Secretariat TPR |
WT/TPR/S/427/REV.1 |
S-4§39 |
Ghana |
2022 |
Sectors |
Other measures |
Forestry |
Relevant information
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4.39. Pursuant to the 1992 Constitution, the Government claims state ownership of all naturally occurring trees, including land privately held under customary title. Most of the forest land in Ghana is vested in local communities and open to traditional activities, including the collection of non timber forest products, hunting, and fuel wood collection, which partly explains the deforestation problem. The ownership of planted trees is, however, distinct from that of naturally occurring trees. Tree tenure rights in Ghana are complex, and reforms are planned. However, changing the current tree tenure regime requires revisions at many levels, including the Constitution.
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Secretariat TPR |
WT/TPR/S/427/REV.1 |
S-4§40 |
Ghana |
2022 |
Sectors |
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Forestry |
Relevant information
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4.40. The forestry sector is overseen by the The Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources (MLNR), and the Forestry Commission of Ghana is responsible for its regulation. The Ghana Forest and Wildlife Policy 2012 is the main policy document guiding the sector, supplemented by the Ghana Forestry Development Master Plan, 2016 2036 , and the Ghana Forest Plantation Strategy. The main forestry legislation includes the Timber Resource Management Act, 1997 , as amended by the Timber Resource Management Act, 2002 (Act 617); the Trees and Timber Act, 1994 (Act 493) ; and the Forest Protection (Amendment) Act, 2002 (Act 624). Under Act 617, private enterprises, including foreign companies, may enter into a contract with the Government to utilize and manage timber resources. In addition, the Minister may for the purpose of promoting strategic or major investments in the forestry sector negotiate specific incentives in addition to those provided under Act 617.
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Keywords
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Forest
Natural resources
Wildlife
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Secretariat TPR |
WT/TPR/S/427/REV.1 |
S-4§41 |
Ghana |
2022 |
Sectors |
Other environmental requirements, Other measures |
Forestry |
Relevant information
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4.41. In 2017, Ghana adopted the new Timber Resource Management and Legality Licensing Regulations, 2017. The regulations clarify the granting of special permits and require companies to negotiate social responsibility agreements with local communities. (...)
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Secretariat TPR |
WT/TPR/S/427/REV.1 |
S-4§42 |
Ghana |
2022 |
Sectors |
Grants and direct payments |
Forestry |
Relevant information
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4.42. In 2019, Ghana signed an Emission Reductions Payment Agreement with the World Bank under the "REDD+ process"[23]. Performance-based payments of up to USD 50 million are provided for reductions of 10 million tonnes of CO2 emissions from the forest and land-use sectors. The country currently has two large subnational REDD+ programmes. [23] Reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation and the role of conservation, sustainable management of forests, and enhancement of forest carbon stocks in developing countries (REDD+).
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Keywords
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Climate
Emissions
Forest
MEAs
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Secretariat TPR |
WT/TPR/S/427/REV.1 |
S-4§45 |
Ghana |
2022 |
Sectors |
Ban/Prohibition |
Forestry |
Relevant information
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4.45. In 2017, following the addition of African rosewood to the harvesting restrictions under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), Ghana restricted that species under the 2017 Regulations. In 2017, following concerns raised about rosewood being harvested in large volumes in northern Ghana, the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources met civil society groups and committed to further dialogue with them on strengthening regulation of rosewood. A rosewood harvesting and export ban was put in place in 2018 and remains in force.
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Secretariat TPR |
WT/TPR/S/427/REV.1 |
S-4§47 |
Ghana |
2022 |
Sectors |
General environmental reference |
Fisheries |
Relevant information
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4.47. (...). As fish consumption exceeds local production, there is a need for an accelerated pace in the aquaculture development; and further efforts are needed to address overfishing. Ghana is represented in the WTO Fisheries Subsidies negotiations by the African, Caribbean, and Pacific (ACP) and Africa groups.
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Secretariat TPR |
WT/TPR/S/427/REV.1 |
S-4§51 |
Ghana |
2022 |
Sectors |
Other environmental requirements |
Fisheries |
Relevant information
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4.51. The main legislation is the Fisheries Act, 2002 (Act 625) as amended by the Fisheries (Amendment) Act, 2014 (Act 880), under review in 2022, and the Fisheries Regulations, 2010 as amended by the Fisheries (Amendment) Regulations, 2015. The amendments seek to give effect to international conservation and management obligations to combat IUU fishing. The Fisheries Management Plan 2015-19 (currently under review) was developed in response to depletion of fish stocks.
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Secretariat TPR |
WT/TPR/S/427/REV.1 |
S-4§52 |
Ghana |
2022 |
Sectors |
Other measures |
Fisheries |
Relevant information
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4.52. Ghana is party to several international agreements for fisheries management, including the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tuna (ICCAT), the FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries, the FAO Compliance Agreement on Flag States, the FAO Guidelines on Flag State Performance for Responsible Fisheries, and the UN Fish Stocks Agreement and the Agreement on Port State Measures (ratified in 2016).
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Secretariat TPR |
WT/TPR/S/427/REV.1 |
S-4§53 |
Ghana |
2022 |
Sectors |
Other measures |
Fisheries |
Relevant information
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4.53. Ghana's waters have been affected by a gradual decrease in fish stocks due to increasing fishing effort, weak enforcement, and non-compliance with fisheries management measures. The authorities recognize that the monitoring, control, and surveillance of the EEZ and the enforcement of the fisheries' legislation are inadequate. Parliamentary approval has been granted for the procurement of four patrol boats to increase enforcement presence at sea. Furthermore, Ghana is involved in the subregional enforcement activities through the Fisheries Committee for the West Central Gulf of Guinea (FCWC).
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Secretariat TPR |
WT/TPR/S/427/REV.1 |
S-4§69 |
Ghana |
2022 |
Sectors |
Other measures |
Energy |
Relevant information
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4.69. Further regulatory changes during the review period include: (i) the Petroleum (Exploration and Production) (General) Regulations, 2018 (L.I. 2359) to provide for the procedures and conditions for the grant of a PA; (ii) the Petroleum Exploration and Production Data Management Regulation, 2017 (L.I. 2257) to strengthen the management of petroleum data; and (iii) the Petroleum (Exploration and Production) (Health, Safety and Environment) Regulations, 2017 (L.I. 2258).
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