The session focused on finding measures to boost links within the Asia-Pacific in a bid to protect forest resources, prevent illegal logging and enhance capacity of APEC member economies in legal timber trade.Participants discussed ways to improve connections between producers and consumers as well as between small-scale forest growers and wood processing companies to ensure that only legal timber is allowed to be exported.
At the function, Nguyen Van Ha, deputy head of the Vietnam Administration of Forestry, said Vietnam is making effort to scale up forest coverage nationwide, with the rate increasing to 40.84% in 2015 from 33.2% in 2010.
APEC member economies account for 53% of the global forest areas. They also make up 60% and 80% of the global timber production and value.
Founded in 2011, the EGILAT serves as a platform for the economies to strengthen policy dialogue on combating illegal logging and associated trade, as well as promoting the trade of legally harvested forest products.
The SOM-1 is underway in Nha Trang city, the south central coastal province of Khanh Hoa, from February 18 to March 3.
