Forest experts to discuss illegal logging and REDD

Adianto P. Simamora , The Jakarta Post , Jakarta | Wed, 05/27/2009

Forestry experts from 50 countries are slated to hold conference to discuss long standing illegal logging and mechanism of carbon trading from forestry sector on Thursday.

Indonesian Forestry Minister MS Kaban will open the two-day conference, which is expected to be attended by some 275 participants.

"This conference is very important because we will be discussing the intersection of two issues: the need to fight forest crime and the need to find workable mechanisms for REDD," Frances Seymour, Director General of the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) told the Jakarta Post on Wednesday.

She is referring to the much debated reducing emissions from deforestration and forest degradation (REDD).

She said that the failure to fight forest crime will undermine the chances of success for REDD.

"But equally both the finance and political momentum that may be generated by a global REDD agreement could help address forest crime," she said.

She said that In Indonesia many of the problems that need to be overcome in forest governance are directly relevant to both REDD and forest crime.

"It is particularly appropriate that this agenda is discussed at the AFP because both issues require international cooperation for success: dealing with the trans-border trade in illegal forest products and the issue of international leakage in the case of REDD,"She said.

The conference was organized jointly by the Asia Forest Partnership (AFP) and Cifor.

The conference was made in just six months of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Copenhagen in December which one of the agenda for adoption of the REDD mechanism in emission cut program.

Indonesia, the world third largest forest nations with 120 million hectares of rainforest, was expected to gain huge money from carbon trading under the REDD.

Personal note: Regular readers know my views on REDD. Good though this idea is on paper, it all will do is make money fro consultants and the government of Indonesia. It won't help save forests because the government of Indonesia has no interest in doing so.....all they want is our money.