Global Partnership on Forest Landscape Restoration (GPFLR) concluded that more than 1 billion hectares of lost forests and degraded lands worldwide present restoration opportunities that could sequester significant amounts of carbon.

Ghana, a country where gradual degradation is more of a threat to tree cover than outright deforestation, is eager to assess and harness the potential of forest landscape restoration. It is an active participant in the Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF) and was chosen as a pilot country for the Forest Investment Program (FIP).

APPROACH

With support from PROFOR, IUCN and the UK government, the World Bank's Africa region lead the following analytical work in partnership with the GPFLR:

• Preliminary national assessment of forest landscape restoration (FLR) potential, including mapping, assessment of carbon potential and economic analysis
• Development of recommendations on the contribution of FLR within the national and global REDD+ debate and identification of opportunities for investment
• Development and dissemination of a methodology that could benefit other countries

The project was carried out in a participatory manner to ensure that the analysis is credible and has the support of multiple stake-holders.

RESULTS

The activity produced forest reserve cover maps indicating whether the forests are degraded or not, but did not deliver an assessment of the potential for forest landscape restoration nationwide. There was a strong interest in Ghana in assessing the degradation status of the forest reserves against a 1995 baseline. There was also an opportunity to gain experience comparing remotely sensed and ground-based information that could later be extended to other parts of the country.

The project generated a methodology for assessing forest degradation in Ghana as well as information showing that significant degradation had indeed taken place since the last systematic assessment carried out by Hawthorne and Abu-Juam in 1995.

The methodology for assessing forest degradation involved:

• Image acquisition and pre-processing (Landsat data between 1999 and 2010)
• Image classification (using Iterative Self-Organizing Data Analysis) and field validation to assess mapping accuracy
• Map composition and presentation

After the end of the PROFOR grant in September 2011, the work on forest landscape restoration assessment continued under the German-funded International Climate Initiative.

CHALLENGE
Over the past years the Mekong region countries have increased their role in global timber trade and have been a focal point in the global discussion on forest governance and illegal logging. Countries in the region have different and complementing roles in the regional trade but much of the logging in natural forests in the region is still either unsustainable or unauthorized – or both. In all the countries, forest law enforcement and governance (FLEG) has been an actively debated issue.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has made important progress in building regional commitment to improving good governance in the forest sector. The next step would be to develop concrete and substantive local, national and sub-regional forest governance and law enforcement programs and projects to implement the agreed policies in a tangible way.

APPROACH
The objective of the Mekong Project was to build on the political will demonstrated at the FLEG East Asia and Pacific Regional Ministerial Conference in Bali, Indonesia (hosted by the World Bank and Government of Indonesia in September 2001) and in the ASEAN. It aimed to support diagnostics, capacity building, and policy and institutional reforms, through regional and national activities, that would directly address the causes and symptoms of forest crimes and improve forest governance generally.

Cambodia, Lao PDR, Thailand and Vietnam were the primary focus countries in the region.

The project took a phased approach, first identifying priority areas through multi-stakeholder consultation, and strengthening the knowledge base. Based on the regional consultative process, the next step will be dedicated to preparing and implementing a detailed action plan.

RESULTS
Improving Forest Governance in the Mekong Region, a report outlining options for regional activities improving forest governance in the Mekong region in support of national programs, was published in April 2011. The report is based on a series of workshops and analyses that were conducted in 2009 and 2010, as well as extensive interviews with experts from national and regional programs in Cambodia, Lao PDR, Thailand and Vietnam. Representatives from government, civil society, industry and regional bodies such as ASEAN participated in two workshops held in Lao PDR and Vietnam. Analysis was also made on Myanmar to research potential for involvement in regional activities.

• The first volume presents current FLEG trends in the Mekong region, where countries have taken steps to respond to increased demands for accountability and legality of timber and wood product exports.
• The second volume identifies 13 areas of potential collaboration in the region. All of them:
  - include regional components that cover issues common to several Mekong countries but would still support national processe
  - utilize existing committees, working groups, forest governance processes and participants rather than establishing new administrative layers
  - increase accountability and transparency in decision-making and access to information, and
  - focus on building capacity to manage systems and processes beyond the term of project activities.