Lessons Learnt

The key findings of the Report Card 2010 can be summarised as follows. For further details, click on the links to analysis, conclusions, and recommendations at the end of the page.

• The indicator-based assessment shows little change between 2009 and 2010, and forest sector transparency remains generally poor. Across four countries, eight clear instances of improvement, and four steps backwards were recorded. There are some major areas where lack of disclosure is persistent and undermines governance and accountability. Often this is at a basic level, such as concession contracts, forest management plans, and the relationship between goods and services provided, and revenues generated and redistributed.
• The most significant positive change compared to the previous year is in access to decision-making by ordinary citizens. The dynamics are of course different in different countries but in all cases there is a difference in how communities are increasingly at the core of decisions about their forests, from grass-roots empowerment right up to national-level policy-making.
• Whilst forest sector transparency is increasingly recognised as an issue and discussed openly, the regulatory frameworks for 'carbon concessions' or land deals remain almost non-existent, and a dangerous policy vacuum prevails. There is a real risk in this situation that governments and their people will be locked in to unfavourable contracts.

In summary ordinary people should be able to know, for each activity taking place in their areas, who is involved, what is the extent of their rights, what are his/her obligations towards the communities.