Issue Nº 8: February 2003
(click here to download it in word format)

• About Forest Cover
• Ex Silvis: Another Possible World, by Miguel Lovera, Coordinator, Global Forest Coalition
• FCCC COP 8: A View from the Pacific, by Fiu Mataese Elisara, Ole Siosiomaga Society, Samoa
• FCCC in Deadlock, by Roque Pedace, Friends of the Earth-Argentina
• Underlying Causes Workshops in Six Countries, by Simone Lovera, Friends of the Earth International
• Underlying Causes of Deforestation and Forest Degradation in Pakistan, by Asif Saeed, LEAD Pakistan
• Controversies on Trade and Forests, by Saskia Ozinga, FERN, UK
• Criteria and Indicators for Sustainable Forest Management, by Andrei Laletin, Friends of the Siberian Forests, Russia
• Brazil Wants the ITTO to Prevent Illegal Trade, by Nishioka Yoshio, Hutan, Japan
• Reports on Other Forest-Related Meetings
• Calendar of Forest-Related Meetings
  

   
About Forest Cover 

Welcome to the eighth issue of Forest Cover, the newsletter of the Global Forest Coalition (GFC). This coalition was established by a group of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and Indigenous Peoples Organizations (IPOs) to facilitate the informed participation of NGOs and IPOs in intergovernmental meetings related to forests. Forest Cover is published four times a year. It features reports on important intergovernmental meetings by different NGOs and IPOs and a calendar of future meetings. The views expressed in this newsletter do not necessarily reflect the views of the Global Forest Coalition, its founding members or the editors. For free subscriptions, please contact Simone Lovera at: lovera1@conexion.com.py

Ex Silvis: Another Possible World
By Miguel Lovera, Coordinator, Global Forest Coalition

One of my favorite songs from the days most of the Western Hemisphere suffered under dictatorial governments went: "I've seen the other country, barefoot on the sand …. Asking us what happened to dignity." The message of this song, by the Argentinean author and singer Teresa Parodi, came back to me with special force at the Third World Social Forum (WSF), held in Porto Alegre, Brazil from January 23 to 28.

The "barefoot people of the world" present in Porto Alegre aslo seemed to be asking what happened to dignity, because to them dignity matters. They are not obsessed with accumulating fortunes and evading responsibilities and commitments. They are obsessed with justice and fairness, with solidarity and peace. The WSF participants, almost one hundred thousand of them, were representing millions of others who propose a generous approach to the main problems facing humanity. They do not wage war, but rather combat abuses with the strength of peace and the intelligence of collective endeavour. Far from being free riders, these people don't pull their rumps out of the syringe's way (as we say in Paraguay). They take the pain because they know that's the only way to be healed.

This was not the approach taken at the last meeting of the Conference of the Parties of the Climate Convention (FCCC/COP 8). There it was the cowards who set the standards. As Fiu Mataese from Samoa notes below, such gatherings have become trade meetings rather than genuine attempts to address climate change; "the rich and developed countries continue to avoid accountability for the negative impacts of their unsustainable activities".

Nor was it the approach taken at last month's World Economic Summit at Davos, whose participants once again racked their brains to devise more ways of extracting from our pockets the few coins they haven't stolen yet.

Porto Alegre's barefoot people could offer such conference-goers a lesson in ecological responsibility. At a biodiversity seminar organized by a coalition of farmers' movements and environmental organizations, farmers showed how they have been saving the seeds that have nurtured humanity for generations, without charging royalties, fees or enforcing intellectual property rights among either friends or foes. Peasants demonstrated how they had restored forests others had destroyed, without the benefit of the lavish subsidies given to the destroyers. Such people, it is clear, are the allies of nature, not its hangmen: a very heartening message for those of us who support their work. The real executioners, it was also clear, are those infatuated with profit regardless of the damage. As Gandhi observed, "there is plenty for the world's needs but not enough for the world's greed."
The World Social Forum, in short, offered clear proof that neo-liberalism does not represent a final truth, and that people who care about other people are more prone to care about the environment than those who only care about profits.

So, next time, do as Lula, the Brazilian president, and other hundred thousand people did: go to the WSF. There you will see the other world, the one trying to be just, equitable and fair, in solidarity and peace.

