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Close-up view of the Paradise Forests, at Lake Murray., Western Province, Papua New Guinea
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Illegally
logged timber destroys lives by perpetuating a vicious cycle of
violence, intimidation, corruption and environmental and social
degradation. To stop illegal logging, there must be a global ban on importing wood products from illegal and
destructive sources.
Delegates to the FLEG East Asia Ministerial Conference, in Indonesia, September 2001, promised to implement rigorous measures to stop the illegal trade of timber from the region.
The FLEG process has the potential to make an important contribution to the fight against illegal logging, by targeting both the producer countries (PNG and Indonesia) and consumer countries (China, Japan and the EU), and ensuring governments prosecute individuals and companies involved in the illegal timber trade.
Success of the FLEG process depends on more regional and international cooperation and resources. Greater law enforcement, governance and transparency are also vital.
Consumer countries must recognise that their demand for cheap timber and wood products is fuelling this environmental disaster.
To ensure the East Asia FLEG process works, Greenpeace believes consumer and producer countries should:
Delegates to the FLEG East Asia Ministerial Conference, in Indonesia, September 2001, promised to implement rigorous measures to stop the illegal trade of timber from the region.
"Countries from the East Asian and other regions participating in this Ministerial Declare that we will: Take immediate action to intensify national efforts, and to strengthen bilateral, regional and multilateral collaboration to address violations of forest law and forest crime, in particular illegal logging, associated illegal trade and corruption, and their negative effects on the rule of law."
Bali Ministerial Declaration, 13, September 20
Yet little has been achieved
The FLEG process has the potential to make an important contribution to the fight against illegal logging, by targeting both the producer countries (PNG and Indonesia) and consumer countries (China, Japan and the EU), and ensuring governments prosecute individuals and companies involved in the illegal timber trade.
Success of the FLEG process depends on more regional and international cooperation and resources. Greater law enforcement, governance and transparency are also vital.
Consumer countries must recognise that their demand for cheap timber and wood products is fuelling this environmental disaster.
To ensure the East Asia FLEG process works, Greenpeace believes consumer and producer countries should:
- adopt a strong definition of legality
- adopt government procurement policies
- designate official ports for import/export
- implement transparency and access to data
- harmonise customs data and codes
- adopt legislation to ban imports of illegal timber
- ensure civil society involvement.
