Decision No. 1624/QD-TTg 2019 implementation of VPA/FLEGT Agreement

PLAN

For implementation of the Voluntary Partnership Agreement between the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the European Union on the Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (VPA/FLEGT)

(Promulgated together with the Prime Minister's Decision No. 1624/QD-TTg dated November 14, 2019)

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I. OBJECTIVES

The Prime Minister promulgates the Plan for implementation of the Voluntary Partnership Agreement between the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the European Union on the Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (VPA/FLEGT) (hereinafter referred to as the Plan) to assign tasks and responsibilities to relevant agencies and organizations, and to decide on directive and administrative measures as well as other measures to implement this Agreement comprehensively and effectively.

II. MAJOR TASKS

In order to achieve the above objectives, in the coming time, in addition to their regular tasks, Ministries, Ministerial-level agencies, Government-attached agencies, People's Committees of provinces and municipalities shall concretize and organize the implementation of the following principal tasks:

1. To disseminate and disclose information

a) To strengthen dissemination and popularization of information about the VPA/FLEGT to stakeholders (people, especially households involved in afforestation, State management agencies at central and local level, trade associations, cooperatives, business communities, craft villages and cooperatives, wood processing and handicraft business households and social organizations) to by means of mass media, radio broadcasts, television programs, electronic information websites, training courses, seminars in order to raise awareness and understanding of the commitments as well as contents to be effectively implemented in the VPA/FLEGT.

b) To pay attention to making documents to disseminate and popularize information about the VPA/FLEGT based on the needs, qualifications, and capacities of relevant groups at home and abroad related to specific commitments in the Agreement in order to ensure the correct understanding of the Agreement, thereby helping the Agreement to be fully and effectively implemented.

c) To establish information hubs about the VPA/FLEGT, develop electronic data system to disclose information about the VPA/FLEGT and legal documents related to the implementation of the Vietnam’s Timber Legality Assurance System (VNTLAS).

d) To disclose information as committed in Annex VIII on information disclosure of the VPA/FLEGT to ensure that the Agreement is implemented in a transparent, explicit, and effective manner.

2. To complete legal documents

a) To organize the implementation of the commitments in the VPA/FLEGT by developing a Decree regulating the Vietnam’s Timber Legality Assurance System (VNTLAS).

b) To continue to review and complete legal documents on timber management and traceability; manage the import and export of timber and wood products, and public procurements related to timber and wood products.

c) To periodically review, update and adjust the legal documents of Vietnam referred to in Annex II and Annex V of the VPA/FLEGT, as committed in Annex IX of the Agreement.

3. To improve technical infrastructure in order to operate the Vietnam’s Timber Legality Assurance System

a) To develop and operate enterprise classification software, connected with databases on violations against forestry laws and the electronic FLEGT licensing system.

b) To develop and operate the electronic FLEGT licensing system connected to the Vietnam National Single-Window (NSW) Customs System and the Enterprise Classification System.

c) To compile technical manuals for the VNTLAS and the FLEGT licensing mechanism.

d) To increase investment in research and application of advanced technology solutions in identifying imported wood species (their scientific and trade names), building systems of bar codes, code numbers, verification, and traceability of timber.

4. To promote capacity building for implementation of the VPA/FLEGT

a) To assess the capacity of, and work out capacity building plan for, the implementation of the VPA/FLEGT, especially of the VNTLAS, for stakeholders, including: central and local government agencies (forest rangers, customs, FLEGT licensing agencies), timber industry associations, businesses, craft villages, and households participating in the supply chain of VNTLAS.

b) To pay attention to compiling materials and organizing training courses for stakeholders, including: central and local State management agencies (forest rangers, customs, FLEGT licensing agencies), timber industry associations, businesses, craft villages, households involved in afforestation, and wood processing and handicrafts households, on the requirements and regulations of the VNTLAS and FLEGT licensing system.

c) To organize training courses for stakeholders on the VPA/FLEGT, including: central and local State management agencies, timber associations, businesses, craft villages, households involved in afforestation, and wood processing and handicrafts households.

d) To strengthen the application of science and technology in production and business, to take measures in order to improve labor productivity and business governance.