FCCC COP8: A View from the Pacific
by Fiu Mataese Elisara, Director of the Ole Siosiomaga Society, Samoa

As delegates from around the world gathered in New Delhi in October for the Eighth Session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 8) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the UN Environment Program released a report projecting that crippling droughts, torrential floods and other environmental disasters will have cost the world more than US$70 billion in 2002. The figures are based on a new study by the Munich Reinsurance Company, and refer to the devastating floods which last year ripped through parts of Europe, China, India, Nepal, and Bangladesh, killing thousands of people and leaving millions homeless. The continuing drought in Southern Africa is a further disaster threatening starvation for 14 million people.

The main task of COP 8 was to take decisions on various technical issues related to the implementation of the Kyoto Protocol in order for the Protocol to come into effect as international law. The Protocol needs to be ratified by 55 countries including industrialised countries whose emissions are at least 55% of the global total. As of COP 8, 96 countries had ratified the Protocol. Russia and Canada, who indicated they would complete their ratification processes in the next few months, must now approve the treaty before it comes into force.

The usual division between developed and developing country positions was evident yet again at COP 8. The voice of Southern countries favouring commitments to greater greenhouse-gas cuts was drowned by calls from more powerful countries in favour of a declaration focussing on adaptation.

Sinks, a Questionable Strategy
Controversy continues to surround the use of forests as "carbon sinks" for capturing or sequestering carbon. The Kyoto Protocol allows industrialised countries to receive a limited amount of credits from forests and agricultural practices to use against their emission reduction targets. Stimulating forest growth is also an option for gaining credits through the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), through which industrialised countries can invest in projects in developing countries.

One concern is that the Kyoto Protocol's "sink" clauses allow countries to replace natural forests with fast-growing tree plantations in order to claim more credits for the increased carbon sequestration. This would reduce biological diversity and leave the plantations vulnerable to diseases that affect single species. Indigenous Peoples and forest dwellers who depend on natural forests for home and livelihood would risk being evicted by governments and private corporations eager to establish such plantations. As well, trees only remove carbon on a temporary basis. When they die, decompose or burn, the carbon is released into the atmosphere. Relying too heavily on forests as sinks to address climate change is thus a very questionable strategy.

The Civil Society Forum
In New Delhi, members of NGOs and civil society from more than 20 countries organised a parallel climate justice summit a couple of kilometres from the UN official meeting in the Vigyan Bhawan centre. The NGOs also organised a march to the UN conference centre to protest the way the officials seemed to trash many of the climate-change concerns of developing countries and their communities.

Many of the NGOs were concerned at the lack of any sense of urgency in the attitude of government officials, despite the findings of the Third Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel of Climate Change (IPCC), which elaborate on the dramatic consequences of climate change.

This is about Us
This was my first experience of a COP of the UNFCCC, and I came away quite disappointed at the way the rich and developed countries continue to avoid accountability for the negative impacts of their unsustainable activities causing climate change, and in particular at their refusal to cut greenhouse gas emissions. They continue to find excuses to shy away from their commitments to the 1992 Earth Summit principles and in particular the 'common but differentiated responsibilities' for climate change outlined there. Despite the clear IPCC report, these countries continue to enjoy unsustainable production and consumption without taking the necessary actions to curb the negative impacts of climate change.

The UNFCCC conference has become more of a trade meeting than a genuine attempt to address the problems of climate change. The IPCC said emissions need to be cut by 60%, but even the meagre 5.2% negotiated in the Kyoto Protocol has become unacceptable for countries like the United States on the grounds of economics. The US announced that they cannot take any measures such as ratifying the Kyoto Protocol if they would affect its economy adversely.

This is the bind that developing countries continue to find themselves in as they argue their cases in global forums such as COP 8. We do not have the capacity to argue the complex technicalities of many of the issues. We fail to mobilize support amongst the developing countries themselves when their economies are in question. Even the G77/China, which is expected to safeguard the interests of developing countries, are themselves faced with the difficulty of trying to uphold and define common interests when conflicting priorities take the form of economic challenges. The question of OPEC countries -- with their economic dependency on oil exports -- is an excellent example of conflicting interests among G77 countries. More often than not, we in the Pacific, as part of the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS), find ourselves reluctantly drawn into a situation where we have to make compromises with this other group of developing countries.

