Chainsaw Charter
Friends of the Earth International says agreement on halting the
loss of the World's rainforests is taking serious backward steps.
Governments meeting at the United Nations in New York today [1]
have failed to establish even the most basic principles for
protecting fast-disappearing natural forests [2].
Existing international and national policies set higher standards
than those so far developed in New York [3]. If governments
endorse current proposals at June's Earth Summit [4], it will not
save the remaining forests and their inhabitants.
The flimsy consensus on forests stems from the belligerent pursuit
of political vested interests by the two main negotiating blocks,
the industrialised nations and the developing countries.
Developing countries are fighting for their right to 'develop' and
trade their forests. On the other hand, the industrialised
nations are avoiding the responsibility for dealing with the root
causes for forest loss, like poverty and international debt [5].
Meanwhile, official papers scarcely mention the need to halt the
loss of natural forests [6].
Similarly, governments have failed to advance earlier
internationally-agreed principles on the value and importance of
legal recognition for the customary land-rights of indigenous
forest-dwelling people [7].
Tony Juniper, Rainforest Campaigner with Friends of the Earth
International said:
"Governments are engaged in ideological warfare with the world's
forests held as a political prisoner.
The result is an open-ended 'chainsaw charter' geared up to
industry's needs.
If governments are not prepared to act decisively in halting this
ecological carnage then they should abandon talks."
Contact:
Tony Juniper, Pickwick Arms Hotel, E.51st St. NY:
Tel: 355 0300
Fax: 755 5029
Roberto Smeraldi AFS, E.43rd, NY:
Tel: 697 6335
Fax: 557 7627
Notes For Editors:
[1] The fourth and final preparatory meeting for June's Earth
Summit (United Nations Conference on Environment and Development
[UNCED]) is currently in progress at the United Nations in New
York. The development of internationally-accepted consensus and
action programmes for combatting deforestation are among the aims
of the meeting.
[2] So far, there has been no explicit acceptance by
governments over the need to halt mass deforestation. Instead,
there is a great deal of emphasis on the development of forests
and the free trade in forest products.
[3] For example, in 1991, the World Bank (with the support of
many governments) agreed to end funding for logging operations in
primary tropical rainforests. Similarly, under the auspices of
the International Tropical Timber Organisation, agreement has been
reached to confine the trade in tropical timber to materials from
sustainable sources by 2000. These (and other),
internationally-agreed commitments are not reflected in the work
carried out at this meeting.
[4] The Earth Summit will take place in Rio de Janeiro in June
1992. Governments are planning to finalise agreements on
measures to ensure a sustainable future in human development.
[5] Over-consumption in the rich countries, international
trading relationships, the external indebtedness of some
developing countries and the related poverty are seen as major
causes for unsustainable development. It is argued that the
richer countries have a particular responsibility to address these
issues.
Forests embrace many issues that have proved contentious in the
UNCED process, including human rights, national sovereignty,
financial resources, climate change and the conservation of
biological diversity. Failure to establish consensus in this
area is therefore considered as symbolic of more fundamental
setbacks.
[6] Two texts are being negotiated at the current preparatory
meeting; one is a statement of forest principles and the other is
a series of actions to be undertaken by governments during the
1990s contained in "Agenda 21".
[7] The Amazon Pilot Programme drafted by the Brazilian
Government emphasised the great importance of the demarcation of
indigenous lands in seeking the conservation of forests. The
1989 Paris G7 Summit stressed the need to include the recognition
of indigenous land-rights in forestry sector policies.