Implementation of the Voluntary Guidelines on Responsible Governance of Tenure in the forestry legislation in Sierra Leone

This FAO Legal Paper looks at and evaluates the present forestry-related laws and policies in operation in Sierra Leone and makes recommendations to align them with the Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests in the Context of National Food Security (VGGT). Although still a new concept in Sierra Leone, there is increasing interest in the responsible governance of tenure in forestry and the significance of forests for the livelihood of rural p eople rather than exclusively for their commercial and industrial potential. This Paper addresses legal aspects of employment and training within the sector, tenure rights and duties, sustainable forest management and climate change and natural disasters regulations for forestry. This Paper forms part of a series of legal assessment reports for Sierra Leone against the VGGT, which were endorsed by the Committee on World Food Security in May 2012.