Yet the whole UNFCCC is really about our small island countries, our small economies, our limited resources, our geographic separation, our vulnerabilities, our small populations, our livelihood, and our survival as peoples, cultures and traditions. Despite the frustrations, I believe that we need to be there and continue to make incremental progress by demonstrating the plight of our communities. More and more, I see our own governments being usurped and taken over by the economic might of the rich countries, the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, the World Trade Organization, and transnational corporations. Civil society offers perhaps the last hope for ensuring that the voices of our communities are heard in these global dialogues. It is above all civil society which is trying to keep our governments honest and responsible to the peoples who elected them.

FCCC in Deadlock
By Roque Pedace, Friends of the Earth-Argentina

The negotiations on the Framework Convention on Climate Change (FCCC) are currently in deadlock.

Industrialized countries want to discuss the future of climate action and the role of Southern countries in it. Southern countries want to avoid taking actions that do not address poverty, and are waiting for industrialized countries to show the kind of leadership that was promised in Rio in 1992.

At the coming ninth Conference of the Parties of the FCCC in December 2003, governments will also have to decide once and for all how to define "carbon sinks" and how to use them. Decisions on the issue have been long delayed, and, despite requests from NGOs, no governments have yet ruled out plantations.

Unless industrialized countries can show that they will be able to meet their emissions targets without cheating, and unless they provide enough funds to address the needs of Southern countries, Southern countries can legitimately complain about a lack of action and continue to block the process. Such a state of affairs suits only the US and Saudi Arabia.
For more information, please visit: http://www.unfccc.int

Underlying Causes Workshops in Six Countries
By Simone Lovera, Friends of the Earth International

No fewer than six national workshops on the underlying causes of deforestation and forest degradation were organized during the last four months of 2002 with support from the Global Forest Coalition's micro-grants facility administered by Sobrevivencia/ Friends of the Earth-Paraguay. The workshops were held in China, Samoa, Ghana, Costa Rica, India and Pakistan.

The national workshop in China, organized by SENOL (Beijing Forestry University Scientific Exploration and Outdoor Life Society), offered a unique opportunity for Chinese NGOs, academics and government representatives to discuss forest loss in a participatory manner. The experts presenting the workshop's eight case studies said they seldom had contact with environmental NGOs and that were glad to share their opinions and experiences with them. The NGOs were also pleased to be able to communicate with the experts. Reporters attending the workshop also regarded it as a success.

The Samoan workshop, organized by the Ole Siosiomaga Society in Aopo village from 18 - 21 December, benefited from the participation of a large number of villagers from the forest villages of Aopo, Sili and Salailua, along with representatives of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Fisheries and Meteorology, industry, and other actors. This resulted in a clear focus on the challenges local communities face with regard to deforestation and forest degradation. Underlying causes identified during the meeting included lack of corporate regulation, privatization, and the shift in the values of village leaders who prefer quick cash over long-term sustainability of their community. Other underlying causes discussed included the manipulation of the partnership concept by business interests, trade-related pressures caused by balance-of-payment problems, and unsustainable consumption and production patterns.

The Ministry of Environment and Science of Ghana took the lead in organizing a national workshop on the underlying causes of forest loss in September. The Institute of Cultural Affairs-Ghana, the African focal point of the Global Forest Coalition, and many other civil society organizations actively participated in a profound discussion, which lead to the elaboration of two tables identifying the socio-political and economic factors leading to forest loss in Ghana. The workshop recommended, amongst others, to educate farmers on their rights to trees and land resources, to establish and strengthen community forest committees and award schemes for sustainable forest management, and to strengthen institutions to improve governance, accountability and law enforcement.

The workshop in Costa Rica was the first of a series of two meetings on the underlying causes of forest loss with a specific focus on the impacts of monoculture tree plantations. Despite the fact that these plantations form an increasing environmental and social problem in Costa Rica, they are still heavily subsidized by the government's environmental services scheme. The workshops also highlighted the economic feasibility and environmental benefits of alternative forest restoration approaches, such as the one practiced by the Diaz-Alvarado family in the community of Saino de Pital.

