This is the fifth issue of the World Rainforest Movement's Bulletin. The
World Rainforest Movement is a global network of citizens'groups of North
and South involved in efforts to defend the world's rainforests against
the forces that destroy them. It works to secure the lands and livelihoods
of forest peoples and supports their efforts to defend the forests from
commercial logging, dams, mining, plantations, shrimp farms, colonisation
and settlement and other projects that threaten them. We hope that this
Bulletin may become a tool for enhancing communication and information
among all those people concerned with this issue and willing to contribute
to stop and reverse this destructive processes. Your comments, suggestions
and contributions are welcome through: rcarrere@chasque.apc.org,
alvarog@chasque.apc.org or
fax (598 2) 41 92 22. From October 26 telephone numbers in Montevideo
will change. Our new numbers are: (fax) 598 2 401 92 22 and (phone) 598 2
409 61 92.
Warm regards
Ricardo Carrere
International Coordinator
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WRM Bulletin # 5
In this issue:
* WRM GENERAL ACTIVITIES
* News from the International Secretariat
- Intergovernmental Forum on Forests (IFF)
- Indonesia: an answer from Rio Tinto
- Forest reclamation in Iceland
* WRM Campaigns
- Sarawak: in the morass of corruption
- Aracruz: Tupinikim and Guarani demands close to a decision.
- Aracruz: Participation at UNRISD workshop in Costa Rica
* LOCAL STRUGGLES AND NEWS
AFRICA
- South Africa: more pulp industry development
ASIA
- Indonesias forests in flames
SOUTH AMERICA
- Fires in the Amazon too
- Argentina: the struggle of the Kolla people
- Ecuador: Indigenous women defend the forest of Pastaza
* IFF REPORT
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WRM GENERAL ACTIVITIES
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- News from the International Secretariat
- Intergovernmental Forum on Forests (IFF)
This forum met for its first time in New York (1-3 October), with the
participation of an important number of NGOs and indigenous peoples
organizations. The IFF is the continuation of the process of the
Intergovernmental Panel on Forests (IPF), which presented its conclusions
to the CSD in April 1997. The IFF discussed the terms of reference of its
future work and grouped it under the following categories (see full text
at the end of this bulletin):
CATEGORY I: Promoting and facilitating the implementation of IPF's
proposals for action, and reviewing, monitoring and reporting on progress
in the management, conservation and sustainable development of all types
of forests
CATEGORY II: Considering matters left pending and other issues arising
from the programme elements of the IPF process
a) Consider matters left pending on the need for financial resources.
b) Consider matters left pending on trade and environment.
c) Consider matters left pending on transfer of environmentally sound
technologies to support sustainable forest management
d) Consider other issues arising from the programme elements of the IPF
process needing further clarification.
e) Consider forest-related work of international and regional
organisations.
CATEGORY III: International arrangements and mechanisms to promote the
management, conservation and sustainable development of all types of
forests.
NGOs present at the meeting were able to attend the sessions, to make a
number of statements and to lobby government delegates. There was
consensus on the positive role of NGOs and indigenous peoples
organizations in the IFF and the need to maintain an open and
participatory process. The Forum also agreed on the usefulness of holding
interessional meetings on specific issues and that these could be
organized jointly by governments and NGOs. Intersessionals will have an
informal nature and will inform the IFF.
A group of about 15 NGOs/indigenous groups presented a statement at a
formal session offering to organize an intersessional workshop on
underlying causes of deforestation, inviting governments and UN agencies
to participate. Such workshop would include presentations by governments
and indigenous organizations/NGOs. We also proposed that the organizers of
this workshop prepare a synthesis report of the results, focussed on
solution-oriented approaches, and that this report form a basis of a
review by the IFF on the progress being made in implementing IPF proposals
for action on underlying causes of deforestation.
The Costa Rican delegation fully supported the proposal for an
NGO-organized event, and formally offered to host this workshop in Costa
Rica. Several other governments and UN agencies expressed their interest
in supporting and participating in this workshop, including providing some
level of financial support.
A group of NGOs, governments (UK, Finland, Australia, Netherlands and
Costa Rica) and intergovernmental agencies (UNEP and CIFOR) held an
informal meeting to discuss ways to move forward.
NGO participants, who agreed to serve on a steering committee of regional
representatives, included: Marcus Colchester (Forest Peoples Program -
UK), Felipe Gonzales (Fundacion Ambio - Costa Rica), Andre Laletin
(Friends of Siberian Forests - Russia), Lambert Okrah (Green Earth
Organization - Ghana), Rosario Ortiz (Fundacion Ecotropica - Colombia),
Claudia D'Andrea (IUCN), Sheldon Cohen (BIONET) and Joji Carino
(International Alliance of Indigenous and Tribal Peoples of the Tropical
Forests).
NGOs/indigenous organizations designated Sheldon Cohen (bionet@igc.org) to
serve as the main NGO liaison point for this initiative, to facilitate
communications and coordination.
Finally, it is important to note that a number of NGOs met in the UK in
September and agreed on a number of recommendations ( "Joint NGO
conclusions of the meeting on the follow up of the Intergovernmental Panel
on Forests") which could form the basis for a strategy for the next
meetings of the IFF. Anyone interested in obtaining a copy, can request it
from us.
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- Indonesia: an answer from Rio Tinto
On September 4 we addressed a letter to president Suharto and Mr Robert
Wilson, chairman of Rio Tinto Co., expressing our concern for the death
-possibly murder- of four Ekari tribal people around Freeport and Rio
Tintos mine, as well as for the obligation of Ekari villagers to hand over
their working tools to the police. We also demanded that abuses of foreign
mining companies in the region cease.
We have received an answer from Mr Wilson, where he states that both Rio
Tinto and Freeport have welcomed the investigations carried out to clarify
the death of the above mentioned Ekari people. He says that "previous
investigations have found no evidence of Freeport involvement in any
earlier human rights abuse and both we and Freeport have said publicly on
many occasions that we do not condone any such abuses". He adds: "Your
letter makes reference to abuses of foreign mining companies I do not know
what you mean by this. If the intended reference is to any action by
Freeport, I am not aware of the justification for your comment."
If anyone has more information on this issue, please let us know, and we
will include it in our reply to Mr Wilson.
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- Forest reclamation in Iceland
Alvaro Gonzalez, from the WRM secretariat, participated in an
International Workshop that took place in Reykjavik and Klaustur, Iceland
last September. Even though forests were not the central theme of the
workshop, it was a good opportunity to get to know in situ the harmful
effects of woodland destruction and overgrazing in the fragile icelandic
ecosystems. According to studies performed on remnant