Tackling Illegal Logging in Asia: Harmonising Initiatives

by
Hugh Speechly
UK Department for International Development

Slide 1: Overview

• What are current initiatives?
• Why harmonisation?
• What are the initiatives’ main features? … & achievements?
• What harmonisation alternatives?
• What needs to be considered?

Slide 2: Why care about illegal logging?

• Lost revenues > development budget
• Undermines governance/rule of law
• Sustains poverty, causes conflict
• Damage to environment
• Trade in illegal products
• Producing countries have recognised need …& asked for help

Slide 3: Current Initiatives

• Asia Forest Partnership
• Concrete actions on Illegal Logging
• East Asia Pacific FLEG
• Bali Declaration
• Identified Actions
• ITTO
• TAG/CSAG Actions (2004)
• ASEAN
• ASOF Actions
• Pan-ASEAN Certification
• Bilateral arrangements

Slide 4 Advantages of Harmonisation

• Capture strengths of different initiatives
• Co-ordinate efforts
• Reduce resource requirements/costs
• Avoid duplication

Slide 5:  AFP Features

• WSSD Type II Partnership
• Multi-stakeholder
• Voluntary
• Non-binding
• Aims to promote SFM
• Key threats identified: forest fire, land degradation, illegal logging
• Addressing weaknesses in law enforcement & governance

Slide 6: EAP FLEG Features

• Focus on:
• illegal logging
• trade in illegally harvested timber products
• related corruption in the forest sector
• Ministerial-level commitment to specific actions
• National actions
• Regional/international co-operation
• Inter-governmental process including both
• Timber-producing countries
• Timber-consuming countries
• Task Force supported by civil society/private sector Advisory Group

Slide 7: Specific Actions

Slide 8: FLEG Successes

• Indonesia-UK MoU
• EC FLEGT Action Plan
• EC-Indonesia FLEGT support project
• Indonesia-China MoU
• Focus on specific trade issues
• Impetus for other FLEGs

…but

• Little progress with Task Force Actions

Slide 9: AFP Successes

• Indonesia-Japan Joint Announcement
• Some funding secured
• Start to implement identified actions
• 4 meetings in 2 years

Slide 10: Harmonisation alternatives

#1 – maintain status quo

#2 – separate processes, but formal linkage

#3 – merge AFP and FLEG

Slide 11: Alternative #1

Status quo – ad hoc approach

• No change in structure or planning needed

…but

• efficiency doubtful in terms of resources and coverage
• not assured that representation has sufficient background
• risk of duplication

Slide 12:

Formal linkage e.g. MoU, joint/back-to-back meetings, etc.

• Recognises differences in origin, approach, structure
• FLEG commitments provide focus for AFP
• Flexible AFP arrangements allow fast-tracking, info sharing etc.

…but:

• Representation issue not resolved
• Overly-bureaucratic?

Slide 13: Alternative #3

Merge AFP & FLEG

• Admin overheads reduced
• Duplication avoided
• Provides a “home” for FLEG
• Links FLEG to law enforcement and governance outside illegal logging

…but:

• Different aims, structures, governance
• Two-tier government membership ?
• Both initiatives lack clear decision-making process

Slide 14: Conclusion

• Initiatives have common goals…
• address law enforcement and governance issues that threaten region’s forests
• Should be mutually-supportive
• Need to make efficient use of time & resources
• Organisational issues need to be considered

…but should not be overstated

• Decision should be made by regional stakeholders

Slide 15: In closing…

“Whether a cat is black or white makes no difference… as long as it catches mice, it is a good cat”
Deng Xiaoping
 

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