The European Union (EU) partnership with Uganda on sustainable forest management took an important step with the signing of a key political roadmap that will see the stimulation of the forest bio-economy, job creation and socioeconomic development through sustainable forest-related value chains and market access. The political endorsement of the Forest Partnership (FP) roadmap was signed on Thursday June 29, 2023 by the Rt. Hon. Prime Minister of the Republic of Uganda, Robinah Nabbanja and the EU Deputy Head of Delegation to Uganda, Mr Guillaume Chartrain co-signed the political validation deal.
The Government of Uganda (GoU) and the EU enjoy a long-standing collaboration in natural resources management (forestry, water, climate change) for over 30 years. Most recently, in the past 15 years, this collaboration has mainly been in the field of commercial forestry.
Following the signing of the FP between the GoU and the EU at the Sharm el-Sheikh Climate Change Conference (COP 27) in Egypt in November 2022, both parties committed to developing a roadmap to implement the Forest Partnership within six months of the signing. Since then, Uganda’s Ministry of Water and Environment has worked closely with line Ministries, Departments and Agencies as well as the EU to elaborate the FP roadmap.
Through the Ministry of Water and Environment, the GoU and the EU Delegation in Kampala, have invested immense efforts in turning this agreement into a tangible reality.
At the signing ceremony that took place at the Office of the Prime Minister, Mr said that the partnership is combining development and investments with protection of biodiversity and curbing climate change. He said the roadmap has been carefully constructed around key objectives, including sustainable forest management, fostering job creation through the forest value chains, curbing deforestation and facilitating trade in legal and sustainable wood products between the European Union and Uganda.
“Our efforts extend to reducing deforestation and forest degradation and facilitating the production of and trade in legal and sustainable forest products. The value we place on our partnership on forestry with Uganda is immeasurable. Uganda, too, recognizes the importance of its forests in mitigating climate change, preserving biodiversity, and ensuring sustainable development,” he said.
