National negotiating structures in Ghana
Steering committee
The steering committee oversaw the VPA process and developed negotiating positions through consultation with stakeholder representatives. Its members included:
Government: Eight representatives of government agencies and ministries
Private sector: Two representatives from the Ghana Timber Millers Organization
Civil society: Two representatives (one from Forest Watch Ghana, the other representing broader civil society)
Working groups
Four technical working groups provided recommendations on the following VPA negotiation elements:
- The legality definition
- Legality assurance system
- Industry restructuring
- Domestic market
A fifth working group gathered the recommendations of the other groups into a coherent framework
Each working group had at least one representative from each of the three main stakeholder groups (government, the private sector and civil society)
VPA secretariat
The VPA secretariat provided coordination and technical support to the VPA process. It comprised three staff from the Forestry Commission, which also housed the Secretariat.