Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade

International concern about illegal forestry activities has grown markedly because the illegal forestry activities deprive governments of billions of dollars in tax revenues. They also cause environmental damage and threaten forests many people depend on. Forest-related corruption and widespread violation of forestry laws undermines the rule of law, discourages legitimate investment, and gives the wealthy and powerful unfair advantages, due to their contacts and ability to pay large bribes. This, in contrast, indicates that the forest law enforcement can impact more forest dependent population.

Some countries have little interest or capacity to enforce their forestry and conservation laws and others focus their regulatory efforts almost exclusively on curtailing abuses by large logging companies, but there are many countries where existing efforts to enforce forestry and conservation laws already have significant negative impacts on rural livelihoods.

In many cases attempts to solve one set of problems will create others. Policies that work well in one location may have unanticipated or disastrous consequences in other locations. As a result, Governments and communities must regulate the management and use of forests to ensure that their useful functions are maintained over time, benefits are shared equitably, conflicts are resolved in a fair and transparent manner, and sufficient tax revenues are obtained to pay for necessary public expenses. But the real problem is that many existing forests and conservation laws themselves have unacceptable negative impacts on poor people, ethnic minorities, and women, and in many places they are enforced in a fashion that is discriminatory and abusive.

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