Ecobreves – HONDURAS: Agreement with EU to Protect Forests

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TEGUCIGALPA, Nov 5 2012 (IPS) - The government of Honduras and the European Union have signed an agreement aimed at improving forest governance by prohibiting the illegal harvesting and sale of timber and establishing effective forest protection standards. The agreement is the first of its kind in Latin America, and will involve as counterparts the Honduran Democracy Without Borders Foundation (FDsF), the UK-based organization Global Witness, and the Central American organization Progressio Latina, all of which work in environmental and forest protection, environmental expert Rigoberto Sandoval told Tierramérica.

The FDsF will monitor the execution of the agreement to be signed with the Forest Conservation Institute, a government agency, to reinforce forest governance in this country with an annual deforestation rate of 86,000 hectares.