In 1997 the Royal Government of Cambodia (RGC) initiated the process of developing a National Forest Programme (NFP) by establishing a national committee on forest policy reform with support from FAO, UNDP and WB (FAO 2002). In 2002, the secretariat of the committee in collaboration with the GTZ-funded Cambodian-German forestry project formulated a national forest policy statement (RGC 2002). Subsequently, a new Forest Law was promulgated in 2002, a Forestry Administration was established in 2003, and a Sub Decree on Community Forestry
adopted in 2005.

In November 2004, the RGC established a Technical Working Group on Forestry and Environment (TWG-F & E) to provide a mechanism for government-donor coordination to support and strengthen development activities within the forestry and environment sectors (Details are available at www.twgfe.org).

Since September 2006 the Forest and Landscape, University of Copenhagen has supported the Forestry Administration in initiating the current NFP process including LFA workshops on planning (September 2006) and support in conducting two preparatory NFP workshops, one internal in FA (January 2007) and one with multiple stakeholders (March 2007). In spite of earlier initiatives outlined above, the development of a coherent National Forest Programme has yet to be completed in Cambodia. The preparation of the NFP will follow a participatory planning approach that encourages the involvement of all forest-dependent actors at village, commune, district, provincial, national and international levels. Throughout the preparatory process, a National Forest Programme Task Force was established. In October 2007, the Task Force conducted its first meeting to agree on the Annual Action Plan 2007-2008.

The purpose of the NFP is to promote the conservation and sustainable management and use of forest resources in Cambodia. The NFP will aim to meet local, national and global needs by coordinating national and international partnerships to manage, use, protect and regenerate forest resources for the benefit of present and future generations of Cambodians. The preparation of a NFP in Cambodia, whilst adopting a consultative approach, will emphasize national sovereignty with regard to the management of the country’s forest resources, and the need for country leadership and responsibility.

The NFP, as a framework for planning, will provide strategic orientation for the forestry sector in harmony with other sectors of the national economy. As a framework for action and investment, the NFP will also facilitate concerted and coordinated implementation of programmes and activities by all stakeholders based on mutually agreed objectives and strategies.

Click here to download Nationa Forest Programme in Cambodia