The workshop on the underlying causes of forest loss in the State of Uttaranchal in India focused mainly on the challenge of forest governance. The workshop, which was organized by the Society of Pollution and Environmental Conservation Scientists (SPECS), highlighted the importance of community-based forest management. The workshop organized by Leadership for Environment and Development (LEAD) in Pakistan in December also highlighted the role of communities in forest management (see report by Asif Saeed below).

The reports of the national workshops will soon be available at: http://www.wrm.org.uy/gfc

Underlying Causes of Deforestation and Forest Degradation in Pakistan
By Asif Saeed, LEAD Pakistan

A recent one-day national workshop on the "Underlying Causes of Deforestation and Forest Degradation in Pakistan" organized by Leadership for Environment and Development, (LEAD) Pakistan helped raise awareness about the benefits of forests, as well as providing stakeholders with an opportunity to document their perspectives and discuss, consider and analyze possible solutions to forest loss. The event, held on 20 December 2002, enabled the key policymakers, officials of federal, provincial and local forest departments, forest owners, forests contractors and the community to identify the underlying causes of deforestation in the country. It stood out from earlier meetings in that it sought to invite into the mainstream dialogue even those stakeholders allegedly belonging to the "timber mafia".

Pakistan faces immense problems of deforestation and forest degradation. Less than five percent of its total area is under forests. The rate of deforestation of 1.5% is very high and alarming. Policies of the government aimed at combating deforestation have failed to yield the desired results due to policymakers' lack of information and stakeholders' lack of involvement in policymaking.

Among the underlying causes of forest loss identified were burgeoning population pressure, dependence of 90% of rural and 60% of urban households on fuelwood as the primary source of energy, unscientific grazing beyond carrying capacity, inadequate finance, construction of water reservoirs, the widening gap between the demand and supply of wood and last but not least, lack of serious commitment on the part of the government. By 2020, Pakistan will require 50 million cubic meters of wood to cater to the demands of its people, as compared to the current production of only 14 million cubic meters.

The workshop discussed various strategies and approaches being practiced at the local level to get to grips with the challenge of deforestation. One example was a farm forestry project in North West Frontier Province which targets poor and disadvantaged groups with the involvement of local Communities Based Organizations (CBOs) and NGOs. Another project Village Land Use Planning employs a participatory technique through which owners and users together determine the management plan.

A discussion on the gender dimensions of deforestation widened the scope and substance of the workshop. The role of women, it was agreed, is very critical because of their day-to-day activities in gathering fuelwood, planting crops and trees.

Participants concluded the workshop by sharing reflections and synthesizing the day's proceedings. The consensus was that there is a need for a permanent think tank, in addition to governmental and advocacy groups, which could support forest policy formulation and implementation on a permanent basis. Problems abound in the forest sector, but there is a lack of systematic inquiry into their nature, causes and consequences. Future research should include crossing cutting themes like the role of forest management in economic and social development, consequences of deforestation for the poor, and gender issues in forest management.

Controversies on Trade and Forests
By Saskia Ozinga, FERN, UK

A Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) expert consultation meeting on trade and forests -- part of an FAO-led study on the impact of trade and governance on forests funded by the Japanese government -- took place from 5 to 7 February in Rome. The UK-based International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) has carried out most of the research for this project.

IIED staff member Duncan MacQueen pointed out that many people talked about 'forests' as if they were factories. Who benefits from various forest projects, he asked, and whose views are being taken into account?

Other presentations by IIED pointed to the rapid growth of timber production by plantations, and the unsustainability of many of the current timber operations. The discussion in the working groups did not lead to consensus, due to the diversity of industrial, governmental and NGO interests present, but the meeting formed an interesting opportunity to exchange views.
For more information please contact: http://www.fao.org/forestry

Criteria and Indicators for Sustainable Forest Management
By Andrei Laletin, Friends of the Siberian Forests, Russia

An International Conference on "The Contribution of Criteria and Indicators to Sustainable Forest Management: the Way Forward" was held from 3-7 February 2003, in Guatemala City, Guatemala. The meeting was sponsored by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN, the International Tropical Timber Organization and the Governments of Guatemala, Finland and the US. Over 100 participants represented 52 countries, 11 international organizations, but only three non-governmental organizations: Forest Stewardship Council (Mexico), Pan European Forestry Certification Council (Luxembourg) and Friends of the Siberian Forests (Russia).

