Tegucigalpa, June 20, 2024- The European Union and the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) signed the "Living Forests of Honduras" agreement for the execution of approximately 436 million lempiras (16 million euros) over a six-year period.

The Agreement reflects a new milestone in the implementation of two international agreements between the European Union and Honduras: the Forest Alliance and the Voluntary Partnership Agreement on Forest Governance.

"The European Union today fulfills its promise not to let these agreements be just a narrative in our dialogues, but to give financial strength to their implementation. This funding is a sign of the EU's commitment, and we are hopeful and confident that Honduras will bring all its strengths and competencies to ensure the success of this collaboration," said Felice Zaccheo, head of the Mexico, Central America, Caribbean and regional operations unit in the European Commission's Directorate General for International Partnerships.

The European Union’s funding will be dedicated for the development of activities that contribute to: 

1. Forest law enforcement (development and implementation of the Timber Legality Assurance System (SALH), which will help ensure the legality of timber at all stages of the supply chain).
2. Reforestation and restoration of at least 20,000 hectares of forest in degraded and priority areas of Francisco Morazán, Olancho and El Paraíso, as well as forest fire prevention in at least 10,000 hectares of forest through advanced techniques and community participation.
3. Development of ecotourism projects that protect forests and generate employment, promoting local economic development.
4. Innovation in the forestry sector, through the promotion of agroforestry value chains and sustainable practices.
5. Assistance in complying with new European regulations on deforestation, ensuring that Honduras can continue to export forest products to the European Union market.
6. Institutional strengthening of the Forest Conservation Institute (ICF) and the Property Institute (IP) for the management and titling of land for effective and sustainable governance of forest resources.

The Agreement was signed by the Head of Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean, and Regional Operations Unit of the European Commission's Directorate General for International Partnerships, Felice Zaccheo (during his visit to Honduras) and the Director of the National Office of the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) in Honduras, Santiago Vélez. The Secretary of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Enrique Reina, and the Minister Director of the Forest Conservation Institute (ICF), Luis Soliz, accompanied both.

The Minister Director of ICF, Luis Soliz, said, "With these actions, we advance in the conservation and restoration of the forests of Honduras, the commitment is to defend the forest resource for the enjoyment and welfare of these and future generations".

"The 'Living forest of Honduras' project is the first in the world to respond globally to the FLEGT Voluntary Partnership Agreements (VPAs) and will generate knowledge to scale up its results on the sustainable commercialization of timber," said Muhammad Ibrahim, Director of Technical Cooperation at IICA.

The EU and Honduras have been long-standing partners in preserving Honduras' rich biodiversity, preventing illegal logging and ensuring the sustainable use of forest resources for the benefit of their communities. This contribution contract reaffirms the EU's commitment to continue working together to conserve forests, preserve biodiversity and ensure a safe and sustainable environment for all.

CONTEXT

According to data from the ICF Statistical Report in 2022, 56.06% of Honduras is covered by forest, equivalent to 6.3 million hectares. In a period of 17 years (2005-2022), and for various reasons (illegal logging, fires, livestock, pests, forest management, among others), the country has lost 669,517 hectares of forest, equivalent to 10% of its total area.

In the face of these challenges, the European Union and Honduras have established important international agreements in favor of the country's forestry sector. One of these is the Voluntary Partnership Agreement on Forest Law Enforcement, Governance, and Trade (VPA-FLEGT), which came into force in 2022, making Honduras the first Latin American country to formalize this agreement with the European Union. Through the VPA-FLEGT, actions are being developed, led by the Forest Conservation Institute, to address illegal logging and associated trade.

In addition to the VPA-FLEGT, in 2023, Honduras and the European Union formalized the Forest Alliance, a holistic cooperation framework for joint work on forests, supported by the EU's Global Gateway strategy. The aim of these partnerships is to enhance the socio-economic role of forests and their ongoing contribution to climate protection and biodiversity by addressing forest sustainability in its entirety.

The actions of the "Living Forest" Agreement are aligned under the framework of the Forest Alliance, coordinated with the VPA-FLEGT and the main EU policies, such as the Global Gateway strategy and the Green Pact. It also contributes to Honduras' forest and biodiversity policies and the country's Government Plan.