Project News

As part of its Component 1 activities, the project had been supporting the formulation of a new law to replace Law on Forest Protection and Development. In the process, the draft new law had gone through multiple revisions based on constructive feedback from such various stakeholders as government organizations or NGOs at national and regional consultations. As a result, in November 2017, the draft law was adopted by the National Assembly and named as Law on Forestry. This amendment is aimed to overcome limitations of Law on Forest Protection and Development and meet the increasingly high demands of the nation and international communities such as clear forestland boundaries for effective management, reorganization of the timber industry in the international market, good forest governance in the context of climate change.

As the law will come into effect from January 1st 2019, it is required that bylaw documents, i.e. decrees and circulars, be prepared and promulgated by the end of this October. Under its responsibilities, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) must develop a total of 11 related regulations, including four decrees and seven circulars. With the support from SNRM Project, the Decree guiding the implementation of some provisions of the Law has been drafted and shared for feedback at a national consultation workshop in Hanoi on 16 March. At the workshop, there were over 200 officials from government agencies and some international experts from the donors which had supported the Law/ Decree drafting process. the drafting team presented the draft decree and participants provided their feedback on a wide range of issues, including definition of forests, procedures for forestland conversion, and organization of forest rangers for forest management. After the conference, the draft will be revised and made public for further comments.

Joining hands with other donors, the project is going to provide continued support to MARD on development of by-law documents under Law on Forestry.

Mr. Tuan, Vice Minister of MARD, delivered the opening speech.

Mr. Miyazono, Chief Technical Advisor of SNRM Project, gave a speech.