Cooperation makes a real difference<\/p>\n
By Nigel Sizer<\/p>\n
SANUR, Bali (JP): A landmark accord between key governments in
\nBali last week could signal a turning point in the struggle to
\ncombat illegal logging in Indonesia and beyond.<\/p>\n
For the first time, ministers from tropical Asian countries
\nplagued by unlawful plundering of their rain forests, together
\nwith top officials from countries on the receiving end of the
\nstolen timber, pledged to work together on an action plan to deal
\nwith the problem.<\/p>\n
The Forest Law Enforcement and Governance Ministerial
\nConference, hosted by the government of Indonesia, welcomed
\naround 150 participants to the Bali Hyatt in Sanur. Those
\naccepting invitations to attend included the governments of
\nCambodia, China, Congo, Ghana, Great Britain, Laos, Japan,
\nThailand, the Philippines, the United States and Vietnam.<\/p>\n
The host was Indonesia's Ministry of Forestry, with assistance
\nfrom the US State Department, the UK Department for International
\nDevelopment and the World Bank. The organizers were praised for
\nreaching out to environmental groups and to the private sector,
\nencouraging them to contribute to the discussion. This is
\nsignificant because it is widely understood that governments
\nalone cannot resolve forest issues.<\/p>\n
Mark Baird, who heads the World Bank's operations in
\nIndonesia, made it starkly clear that it was necessary to deal
\nwith illegal logging. Far from being of concern only to nature
\nlovers, forest crime in Indonesia has a huge economic impact.<\/p>\n
\"A low end estimate of the foregone government revenues due to
\nillegal logging is $600 million per year,\" Blair stated.<\/p>\n
He added, pointedly, \"That amount of money is four times the
\ntotal spending of central and local governments on forest
\nmanagement and protection. It's also double the amount that is
\nspent on the food subsidy program for Indonesia's poorest
\npeople.\"<\/p>\n
The Director General of the Bogor-based Center for
\nInternational Forestry Research, Dr David Kaimowitz, struck a
\nsimilar tone. He emphasized that illegal logging is not a
\nvictimless crime.<\/p>\n
\"Diversion of funds into Swiss bank accounts rather than
\nlawful timber harvesting and payment of taxes reduces the cash
\navailable to the government for poverty alleviation,\" he noted.<\/p>\n
In a country where so many are struggling to find work and
\nrebuild the shattered economy, such analysis cannot be ignored.<\/p>\n
Illegal logging in Indonesia is hard to quantify. Reputable
\ngroups estimate at least half of all the timber being cut is
\nillegal, and the amount may be closer to seventy percent or even
\neighty percent.<\/p>\n
Logging is even going on in some the country's most precious
\nnational parks, such as Tanjung Puting in Borneo, Leuser in
\nSumatra, and Lore Lindu in Central Sulawesi. It is among the
\nmajor threats to the integrity of the last remaining healthy
\ntracts of rain forest.<\/p>\n
Much of this stolen timber is consumed within Indonesia,
\nespecially by less-forested and heavily populated Java. However,
\na good deal, especially the more valuable, higher quality wood,
\nis shipped overseas. Japan and China are probably the main
\ndestinations, but importers in Europe and the United States are
\nalso important players.<\/p>\n
By the time it arrives at the foreign ports the timber has
\nbeen \"legalized\" through the addition of accompanying paperwork
\nthat may be forged or provided by corrupt customs officials at
\nthe points of export.<\/p>\n
Importers have claimed for years that they cannot be held
\nresponsible for the harmful trade. Those in Bali agreed that
\nimporters must share the responsibility for timber theft.<\/p>\n
Taboo<\/p>\n
Forest crime and corruption have been taboo topics in previous
\ndiscussions among governments on forest issues. This is not
\nsurprising given the sensitivity of officials to discussion of
\nbribery amongst their own and weak law enforcement.<\/p>\n
But the Bali meeting hit a remarkably different note. The
\nministers announced, in an official joint declaration, that they
\nwere \"deeply concerned ... by violations of forest law and forest
\ncrime\". They highlighted \"the urgent need for effective
\ncooperation to address these problems\".<\/p>\n
Indonesia's new Minister of Forestry Dr. Muhammad Prakosa
\nstated, \"Indonesia will not tolerate illegal logging in national
