New international forestry site gets start

BOGOR, West Java (JP): Minister of Forestry Djamaloedin Soeryohadikoesoemo planted seven different trees at the site of the new headquarters for the Center for International Forestry Research (Cifor) on Monday.

Djamaloedin told reporters that around Rp 5 billion (US$2.33 million) in funds had been raised to build the headquarters, and the government itself contributed Rp 3.2 billion to the first phase of construction.

Totally, the government has committed Rp 8 billion to the headquarters.

The minister said the government will also contribute around $100,000 to $200,000 annually of Cifor's $6 million budget and has set aside 100,000 hectares of forest in East Kalimantan for research.

The planned headquarters is located on 10 hectares near the Bogor Institute of Agriculture's campus at Darmaga in Bogor, and will accommodate its 150 employees and scientists.

The Cifor's Board Chairman Bo Bengtsson said the headquarters will undertake research necessary to ensure that forests are managed in a way that is sustainable and that brings maximum benefit to the poorer sectors of society in tropical countries.

Established in May 1993, Cifor will look into both social and economic issues to support the development of sound forest management policies and with increased knowledge of the related biological and technological issues.

Cifor is an international independent research center sponsored by the governments of Australia, Sweden, Switzerland and the United States, and supported by 18 donor countries, the World Bank and the Rockefeller Foundation.

According to Djamaloedin, Cifor's research results will not be automatically available to the international community as the Indonesian government and Cifor have agreed not to transfer research results without prior approval from the government and the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI).

Counter

The minister said the establishment of Cifor's headquarters in Indonesia is expected to counter campaigns against the country's timber industry because Cifor experts will be able to see how forest resources are managed.

"From now on, Indonesian political statements concerning its forest management will be fully backed by research," he said.

The minister also said that Indonesia supports timber eco- labeling as long as it is applied to all types of timber.

"Indonesia has the firm determination to pursue sound timber eco-labeling. The Ministry of Forestry is preparing institutional aspects of timber eco-labeling in cooperation with relevant governmental institutions, the private sector as well as non- governmental organizations," he said.(03)