Strengthening voices for better choices

This report synthesises the findings of six participatory national assessments carried out under IUCN's Strengthening Voices for Better Choices (SVBC) global forest governance project. The purpose of these assessments was to provide an understanding of the policy, regulatory and institutional obstacles to using forests sustainably. Each produced many valuable findings, insights and recommendations for improving forest governance, all of which were validated through broad stakeholder consultation. A number of these recommendations have been taken up and implemented by the states concerned, leading to concrete improvements in governance systems. The synthesis provides a background to the concept of governance and how it has evolved in the fields of development and conservation. Drawing on a review of different definitions of governance, it identifies 7 key elements of governance (laws, institutions, processes, accountability, transparency, participation, predictability) and uses these to synthesise the findings of the assessments.