Myanmar: Progressing negotiations for the VPA

A two-day workshop was recently held in Yangon on the subject of the definition of legality marking an essential step as Myanmar moves closer to agreeing a VPA with the EU. To advance the VPA process a multi-stakeholder group is being formed involving government, the private sector and civil society.

Civil society organizations (CSO) want the rights of indigenous people to be recognised in Myanmar’s Nationally Determined Commitment (NDC) the government’s action plan to implement the Paris Agreement for tackling carbon emissions.

The CSOs want this in order to protect the rights of tribal people who could be displaced from forest areas when climate-change mitigation projects are implemented. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) includes a legally binding text on the rights of indigenous people.