Protocol on Forestry.

This Protocol was adopted by the members of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) in the framework of the SADC Treaty. The objectives of the Protocol are to promote the development, conservation, sustainable management and utilisation of all types of forests and trees, and promote trade in forest products throughout the Region of the SADC. Parties agree to cooperate, inter alia, to: assist and support each other to address issues of common concern including deforestation, genetic erosion, climate change, pests, and invasive alien species ; promote the sustainable management of shared forests; harmonise approaches to sustainable forest management and forest policy, legislation and enforcement ; and develop adequate mechanisms to ensure the equitable sharing of benefits derived from forest resources. The Protocol further includes provisions on tenure and ownership (art. 5), national forest policies and programmes (art. 8), national forest assessments (art. 9), regional database (art. 10), participation of women in forest management (art. 13), transboundary forests (art. 14), protection of forests (art. 15), industry, trade and investment (art. 17), and research and development (art. 20). Parties also undertake to cooperate to develop the forest germplasm collection in the SADC Plant Genetic Resource Centre, with a view to preserving germplasm of forest species (art. 17).