SGS Fforestry Monitoring Programme is awarded a five-year contract in DRC

SGS Forestry Monitoring Programme (GIS) is pleased to announce that, on January 20, 2010, it signed a five year contract with the Ministry of Environment, Nature Conservation and Tourism (MECNT) of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to initiate implementation of an integrated forest control system to monitor and verify forest logging, timber chain-of-custody and forest product exports.

DRC’s valuable tropical forest is the widest in Africa and comprises two thirds of the Congo Basin Forests, the world’s second largest tropical forest area. As is the case in many timber producing nations, especially post-conflict countries, illegal logging is a significant threat to the economic recovery and sustainable development of the Congo.

Based on modern information management technology, SGS’ activities will promote compliance with forest regulations, ensure efficient collection of forest taxes, and improve forest governance by building national capacities and consolidating forest sector information.

The World Bank and the donors to the Multi-Donor Trust Fund (European Union, Belgium, France, Germany, Luxemburg and the United Kingdom) provide financial support to the Ministry’s initiative.