IGAD To Develop a Regional Forestry Policy and Strategy

24-04-2018, Djibouti (Djibouti): The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) held an Inception Workshop for the Development of an IGAD Regional Forestry Policy and Strategy on April 10^th in Nairobi with support from the Food and Agriculture Organisation.

The objective of workshop is the development of a Forestry Policy and Strategy for forest management in the IGAD region which would result in improved contributions of forests resources to national economies for poverty reduction, environmental sustainability and development of the IGAD member states.

The development of this policy and strategy is to consider various existing regional and national policies in the natural resources sector.  In addition, similar strategies and protocols on forestry and natural resource management developed by sister Regional Economic Communities in Africa will also be taken into account. Thus in the development of the  Forest Policy and Strategy emphasis has been laid on need for consultation with existing policies and relevant national authorities and validated by relevant technical experts in the IGAD region.

Identification of issues at national level will therefore form the basis for harmonisation of the member states’ strategies and policies for sound management of forest/range resources. These issues identified to be implemented at regional level will form the basis for the IGAD Regional Forestry Policy and Strategy.

The document will be endorsed by the Ministers of Forestry/and Environment from across IGAD for potential implementation.  It will also be integrated into national policies and strategies, and inform future working in the area of cross border/trans-boundary forest resources.

The forestry policy and strategy document(s) will seek the buy-in of high-level decision makers whilst potential practical solutions on the ground will be identified in the Forestry Strategy for implementation by member states.

The overall objective of the inception workshop is to set up the process for developing IGAD Regional Forestry Policy and Strategy and more specifically to:

• Discuss the process for developing IGAD Regional Forestry Policy and Strategy;
• Specify and clarify project roles and responsibilities;
• Present status report and way forward on forest policies and strategies in the 7 IGAD countries;
• Exchange knowledge and experience including legislative issues that can be capitalized on to improve the final policy and strategy document;
• Discuss approach for collection of country level information expected for regional policy and strategy document.

Among the expected outputs are the following points:

• To set Process for developing IGAD Regional Forestry Policy and Strategy

• Clarity on project roles and responsibilities among key partners
• Knowledge on status of forest policies and strategies in the 7 IGAD countries;

• Opportunities for synergies with other initiatives and involvement of other partners and stakeholders;
• Clarity on approach for collection of country level information expected for regional policy and strategy document.