The Government of Liberia, through the Justice Minister and Attorney General, N. Oswald Tweh, has issued a strong call for tighter global scrutiny of financial flows tied to forest resources, warning that weak oversight continues to drive illegal logging, corruption, and environmental destruction.
Speaking Tuesday, April 14, 2026, at the FGMC Stakeholder Forum 2026 in London, England, Tweh declared that sustainable forest management is impossible without transparency and accountability in how money moves through the sector.
The high-level forum, hosted by the United Kingdom Government, brought together more than 70 delegates from forest-rich nations and international partners.
According to him, “The health of a forest is inseparable from the integrity of the transactions that occur within it, stressing that financial opacity often lies at the root of illegal logging and governance failures.” He argued that forest protection must be treated as a rule-of-law priority, not just an environmental or technical issue.
Highlighting the global stakes, Tweh cited findings from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change indicating that deforestation accounts for up to 15 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions.
He warned that continued forest loss could derail international climate goals. Turning to Liberia, the Justice Minister described the country as a vital ecological stronghold hosting nearly half of West Africa’s remaining Upper Guinea Forest.
However, he pointed to key reforms, including the 2006 National Forestry Reform Law and the 2018 Land Rights Act, as major steps toward improved governance and increased community ownership.
Minister Tweh also acknowledged Liberia’s troubled past, including widespread illegal logging and the 2012 private use permit scandal, but noted that the prosecution of senior officials marked a critical shift toward accountability.
“We have shown the courage to confront our own shortcomings,” he said. Despite progress, Liberia’s Justice Minister admitted that enforcement gaps, corruption risks, and weak implementation continue to undermine gains. He revealed that the government is reviewing forestry laws and boosting prosecutorial capacity to better tackle ongoing challenges.
The Minister praised international collaboration, particularly support from the United Kingdom through the Forest Governance, Markets and Climate (FGMC) program, which has strengthened transparency systems and reform efforts. He also expressed gratitude despite expected cuts in UK development assistance.
Liberia recently reaffirmed its partnership with the UK through a memorandum of understanding signed in December 2025, reinforcing commitments to legal enforcement, community benefits, and sustainable forest management.
The forum also brought together representatives from countries including Ghana, Indonesia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo to explore ways of aligning financial systems with forest conservation and ensuring that local communities benefit from natural resource wealth.
In attendance for the forum are Justice Minister Tweh, Assistant Minister for Economic Affairs of the Ministry of Justice, Joel Elkanah Theoway, FDA Managing Director, Rudolph J. Merab, as part of Liberia’s continued engagement in international platforms addressing environmental governance and economic development.
