Ghana's VPA process:

Some tactical lessons for multi-level, multi-stakeholder engagement for

national rights and governance reform

Ghana’s forest sector

• 150 years of repressive elite expropriation of communal resources for corporation:• resource devastation;• deepening rural poverty & alienation• massive accumulation of private wealth• growing corruption & weakening state legitimacy• growing internecine conflict

• brilliant rhetoric and formally decent institutions

• Complacent “international community”

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VPA process

• VPA de jure• timber trade agreement• state-state bilateral• focus on illegal logging• certification arrangement

• VPA de facto• Vehicle of pro-community forces in state and

civil society in both jurisdictions in engaging the “wall of capital”

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Achievements: Process• Most substantial CS participation in (Ghana) history

• Representation• Steering Committee 0 > ±1 > 1 > 2 > 2.5 = 200%• Negotiating Committee = 0 > 2• Working Groups – 4/4 (including 2 chairs)• Policy subcommittee 1 / 8

• Direct SC engagement with NGOs (FWG & non-FWG), GAWU & TWU, RAOs, Traditional Leaders, District & Regional Forest Forums

• Improved informal channels

• GOG commitment to institutionalise & expand

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Achievement: substantive

• Formal of governance objectives -statement

• 3 – year participatory process towards policy, regulatory and institutional reform supporting Governance Objectives

• Now benchmarks for NREG multi-donor support – threatened by FCPF

Achievement: Political

• Substantial CS mobilisation around forest & community rights agenda

• Greater public awareness of forest crisis and its importance

• Collapse of State-Industry consensus

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Ghana Context

• EU buyers & EU have disproportionate leverage over GOG/GTI

• Network’s of CSOs in Europe, Asia and Africa worked in tandem

• CSOs cultivated important allies amongst GOG & EU negotiators

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Lessons

• levers for intervention & even “soft” "conditionalities" often exist – not “black or white”• Malaysia process stuck on participation and

rights• Ghana process will lead to “best practice”

statement that applies to others• Issue is political will.

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Lessons

• political will can be strengthened by organised & strategically focused CSOs engaging with clear objectives– e.g. EU – Ghana NGO engagement

• gave cover to EU officials• gave cover to Ghanaian officials

Lessons

• involves using formal legal arguments• Constant expansion of participation is crucial –

tactics must compliment not substitute for peoples’ struggle

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THANK YOU