Yusif Sulemana pushes community benefits, national systems in Global Forest Finance Debate

Ghana's Deputy Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Yusif Sulemana (PhD), has advocated for a robust financing model during the Tropical Forest Forever Facility (TFFF) Roundtable in New York. Dr Sulemana emphasized the need for predictable funding, community benefits and strong national systems in forest protection programs.

He stressed that countries require clear eligibility criteria and payment rules to plan their forest conservation initiatives over the long term, rather than being constrained by short-term project cycles.

Drawing from Ghana’s experience under REDD+, Dr Sulemana highlighted the significance of ensuring communities receive transparent and meaningful benefits from forest protection efforts. He argued that people should be able to see a clear link between preserving forests and improving their livelihoods. Additionally, Dr Sulemana called for the TFFF to leverage existing national monitoring, safeguards and benefit-sharing arrangements, rather than establishing parallel structures that could escalate costs.

The Ghanaian minister further reiterated Ghana's request for representation on the TFFF Interim Board, asserting that Ghana's practical experience could offer valuable insights into the challenges faced by tropical forest countries across Africa. He expressed gratitude to Norway and Brazil for their leadership in this matter, and underscored the central issue for Ghana: how international forest finance can provide reliable support for maintaining standing forests.