Deputy Minister for Lands and Natural Resources Secures UK Commitment to Ghana Forest Pact During High-Level Talks at Kew Gardens

Ghana and the United Kingdom have agreed to move forward with a key Voluntary Partnership Agreement aimed at preserving forests and promoting responsible timber trade.

The commitment came after a bilateral meeting held on the sidelines of London Climate Action Week between Hon. Alhaji Yusif Sulemana, Member of Parliament for Bole-Bamboi and Deputy Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, and Ms Mary Creagh, MP for Coventry East and UK Minister for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA).

The meeting took place at the Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew.

Hon. Sulemana said the engagement sought to highlight the urgency of signing the Ghana-UK Voluntary Partnership Agreement (GH-UK VPA). The agreement is expected to strengthen forest cover preservation, ensure responsible timber trade, and reduce the negative impacts of climate change.

“The outcome was very positive,” Hon. Sulemana noted. “Both countries have agreed to the signing of this very important treaty.”

The GH-UK VPA falls under the broader Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) initiative, which targets illegal logging and promotes sustainable forest management.

Once signed, the agreement will position Ghana to improve forest governance and access to the UK timber market under legally verified standards, while supporting global efforts to curb deforestation.