\nparks and we need to take strong measures to control it.\"<\/p>\n
He promised to impose stiff penalties on those convicted of
\nforest crimes in what could herald a sharp crackdown on the
\nbosses of the timber smuggling syndicates.<\/p>\n
The ministers agreed to take immediate action to address
\nforest law violations, associated trade and corruption. Actions
\nthat were endorsed in the declaration include the creation of a
\nregional task force on forest law enforcement and governance,
\nsupported by an advisory group drawn from civil society and
\nindustry.<\/p>\n
At the urging of many of the environmental groups present,
\nthere was agreement to promote cooperation among law enforcement
\nagencies and customs officers in different countries.<\/p>\n
One suggestion to be explored is \"prior notification\" of
\nimporter country agents by exporter country authorities when a
\nlarge shipment of timber is on the way. Should shipments turn up
\nin, say, Japan or the United States, without such notification,
\nthen they could be viewed as suspicious and the cargo further
\ninvestigated. Without close cooperation between agencies in the
\ndifferent countries to share information quickly and accurately,
\nit will be hard to inhibit illegal shipments overseas.<\/p>\n
Togu Manarung from Forest Watch Indonesia, and Eang Savet,
\nhead of Cambodia's Forest Crime Monitoring Unit, showed how cheap
\nand effective high technology satellite imagery can be when used
\nto detect the expansion of illegal logging.<\/p>\n
The view from space helps identify and then monitor road
\nconstruction -- a clue to logging where it may not be authorized.
\nA critical contribution from their work was to show that there
\nare simple steps that governments can take quickly to reduce
\nforest crime. Even these more technical aspects were reflected in
\nthe ministerial declaration. Officials pledged to \"undertake
\naccurate and timely mapping ... and make this information
\navailable to the public\". In Cambodia, anyone can view progress
\nthrough a government run website.<\/p>\n
More attention<\/p>\n
The meeting could not, of course, accomplish everything.
\nWhile applauding the outcome of the conference, Indonesian
\nenvironmental and social activists pointed out that some key
\nfactors needed more attention.<\/p>\n
Representatives of the Indonesian Forum for the Environment
\n(Walhi), Tepepak and others, representing millions of
\nIndonesians, called for urgent attention to traditional land
\nrights. This is a major concern that demands attention.<\/p>\n
Many communities across this country depend directly on
\nforests for their livelihoods, especially during hard times.
\nUnder the Soeharto government, those rights were widely ignored.
\nAccess to forests was instead awarded to large logging
\nenterprises, oil palm plantation companies and developers. With
\nreform now underway, it is critical, if forests are to be well-
\nmanaged and poverty reduced, that local people be given far more
\nsay in how those resources are administered.<\/p>\n
A second point of concern was the absence of some governments.
\nMalaysia, Papua New Guinea and Singapore all declined the
\nopportunity to join the meeting. Malaysia's very late response
\n(received the Friday before the meeting was to begin) even asked
\nfor the meeting to be postponed.<\/p>\n
Malaysian companies are well known to be major culprits in the
\nimport, processing and shipment of timber logged illegally in
\nIndonesia. Their cooperation in addressing the problem is sorely
\nneeded.<\/p>\n
The ministers agreed to meet again in 2003 to review progress
\nin tackling these complex issues. In the meantime, much work must
\nbe done. Indonesia and her most important trading partners have
\nstruck a deal that is historic, ambitious and courageous.<\/p>\n
Now, though, the real effort begins. As the governments
\nadmitted in Bali, they cannot do this alone. They need help.
\nResponsible Indonesian business leaders, environmentalists,
\nforeign donors and other partners should all quickly rally to
\nassist taking forward the commitment that has been made. Such a
\njoint effort would stand a good chance of making a real
\ndifference for the forests and people of this country.<\/p>\n
-- The writer is Director of the Asia Pacific Forests Program
\nfor The Nature Conservancy and is based in Jakarta.<\/p>",
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