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INECE Illegal Timber Forum
Compliance and Enforcement News & Resources
Weak Forest Governance Costs Us$15 Billion A Year
The World Bank estimates the annual global market value of losses from illegal cutting of forests at over US$10 billion, and annual loses in government revenues of about US$5 billion. Widespread failure of forest governance – characterized by illegal logging, associated illegal trade, and corruption – undermines any nation’s attempt to achieve sustainable economic growth, social balance, and environmental protection, according to the report Strengthening Forest Law Enforcement and Governance - Addressing a Systemic Constraint to Sustainable Development, released by the World Bank during its Annual Meetings held in Singapore.
From World Bank News Room
The Montreal Process: Criteria and Indicators for the Conservation and Sustainable Management of Temporate and Boreal Forests
The "Montreal Process Criteria and Indicators" are an internationally agreed basis to objectively monitor and evaluate the progress of sustainable forest management.
Indicators to support Criterion 7 (include a set of governance-related indicators to assess criterion 7 (Legal, institutional and economic framework for forest conservation and sustainable management) are available on the Montreal Process Web site.
Most Extensive Survey Ever of World’s Remaining Tropical Forests Reveals Upward Trend in “Sustainable” Management Yet 95 Percent of Tropical Forests Remain at Risk
 The most comprehensive analysis of the status of tropical forest management ever conducted has documented a significant increase in the “sustainable management” of tropical forests worldwide since 1988. The International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO) report warns that some 95% of the forests remain unprotected—and progress will be fleeting unless the international community ensures that nations benefit economically from maintaining their tropical forests.
The survey found that, "resources for enforcement and management are woefully and chronically inadequate - trained staff, vehicles and equipment are all in short supply, while systems for monitoring and reporting forest management are often limited or lacking. Illegal logging and transport of timber are pressing issues, sometimes exacerbated by warfare, drug smuggling and other criminal activities, making forest management a potentially hazardous activity."
See the ITTO Web site for Status of Tropical Forest Management 2005.
Organization in Focus: Asia Forest Partnership
 The Asia Forest Partnership (AFP) promotes sustainable forest management in Asia through addressing five urgent issues: control of illegal logging; control of forest fires; rehabilitation of degraded lands; good goverance and forest law enforcement; and developing capacity for effective forest management. At AFP's 5th Meeting  (Nov. 2005), participants discussed the development of mandatory standards on legality and a timber tracking system;
control of illegal logging through the Japanese government's procurement policy;
and the actual condition of illegal logging in Indonesia. AFP will host a Workshop on Forest Governance and Decentralization in Asia and the Pacific in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, on 4-6 September 2006.
Chatham House Announces New Analyses of Relevant Legislation to Control Imports of Illegal Timber to EU Markets
Chatham House reports that, "the FLEGT Action Plan identified a need for new or better-enforced national or Community legislation to support the voluntary licensing scheme in excluding illegal timber from EU markets. In the light of this all Member States have been requested to undertake reviews of relevant domestic legislation and the potential for new Community-level legislation is under consideration by the Commission. Chatham House has recently completed a draft UK study and organized a technical workshop on both national and EU-wide legislative enforcement and options." See Illegal-Logging.info for more information.
Governments Commit to Action on Forest Law Enforcement and Governance
At the conclusion of the
Europe and North Asia Forest Law Enforcement Governance (FLEG)
Ministerial Conference, that took place in St. Petersburg, Russia, from
22-25 November 2005, forty-three Governments committed to take action to address illegal logging issues with the endorsement of the St. Petersburg Declaration on Forest Law Enforcement and Governance in Europe and North Asia.
EU Agrees to Voluntary Plan to Fight Illegal Logging, Timber Trade
The European Commission welcomed agreement by member states on voluntary measures to fight illegal logging and the trade in illegal timber, a growing problem that robs governments in affected developing countries of an estimated €10-15 billion every year in lost revenue and damages environment. The measures adopted consist of voluntary partnerships to support and promote governance reform in countries badly affected by illegal logging; and a regulation that sets up a legally-binding licensing scheme with partner countries to ensure that only legal timber from these countries is imported into the EU.
From ENS News
INECE and Law for a Green Planet Institute Host Workshop to Plan an Enforcement Cooperation Project on Illegal Logging in the Amazon
On 30 August, participants from INECE, Law for a Green Planet, the Brazil Ministry of the Environment (MMA), the Brazil Environmental Agency (IBAMA), the State Court of Amapá, the Sociedad Peruana Derecho Ambiental, IMAZON, and the U.S. Embassy discussed general guidelines for an enforcement cooperation project, including a seminar to build enforcement capacity against illegal logging and deforestation in the Amazon. Participants agreed that the seminar will take place in Amapá, Brazil, on August 2006. The target of this seminar will be judges, public prosecutors, lawyers from IBAMA, and lawyers from state environmental agencies. The seminar will focus on training with multidisciplinary approach.
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