Commission calls for forest profit-sharing<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): A group of environmental experts is calling on
\ngovernments in Asia that still have vast forestry resources to
\nestablish a mechanism by which people living in or near forests
\nwould share in the profits made by timber companies.<\/p>\n
The World Commission on Forests and Sustainable Development at
\nthe end of their week-long meeting yesterday said that local
\npeople should benefit from their forests.<\/p>\n
\"Through a system of titling tribal and community forest
\nlands, local communities should be given a fair share of forest
\nbenefits such as profits earned by forest companies and those
\nusing forest genetic materials in the pharmaceutical industry,\"
\nthe commission said in their statement yesterday.<\/p>\n
The commission was set up in 1994 to address the issues of the
\n1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, such as
\ndeforestation, degradation of the environment and their impact on
\nhuman welfare.<\/p>\n
The commission includes 23 experts in various fields from
\npolitics and sociology to economics. It is jointly chaired by
\nformer Swedish Prime Minister Ola Ullsten and Indonesia's former
\nenvironmental minister Emil Salim.<\/p>\n
This week's meeting in Jakarta was a follow-up to an earlier
\nmeeting in Geneva in June 1995.<\/p>\n
The meeting opened with a two-day public hearing involving
\nsome 300 participants from Asia representing forestry activists,
\ntimber companies, governments and non-governmental organizations.
\nThis was followed by a two-day tour of the forests of East
\nKalimantan and a two-day commission meeting.<\/p>\n
The commission said that the public hearing also explored ways
\nof making sure that government policies directly involve local
\npeoples in the management of forest resources.<\/p>\n
Along with the wide ranging NGO and commercial interests, the
\nhearing discussed how at the same time these forests can
\ncontribute to environmental stability.<\/p>\n
The commission acknowledged the paradox between environmental
\nconservation and government policies to exploit forest resources
\nas a means of poverty alleviation along with the day-to-day
\ninterests of local people themselves.<\/p>\n
Despite the conflicting concerns, the commission said \"there
\nare possibilities for integrating conservation and developmental
\nobjectives in ways that will cater to local peoples' needs,
\ncommercial interests and conservationist concerns for protection
\nof environmental benefits.\"<\/p>\n
The commission also met with tribal representatives from
\nIndia, Indonesia, Nepal, Papua New Guinea, and the Philippines.<\/p>\n
\"It has listened to their frank descriptions of the ways in
\nwhich either national legislation, inappropriate forest laws or
\nthe activities of large industrial companies have had a negative
\nimpact on their families, in extreme cases resulting in
\nviolations of human rights,\" it said.<\/p>\n
It is hoped the commission can become a forum for dialog on
\nthese issues, the statement added. (mds)<\/p>",
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