U.S. Pushing Proposal to Expand Timber Trade
11/20/97
*******************************
RELAYED TEXT STARTS HERE:
Headline: U.S. Pushing Proposal to Expand Timber Trade
Source: Paige Fischer, Pacific
Environment and Resources Center: cell phone (through Nov. 25):
604-828-9426; office: 415-332-8200; e-mail: perc@igc.apc.org
Date: 11/20/97
Several of us attending a meeting of forest activists in
Vancouver, British Columbia Thursday were surprised to pick up the
paper and see that the U.S., along with Canada, Indonesia and New
Zealand, is pushing a proposal to rush the phase out of "barriers" in
timber trade among the 17 nations in the Asian Pacific Economic
Cooperation (APEC) forum. What follows is a statement adopted by the
the Asian Pacific environmental community rejecting this initiative.
The Administration's proposal will be considered at APEC Monday and
Tuesday. It is signigficant that the US government officials were
meeting in hotels with transnational corporations while people from all
around the Asian Pacific region were meeting in a People's Summit in the
Plaza of Nations to oppose APEC.
NGO Statement
APEC: Special Session on Forests
November 20, 1997
We, representing more than 40 non-governmental organizations from
17 Asia-Pacific countries, met in Vancouver, British Columbia as part
of the Sustainability Issues Forum of the People's Summit on APEC.
We fundamentally oppose the current proposal to designate forest
products for "Early Voluntary Sector Liberalization" (EVSL) within the
APEC process. This proposal has been developed in an undemocratic
manner without input from local communities. EVSL for forest
products will drive additional demand and consumption, creating
further pressures to log forests at unsustainable rates. Without
safeguards, deregulation of forest products will put forests in jeopardy
by eliminating regulations that restrict trade in sensitive species, raw
logs, or primary forests; that protect forests from infestation by
exotic pests; or that foster local industries that recycle or conserve
forest products. This "fast track" proposal will lead to increased
forest destruction in the Asia-Pacific Region and undermine
community-based efforts to protect and sustainably manage forest
ecosystems.
We call on government leaders to recognize the forest crisis in the
Asia-Pacific Region. In Indonesia and Malaysia, negligent forest
management has led to forest fires covering 1.7 million hectares and an
environmental and health emergency. Rapid clearcutting is devastating
coastal watersheds in British Columbia. Only two percent of old
growth forests remains in the Lower 48 of the United States, and only
five percent remains in the Pacific Northwest. In the Philippines,
excessive logging has left only 24,000 hectares of old growth forests.
Trade to the Asia-Pacific Region has driven up logging rates in Chile.
In light of this Asia-Pacific forest crisis, we call on the countries of
the Asia-Pacific Region to halt negotiations that would put forest
products on a fast track for trade deregulation and to resolve our
concerns before resuming further discussions. The APEC framework must
be reworked to include democratic processes and full public
participation, including representation by local communities,
non-governmental organizations, and indigenous peoples. Human rights
and rights of local communities must be ensured. Prior international
agreements on protections for biodiversity must be enforced.
We call on the countries of the Asia-Pacific Region to work with local
communities, non-governmental organizations, and indigenous peoples
to ensure environmentally responsible forest management. Rather than
reducing barriers to trade, we must reduce barriers to sustaining
healthy forest ecosystems and communities.
For more information, please contact Paige Fischer, Pacific
Environment and Resources Center: cell phone (through Nov. 25):
604-828-9426; office: 415-332-8200; e-mail: perc@igc.apc.org