London, England – Justice Minister and Attorney General, N. Oswald Tweh is calling for more international inspection of financial flows associated with forest resources, cautioning that inadequate control continues to fuel illegal logging, corruption, and environmental degradation.
Speaking on Tuesday, April 14, 2026, at the FGMC Stakeholder Forum 2026 in London, England, Tweh stated that transparency as well as accountability in the transfer of funds within the industry are essential for sustainable forest management.
He said, The health of a forest is inseparable from the integrity of the transactions that occur within it, as such, financia transparency often lies at the foundation of illegal logging and governance failures maintaining that rather than being solely an environmental or technological concern, forest protection needs to be regarded as a rule-of-law priority.
Tweh cited research from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change showing that deforestation accounts for up to 15% of global greenhouse gas emissions to highlight the global stakes. He cautioned that ongoing deforestation could undermine global climate objectives.
Minister Tweh describing Liberia as a crucial ecological base that is home to over half of the Upper Guinea Forest that remains in West Africa.
He cited important reforms as significant advances toward better governance and greater community ownership, such as the 2006 National Forestry Reform Law and the 2018 Land Rights Act.
Acknowledging Liberia’s difficult past, which included massive illicit logging and the 2012 private use permit controversy, Minister Tweah also pointed out that the prosecution of high-ranking officials was a significant step in the direction of accountability.
Liberia’s Justice Minister stated that despite progress being made, results are still undermined by weak implementation, corruption threats, and enforcement shortcomings. disclosing that the government will revisit forestry regulations and strengthen law enforcement expertise, in order to effectively address these issues.
As part of Liberia’s ongoing participation in international platforms addressing environmental governance and economic development, the country recently reaffirmed its partnership with the United Kingdom through a MOU signed in December 2025, strengthening its commitments to legal enforcement, community benefits, and sustainable forest management.
The forum also brought together representatives from Ghana, Indonesia, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to explore ways of aligning financial systems with forest conservation and ensuring that local communities benefit from natural resource wealth.
