Global Forest and Trade Network Manager - WWF - Vientiane, Lao PDR

Global Forest and Trade Network (GFTN) is WWF’s initiative to eliminate illegal logging and improve the management of valuable and threatened forests. The GFTN is an affiliation of national and regional FTNs, each consisting primarily of companies committed to practicing or supporting responsible forestry. The GFTN is active in over 30 producer and consumer nations throughout Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas. Their collective global impact will increase with future strategic organizational growth and expanded membership and activities. The WWF Greater Mekong Programme covers two local FGTN offices: GFTN-Vietnam (since 2005) and GFTN-Laos (since 2009).



GFTN-Laos
Natural Forest in Lao PDR have been on a steady, dropping to 64% in the mid-1960s, 47% in 1992, and 41.5% in 2002. At the same time, forest densities have decreased dramatically with dense forests declining from 29% of total forest area in 1992 to only 8.2% in 2002. Forests have also become increasingly fragmented with small forest compartments. The Government of Lao PDR (GoL) has since decreased the national harvesting quota in order to stop the on-going degradation of the natural forests, and aims for sustainable forest management. Best practice models for SFM have been set up across the country with the support of the WB/Finland funded SUFORD project and tow community forests totalling 50,000 ha have been credibly certified and expanded to 82,000 ha in 2010. The GoL has plans to expand the area further if the Lao industry proves to be able to export FSC certified products to international markets.

GFTN-Laos contributes to the WWF GMPO Conservation Strategy 1 “Ensure Landscape integrity by through integrated socio-economic land use planning and promotion of best management practices” by:
• Creating the enabling environment for the FSC area expansion to 250,000 ha by 2012
• Promoting Best Management Practices among the Lao forest industry

WWF-Laos is seeking to recruit a well-qualified and experienced Lao National candidate to work for the following position of Global Forest and Trade Network Manager - (full time)
Base location: Vientiane, Lao PDR.

The GFTN-Laos Manager is responsible for the management of all projects under GFTN-Laos, ensuring compliance with Project Documents and WWF’s contractual obligations. This will be done in close collaboration between the GFTN-Laos counterparts, GFTN-Laos participants and partners, as well as other relevant stakeholders.

• She/he is also responsible managing GFTN-participants in Lao PDR according to the GFTN participation rules.
• She/he also acts as a focal point to the GFTN Support Unit in order to ensure compliance the GFTN rules and regulations and relevant global GFTN strategies. The latter will be supported and technically supervised by the regional Timber Trade and Markets Coordinator.

Detailed Job Description of the positions are posted on www.panda.org/laos

Interested internal candidates should email a cover letter, CV to:phonesavanh.philavanh@wwf.panda.org with attention to Phonesavanh PHILAVANH, Human Resource Manager.