Participation of local communities and civil society in the Forest sector

The document examines the gap between legal provisions and practice regarding the right to participate in Ghana's forest sector. It identifies that while the 1992 Constitution and international agreements like the African Charter and the UNCCD support participation, specific national forestry laws offer limited, often non-binding, protections. It highlights that many participatory processes are relegated to non-binding manuals of procedure, leaving stakeholders without judicial redress when these processes are ignored.

• The 1992 Constitution of Ghana does not explicitly mention forest governance but establishes general rights to participate in political activities and development processes, requiring the state to afford opportunities for people to participate in decision-making at every level of national life.
• National forestry laws provide limited enforceable rights; while farmers and landowners must provide written consent for timber rights on off-reserve lands and be present for stumpage fee calculations, other participatory steps are found in non-binding 'manuals of procedure'.
• The 2012 Forest and Wildlife Policy signals a shift from government-led systems to a 'community-government collaborative management approach', aiming to legalize public participation and ensure tenure security for off-reserve trees.
• Ghana's ratification of the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights allows for the enforcement of participation rights through the African Commission and Court, with the Commission interpreting the right to property as including the right of local communities to participate in development or extraction plans on their lands.
• The Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA) between Ghana and the EU requires stakeholder consultation, but civil society organizations have contested the composition of the Timber Validation Committee, arguing that the replacement of 'Civil Society' with specific groups like the National House of Chiefs restricts representation.
• International frameworks applicable to Ghana, such as the UNCCD and the Convention on Biological Diversity, mandate or encourage the participation of local communities in combating desertification and environmental impact assessments.

APA

ClientEarth (2013). Participation of local communities and civil society in the Forest sector. https://www.clientearth.org/media/1hhhgbvt/2013-11-01-participation-of-local-communities-and-civil-society-in-the-forest-sector-in-ghana-ce-en.pdf

Chicago

ClientEarth. Participation of local communities and civil society in the Forest sector. 2013. https://www.clientearth.org/media/1hhhgbvt/2013-11-01-participation-of-local-communities-and-civil-society-in-the-forest-sector-in-ghana-ce-en.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=ClientEarth |title=Participation of local communities and civil society in the Forest sector |date=November 2013 |url=https://www.clientearth.org/media/1hhhgbvt/2013-11-01-participation-of-local-communities-and-civil-society-in-the-forest-sector-in-ghana-ce-en.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{clientearth2013participation, author = {{ClientEarth}}, title = {{Participation of local communities and civil society in the Forest sector}}, institution = {ClientEarth}, year = {2013}, month = nov, url = {https://www.clientearth.org/media/1hhhgbvt/2013-11-01-participation-of-local-communities-and-civil-society-in-the-forest-sector-in-ghana-ce-en.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }