Forest Subsector Working Group (FSSWG) meeting held

Twice a year, the Forestry Sub-Sector Working Group (FSSWG) - with support from F-REDD 2 - gets together to meet, providing an opportunity to trade opinions about the forestry sector, with discussions ranging from key policies to developments within the sector. The Department of Forestry (DOF) organized the most recent FSSWG meeting, the 23rd such gathering, which was held in Vientiane on December 11, 2024.

Dr. Oupakone ALOUNSAVATH, who is the Deputy Director General of the DOF, was joined by the Senior Representative of the JICA Laos Office, Mr. Noriyuki ITO, to co-chair the December meeting, which welcomed 56 participants. Among these were representatives from relevant organizations and donors, who were either present at the venue in Vientiane or joined online.

Agenda items, selected in advance, included:
1. Discussion on land tenure security within forest areas
2. Progress of the National Protected Area Roadmap
3. Updates on forest carbon and REDD+
4. Results of assessment of Laos’s forest governance (2015–2022)
5. Overview of the GCF REDD+ RBP Funding Proposal

DOF officials and other experts gave presentations on each topic, leading to active discussions — in particular reaffirming the necessity of collaborating with relevant agencies and donors regarding land tenure security inside forests. In Laos, an estimated 3,176 villages are located within forest areas (including production, protection, and conservation forests). The government has a new policy of granting land use rights to people who have traditionally lived and earned their livelihoods within forest areas, with the DOF developing guidelines and preparing relevant information to facilitate this process.