This case study illustrates the importance of political commitment and coordination at the highest level of government in tackling the causes of illegality in the forest sector in a country as large and complex as Brazil. The paper touches on some of the issues which restrict sustainable timber production, such as land use change and forest land tenure, but also discusses the impact that changes in the legal framework, in particular the introduction of the Law on Management of Public Forests may have on the forest sector. The paper describes the currently ongoing creation of a decentralised forest administration and verification system under the coordination of a national forest authority.