5. To manage, supervise and assess the implementation of the VPA/FLEGT

a) To establish a Joint Implementation Committee (JIC) and organize regular meetings and activities of the JIC in order to perform its functions and tasks as specified in Article 18 and Annex IX of the VPA/FLEGT; to prepare annual reports for the JIC.

b) To strengthen capacity building for the FLEGT Competent Authorities, FLEGT Licensing Agencies, the Standing Office of the FLEGT Steering Committee and the Joint Expert Meetings (JEM) to support the JIC in effectively implementing the VPA/FLEGT; to promote operations of the Multi-Stakeholder Implementation Core Group on the VPA/FLEGT to encourage the participation of stakeholders in the implementation of the Agreement.

c) To develop a supervision and assessment framework for the implementation of the VPA/FLEGT; supervise and assess the implementation of the VPA/FLEGT based on the commitments in Annex VI on independent assessment and Annex VII on assessment of the VNTLAS readiness of the Agreement.

d) To take measures to fix available errors of the VNTLAS.

dd) To assess economic, social, and environmental impacts of the VPA/FLEGT, identify and take measures to mitigate possible adverse impacts.

e) To assess the impacts of the VPA/FLEGT on the markets for export of timber and wood products and propose measures to improve the competitiveness of Vietnam's wood processing and export industry.

6. To perfect mechanisms and policies for sustainable development of the wood processing and export industry

a) To further develop markets for Vietnamese exported timber and wood products made of legal raw timber; to build and promote Vietnam’s brands, VNTLAS, FLEGT licenses and certificates of sustainable forest management.

b) To review and continue to improve technical approaches (national standards, technical regulations, regulations on origin and environmental protection, etc.) in line with the VPA/FLEGT and other international commitments in order to support the growth of Vietnamese wood processing enterprises and wood products, and the domestic market as well as to protect the consumers.

c) To work out mechanisms and policies to develop craft villages, enterprises, cooperatives, and households engaged in wood processing and handicrafts for export, and households involved in afforestation in order to minimize the adverse impacts of the VPA/FLEGT on them, to help them take advantage of opportunities and benefits from the VPA/FLEGT and develop sustainably.

d) To establish imported timber processing centers and large-scale domestic timber plantation zones; to apply e-commerce solutions in supplying raw timber connected with processing and export establishments.

7. To strengthen regional and global cooperation on forest law enforcement, governance, and trade

a) To build, sign and implement forestry cooperation agreements with neighboring countries, the ASEAN, and the key markets in order to promote forest law enforcement, governance and trade.

b) To strengthen international cooperation in the field of customs with the customs authorities of other countries and the Asia-Pacific Regional Intelligence Liaison Office (RILO) of the World Customs Organization (WCO) in order to promptly exchange information, detect, prevent, and coordinate in verifying and handling fraudulent acts in importing and exporting timber and wood products.

c) To negotiate and sign agreements on mutual recognition of timber legality with other countries, especially countries that are important import markets for Vietnamese timber and wood products, such as the United States, South Korea, Japan, and Australia; to apply the ASEAN's voluntary code of conduct on legal timber and the APEC’s guidelines on legal timber for its member economies.

d) To develop and implement regional and international cooperation programs and projects to utilize and take advantage of technical assistance in implementing the VPA/FLEGT.

III. IMPLEMENTATION ORGANIZATION

1. Based on the major contents and tasks of this Plan and their assigned functions and tasks, ministers, heads of ministerial-level agencies, heads of government-attached agencies, chairpersons of People's Committees of municipalities and provinces shall direct the elaboration of implementation plans of their respective ministries, sectors and localities, and send them to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development before March 01, 2020 for it to summarize them in a report sent to the Prime Minister.

2. Ministers, heads of ministerial-level agencies, heads of government-attached agencies, chairpersons of People's Committees of municipalities and provinces shall attach importance to directing, inspecting and accelerating the implementation of the Government's Plan; send reports to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development before November 30 every year for it to summarize them in a report on the implementation situation sent to the Prime Minister and propose necessary measures to ensure the effective and comprehensive implementation of the Plan.

3. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development shall act as the standing body in charge of the implementation of the VPA/FLEGT, perform the role of the Co-chair of the Joint Implementation Committee (JIC) together with the EU; assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with the Governmental Office in, supervising and urging ministries, sectors, localities, associations, and representative organizations of enterprises to implement this Plan.

4. Funds for the implementation of this Plan shall be allocated from the State budget, from donations and other legitimate financial sources. The Ministry of Finance shall assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and concerned agencies in, formulating and allocating funding sources for the implementation of this Plan.

5. In the course of implementing this Plan, if it is necessary to amend and supplement specific contents of the Plan, ministries, sectors and localities shall proactively report it to the Prime Minister, copies of which shall be concurrently sent to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, for the Prime Minister to consider and decide the amendment and supplement./.