The project supports the strengthening of the National Toshaos Council’s (NTC) capacity to effectively represent Indigenous Peoples and forest-dependent communities in the implementation of Guyana’s Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade Voluntary Partnership Agreement (FLEGT VPA) with the European Union.

The initiative forms part of the European Union FLEGT VPA Programme (2021–2025), implemented by the Agence Française de Développement (AFD), which supports countries committed to improving forest governance, promoting legal timber trade, and combating illegal logging.

Guyana formally signed the FLEGT VPA with the European Union in December 2022, and the Agreement entered into force in June 2023. The Agreement establishes a framework to ensure that timber and timber products exported to the European Union are legally produced and traceable.

The project specifically supports stakeholder engagement and Indigenous participation in the implementation of the VPA through improved communication, outreach, awareness, and institutional strengthening.

The initiative recognizes the important role Indigenous communities play in sustainable forest management and seeks to ensure that Indigenous Peoples are fully informed, meaningfully engaged, and able to contribute to forest governance processes affecting their communities.

The project also supports implementation of Strategic Task 6 of Guyana’s Joint Implementation Framework (JIF), which focuses on stakeholder engagement, coordination, and outreach mechanisms.