Copyright 2001 Associated Press
September 14, 2001
By Lely T. Djuhari, Associated Press

SANUR, Indonesia — Government ministers from around East Asia ended a three-day forestry conference on Thursday with an unprecedented pledge to crackdown on illegal logging and trading.

Representatives of 13 countries said they would strengthen laws on forest management, increase penalties against illegal timber barons, and swiftly prosecute those found guilty. The pledge was the first ever international commitment by governments to combat the trade in illegally felled trees.

The conference was held in Sanur, a resort on Indonesia's tourist island of Bali.

The final document said participating nations would "take immediate action to intensify national efforts and to strengthen bilateral, regional, and multilateral collaboration to address violations of forest law and forest crime."

However, environmental groups were quick to criticize the declaration, which was passed by delegates at the East Asia Regional Ministerial Conference on Forest Law Enforcement and Governance. "Pledges are meaningless unless countries can implement them," said Hapsoro from Telapak, an Indonesia environmental group. "It is unclear what the ministers hope to achieve," said Hapsoro, who goes by one name.

The World Bank, which organized the conference, estimates that nearly a fifth of the global timber trade involves illegal and corrupt practices.

Mark Baird, the bank's country director, said political will and commitment was needed to halt illegal felling. "Forest law cannot be effectively enforced in the absence of good governance," he said.

Environmentalists had demanded the declaration include a three-year moratorium on all industrial-scale felling in Indonesia.

Indonesia is one of the world's largest tropical timber suppliers. Around 70 percent of its logs are felled illegally, watchdogs say. Corrupt government officials are accused of involvement in much of the trade.

"We predict that the forests will be wiped out unless the government has the political will to carry out the moratorium policy," said Loggena Ginting of Walhi, the Indonesian Environmental Forum. The forests covering Sumatra and Borneo islands will be destroyed within five and ten years respectively without a ban, Ginting said.

Malaysia and Singapore were criticized for refusing to attend the conference. "Many illegally cut logs in Indonesia go through Malaysia and Singapore," said Hapsoro. "It is crucial they are also involved in combatting the trade."

The 13 participants mostly came from East Asian countries, including Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Laos, and Cambodia. Representatives from the United States, the United Kingdom, and Japan also took part. Error: Unable to read footer file.