NGO Coalition of Liberia opposes cancellation of the Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA) between the Government of Liberia and the European Union.
Monrovia, Liberia; August 20, 2025 – The NGO Coalition of Liberia has strongly condemned reports of cancellation of the Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA) between the European Union and the Government of Liberia.
The coalition, comprising civil society organizations and forest-dependent communities, believes the cancellation would reverse over a decade of progress in forest governance and community rights, undermining the country’s efforts to promote sustainable forest management and reduce deforestation.
“The Civil society and communities strongly oppose any move by either the Government of Liberia or the European Union (EU) to cancel the Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA),” warned Mr. Dayugar Johnson, Team Leader of the Civil Society Independent Forest Monitor and NGO Coalition of Liberia.
“The VPA has been instrumental in promoting transparency and accountability in the forest sector, and its cancellation would have far-reaching consequences for the country’s environment and local communities.”
The coalition’s position follows a nationwide consultation that gathered perspectives from forest-dependent communities and civil society organizations across Grand Gedeh, Grand Bassa, Sinoe, Nimba, and Montserrado counties.
According to Mr. Johnson, the VPA has provided Liberia with a robust framework for accountability, legality assurance, multi-stakeholder participation, transparency, and protection of community rights and sustainable forest governance.
If the cancellation proceeds and the EU introduces the Forest Partnership (FP), the coalition expects it to be designed and implemented on principles of inclusive multi-stakeholder governance, robust accountability and transparency, legal and policy coherence, capacity development, sustainable financing, and protection of forest-dependent communities.
The coalition also emphasizes the need for the FP to recognize and integrate customary land rights, incorporate legal and regulatory reforms, and harmonize with existing frameworks, including the VPA and the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR).
To ensure effective implementation, the coalition recommends a National Multi-Stakeholder Coordination Mechanism that brings together government institutions, civil society organizations, and community forestry bodies.
It says this mechanism should have clear rules of engagement and decision-making authority, with civil society organizations and communities holding voting rights and oversight roles.
“The VPA and FP should coexist, with each reinforcing Liberia’s governance and development priorities,” Mr. Johnson added. “We urge the Government of Liberia and the EU to prioritize the interests of forest-dependent communities and ensure that any new framework promotes sustainable forest governance and community rights.” Press Release
