GIZ-ProFEB held an operational planning workshop from 19-20 of March 2024 in Vang Vieng. The workshop was joined by representatives from the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, the Prime Minister Office, the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, private sector stakeholders and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs).
Entry point for the discussion was the new phase of the BMZ-funded project “Protection and Sustainable Use of Forest Ecosystems and Biodiversity” and the expected EU-cofinancing under the Green Team Europe Initiative in forthcoming spring of 2024. Over the course of the two workshop days, participants jointly worked on a shared vision for strengthened forest governance in Laos and brainstormed on concrete activities and strategies to be implemented in the upcoming project phase.
In addition, the workshop served as a platform to discuss questions on new political developments – such as the EU’s Regulation on Deforestation Free Products (EUDR). Attendees seized the opportunity to exchange insights, pose questions, and offer commentary, thus contributing to a comprehensive understanding of the evolving regulatory frameworks shaping the forestry sector.
The inputs gathered and synergies identified during the workshop now serve as the basis for the development of a new operational plan for ProFEB’s Forest Governance component advising the Lao-EU multi-stakeholders process (Lao government, private sector and CSOs).
