GEI supports China and Myanmar to Explore Sustainable Timber Trade

NAYPIDAW (Jan. 14, 2015) – The Myanmar Ministry of Forestry and the Global Environmental Institute (GEI) jointly held the “Seminar on Governance of Timber Trade and Legality System in Myanmar and China” in Naypyidaw, Myanmar.

Members of the international delegations and representatives from cooperating organizations at the Seminar – GEI 2015

The purpose of the seminar was to explore opportunities for China-Myanmar cooperation on forestry and the feasibility of establishing a bilateral timber legality verification system. The seminar also marked the official launch of the China-Myanmar Timber Governance Program.

A total of 120 participants took part including government officials from Myanmar’s Ministry of Forestry and the Research Center for International Trade in Timber Products at China’s State Forestry Administration (SFA), along with organizations from industry, research and academia such as the Myanmar Timber Authentication Committee, Myanmar Timber Industry Association, timber companies and Beijing Forestry University. Representatives of international development organizations and local NGOs also took part, including the UK Government’s Department for International Development (DFID), the EU diplomatic mission, Wildlife Conservation Society(WCS) and EcoDev.

GEI’s Dr. ZHANG Jiqiang gives an address at the Seminar – GEI 2015

During the intervals, the Chinese and Myanmar delegations were able to continue discussions about cooperation and both sides unanimously agreed to have more information exchange on the timber legality verification system currently being drafted by the two countries to support the exploration of future bilateral verification. Dialogue also covered encouraging Chinese timber companies to invest responsibly in Myanmar.

GEI’s Mme Jin Jiaman on a field visitr after the Seminar – GEI 2015

About the China-Myanmar Timber Governance Program

Through research and analysis of the differences between China and Myanmar’s import and export procedures and documentation requirements, the China-Myanmar Timber Governance Program aims to facilitate a series of official and unofficial dialogues, to ultimately promote both countries to agree on a legal timber verification mechanism and further standardize bilateral timber trade.

The program will explore a series of specific cooperation on timber governance, including:

• increasing the ability of front line Chinese customs officers at important ports to identify rare wood species;
• development of a forestry investment country guide to direct enterprises investing in Myanmar on environmental and social responsibility actions;
• explore establishing a China-Myanmar timber processing park to support increased employment and industrial added value in Myanmar;
• enhance the awareness and capacity of Chinese enterprises investing in Myanmar’s forestry industry to act responsibly.

The China-Myanmar Timber Governance Program is being coordinated by GEI and the Research Center for International Trade in Timber Products at China’s SFA, and executed through cooperation by the SFA and Myanmar’s Ministry of Environmental Protection and Forestry. The Program, supported financially by the US blue moon fund, forms part of the China-UK International Cooperation on Forestry Program between the UK’s DFID and the SFA.