Project News

The current Forestry Law was revised in 2007. However, it is now under revision again in order to adapt to changing environments, such as those related to the state of forests and their management, and the domestic and global circumstances surrounding Lao forests. The current revision is in progress, with a target for approval by the National Assembly in the first half of 2019.

The main revision points include: the reinforcement and refinement of regulations concerning logging and forest conversion, establishment of a timber legality assurance system in line with FLEGT^[1], and development of policies related to forest environmental services, including REDD+. In addition, a draft of the Land Law revision that is closely related to the Forestry Law has been disclosed for public comment and is expected to be deliberated and approved by the National Assembly at the end of 2018.

F-REDD is playing an active role in this revision process, such as by supporting the translation and distribution of the English draft of the revised law, gathering and coordinating input from development partners, facilitating discussion at Forestry Sub-Sector Working Group meetings, and hosting technical meetings with the drafting committee. We will continue to facilitate the revision process to ensure the revised Forestry Law is effective and practical, as well as consistent with the new Land Law.