Discussions at the meeting, known as CICI-2003, were divided into four parts: 1) spelling out and using criteria and indicators in sustainable forest management; 2) getting political commitment to using such criteria and indicators; 3) enabling institutions and other stakeholders to apply and exchange information about criteria and indicators; and 4) contributing to the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF) and other international initiatives related to criteria and indicators and sustainable development. Background discussion papers and case studies were presented, and working group sessions arranged. Four working groups formulated draft conclusions and recommendations that were presented and discussed in plenary sessions and incorporated into the CICI-2003 final report. Delegates also participated in three field excursions to observe different local forestry practices.

Though this was a so-called "expert meeting", the rules appeared to be similar to those of a UNFF session. Conference participants could speak only on raising a sign displaying the name of their country. NGO representatives were forced to explain that they did not represent the governments of Mexico, Luxembourg and Russia. The UNFF-like atmosphere was also evident in the attempt of some participants to water down the final report, inserting general words such as "inter alia", "as appropriate", etc. Despite this, it was a useful conference that not only discussed the development of C&I since the historic Intergovernmental Seminar on Criteria and Indicators for Sustainable Forest Management in 1996, but also developed a way forward, taking into account the results of World Summit on Sustainable Development and other international fora.

Brazil Wants the ITTO to Prevent Illegal Trade
By Nishioka Yoshio, Hutan, Japan

Brazil called on the International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO) to take "more vigorous and consistent action" to prevent illegal timber harvest and trade at last November's 33rd session of the International Tropical Timber Council (ITTC).

Participants at the ITTC meeting, which took place from 4 - 9 November 2002, agreed on a Yokohama Action Plan 2002 - 2006, and on a number of recommendations regarding public relations, education and outreach, prevention and management of forest fire. They also laid plans for negotiations on a successor agreement to the 1994 International Tropical Timber Agreement and supported civil society/private sector partnerships for sustainable forest management.
For more information, please contact: http://www.itto.or.jp/Index.html.

Reports on Other Forest-Related Meetings

Mahogany on CITES List

In a widely-applauded decision, the 12th Conference of the Parties of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, which took place from 3 to 15 November 2002 in Santiago de Chile, decided to include Bigleaf Mahogany in its Appendix II. The decision was taken after a secret ballot vote, with 68 in favour, 30 against and 14 abstentions. The uplisting implies that international trade in this important forest species will be strictly monitored. The meeting also put several other tree species and forest species into Appendix I, including the yellow-naped and yellow-headed parrots, the blue-headed macaw, and the monkey puzzle tree. For more information please visit: http://www.cites.org

Calendar of Forest-Related Meetings

More information on these and other intergovernmental meetings can be found at: http://www.iisd.ca/linkages.

· The eighth session of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice of the Convention on Biodiversity, will be held 10 - 14 March 2003 in Montreal. This meeting will discuss the conservation of mountain ecosystems. It will be followed by a intersessional meeting on the Multi-Year Program of Work of the Biodiversity Convention. This meeting will take place from 17 - 19 March.
For more information, please visit: http://www.biodiv.org.

· The sixteenth session of the FAO Committee on Forestry will take place from 10 - 14 March 2003 in Rome, Italy. The meeting will discuss, inter alia, the relationship between forests and freshwater and the role of national forest programs in the implementation of the outcomes of the World Summit on Sustainable Development and the World Food Summit. For more information, please visit: http:// www.fao.org/forestry

· The second session of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues will take place from 12 to 23 May 2003 in New York. The Forum is the first UN body with proper participation from Indigenous Peoples. It discusses issues that may affect their rights or interests.
For more information, please visit: http://www.unhchr.ch/ indigenous/forum.

· The third session of the United Nations Forum on Forests will be held 26 May - 6 June 2003, Geneva, Switzerland. This third session will deal with unfinished business from the second session, including the Terms of Reference of possible intersessional working groups. It will also address economic aspects of forest management, forest health and productivity and the maintenance of forest cover.
For more information, please visit:
http://www.un. org/esa/sustdev/forests.