The lesson learns of Thailand on participatory under the FLEGT process.

After Thailand agreed on negotiated with the EU on FLEGT VPA, one of the keys under the process is timber governance that Thailand requires to improve. From the past until now, what Thailand learn about the participatory process?

It would not be wrong to say that Thailand had learnt a lot about the participatory process including stakeholder’ themselves on taking a role. This role here does not mean only attend the meeting but include taking a significant role in the process.

At the end of the year 2017, Thailand initial established the sub-working group on providing the VPA annexes which aims to increase an effectively working as a small group. There has appointed the leader from the relevant stakeholders that not only come from the government sector. Therefore, the private sector had taken a leadership role of several groups such as the new import control method that considers as a new dimension of Thailand to improve the timber import regulation for combating illegal logging to the supply chain of the country, including to a new method on self-declaration for timbering in private land.

There have various sub-working groups carried out which possible to establish more to promote the governance, capacity, and ownership of the stakeholders.