Ghana

The Voluntary Partnership Agreement with the European Union triggered a review of both the forest policy and the law, but progress has been slow, and Ghana failed to meet its original objective of full VPA implementation by the end of 2011. Read more...

In the absence of a specific information annex in the Voluntary Partnership Agreement, and with the Right to Information Bill continuing to be delayed and diluted, Ghana lacks the framework to require forest authorities to improve access to information. Read more...

More timely information is being made publicly available on the disbursement of forestry royalties to district assemblies and traditional authorities, but further work is necessary to improve transparency in how these revenues are used. Read more...

The Forestry Commission continued to grant administrative logging permits in 2011 without going through a transparent process, despite condemnation from civil society of over-use of this practice. This undermines commitments to forest sector reform. Read more...