Oleh/By : DATO' SERI DR. MAHATHIR BIN MOHAMAD
Tempat/Venue : SHANGRI-LA HOTEL, KUALA LUMPUR
Tarikh/Date : 13/09/93
Tajuk/Title : OFFICIAL OPENING OF THE 14TH
COMMONWEALTH FORESTRY CONFERENCE
It is a pleasure to be here today on the occasion of
the official opening of the 14th Commonwealth Forestry
Conference. Let me, first of all, thank the organisers for
inviting me to address and officiate the opening of this
conference. Let me also extend a very warm welcome to all
our guests and participants and wish them a fruitful
conference and a pleasant stay.
2. We have all witnessed how forestry has today emerged as
a dominant issue high on the list of both the domestic and
international agenda. As a country with substantial
tropical forests, Malaysia has consistently voiced her
concern over any unrestrained exploitation. The issue has
to be viewed in its right perspective and approached in a
balanced and holistic manner, taking into account not only
the inter-relationship between environment and development,
but also between forest and non-forest issues as well as
between tropical and non-tropical forests.
3. Environmental problems confronting the world today are
a result of global pollution for which the developed
countries are mainly responsible. Deforestation in
the tropics occurs much later than the widespread
destruction of non-tropical forests in developed countries
due to the agricultural and industrial revolutions as well
as the expansionist past of these countries. Problems of
sustainability beset not only tropical forests but also all
other types of forests which have suffered from past
destruction and are in danger of continuous degradation and
decline from acid rains, pollution and fires. More
importantly, the underlying causes of tropical deforestation
are not orderly logging but rather poverty, indebtedness as
well as the needs for fuel and land for agriculture, food
and shelter.
4. Our quest for a balanced and fair approach to these
global issues on forestry has now been acknowledged. In
fact, it was reflected in the Langkawi Declaration on the
environment adopted by the Commonwealth Heads of Government
Meeting (CHOGM) in Kuala Lumpur in October 1989.
5. The momentum gained from the Langkawi Declaration was
consolidated in the Paris Declaration passed by the 10th
World Forestry Congress in 1991, which addressed all types
of forests in the world in the desired holistic way. Among
other things the declaration called on decision-makers to
commit themselves to the greening of the world, limit
emission of greenhouse gases and pollutants and increase
financial provisions to offset losses incurred by developing
countries.
6. More than a year has passed since the forest principles
were adopted. Apart from the decision taken by the United
Nations Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD) to
review forestry related matters under its multi-year
thematic work programme at its session in 1995, there has
been no significant implementation of these principles and
other UNCED decisions on forestry. The initiative for the
establishment of an independent world commission on forests
and sustainable development appears to have faltered for
lack of support from many countries. Yet, the necessary
preparations have to be put in place to ensure a substantive
and fruitful review by the CSD in 1995. Given the heavy and
wide-ranging work programme of the CSD and that forests have
emerged as an issue which demands our urgent attention and
action, it is imperative that an inter-governmental task
force on forestry be established under the aegis of the CSD
to undertake the necessary preparations and consultations
for the CSD review in 1995. This is a more constructive way
to push for the effective implementation of the entire
post-UNCED agenda on global forestry.
7. Despite efforts to develop and adopt a more balanced
and holistic framework for global forestry, general
perceptions, attitudes and thinking of developed countries
are still focused on tropical forests. Promises for new and
additional resources and the transfer of technology remain
basically unfulfilled. Tropical forests continue to face
unfair scrutiny and conditionalities while tropical timber
is subjected to mounting pressures and threats of labelling,
bans and boycotts.
8. The only set of internationally agreed standards on
sustainability in existence is the one adopted by the
International Tropical Timber Organisation (ITTO) which
applies exclusively to tropical forests. Tropical forest
countries which are members of ITTO have also given their
commitment to the attainment of the ITTO sustainability
target by the year 2000. What bothers us most is that
non-tropical forests and timbers which compete with tropical
timber in the same international timber market are not being
subjected at all to any internationally agreed standards and
commitment to sustainability. Yet we know that the practice
of clear felling of miles and miles of temperate forests
causes more environmental damage than the controlled
selective logging practised in tropical forests.
9. This is a glaring case of double standards and
a clear contradiction to the decisions of UNCED. It
requires immediate redress. In the on-going negotiations
for a successor agreement to the International Tropical
Timber Agreement (ITTA) 1983, producer members have proposed
the expansion of the scope of the agreement to cover all
timbers, so that non-tropical timbers can be subjected to
the same sustainability criteria and all problems of
discrimination and double standards can be effectively
eliminated. Not surprisingly, this proposal has been
rejected by consumers of the North.
10. The truth is consumers in the North have been dragging
their feet on the issue of the sustainability of their
non-tropical forests and timbers and have not shown any
serious and sincere intention to make a concrete commitment
to the sustainability of their forests even outside the
ITTA. A recent effort by the ministerial conference on the
protection of forest in Europe at Helsinki has been
criticised as being too little too late and seriously
lacking in clarity, substantiveness and time-frame. Forests
are renewable natural resources and developed countries can
redeem themselves by raising their forest cover to a
respectable level through, perhaps, the conversion to
forests of their heavily subsidised farms which are causing
grievous harm to unsubsidised commodity export of developing
countries.
11. The 14th Commonwealth Forestry Conference is the first
being held after the historic Earth Summit which took place
in Rio last year. In view of this and considering its
pioneer effort in promoting a balanced approach to the
global issues of forest and environment through the Langkawi
Declaration, the Commonwealth is well placed to once again
lead by example in the implementation of the UNCED
decisions. Uncertainties clouding some of the existing
international efforts on forestry, including the Tropical
Forestry Action Programme (TFAP), give further credence to
this emerging opportunity.
12. On the basis of this need, I would like to suggest
that the initiative be launched to streamline the
implementation of the UNCED forest principles within the
Commonwealth with emphasis on the following:
(a) Acceptance by all that states have the sovereign
right to exploit and manage their forest resources
on a sustainable basis taking into account the
need for social and economic development as well
as the protection of the forests and the
environment;
(b) Sustainable forest management and the
sustainability criteria should be made applicable
to all types of forests and timbers;
(c) Efforts towards the greening of the world should
be the main responsibility of those countries with
low forest cover and should be pursued in the
context of increasing the world's forest cover to
30 percent of its land area by the year 2000;
(d) Developing countries should be provided with new
and additional resources and be given access to
environmentally-sound technologies on favourable
terms in order to enhance their capacity to
sustainably manage, conserve and develop their
forests;
(e) The promotion of a supportive international
economic climate and trade in forest products
based on non-discriminatory and multilateral
agreed rules and procedures, as well as the
removal of tariff and non-tariff barriers and
impediments to trade in forest products; and
(f) The conservation and sustainable use of biological
diversity as provided for in the convention of
biological diversity should take cognisance of the
importance of forests, particularly tropical
forests, as the main repository of terrestrial
diversity.
13. Malaysia has been known for her outspokenness on global
issues concerning forests and the environment. Following
our active participation in the negotiations at UNCED, we
have stepped up our national efforts towards implementing
the decisions of UNCED. These include conducting a national
seminar on the follow-up to the Rio Earth Summit, signing of
the framework convention on climate change, incorporating
sustainable development into the governmental and
administrative framework, formulating a national action plan
on biological diversity and assuming the first chairmanship
of the CSD.
14. On forestry, our forest and tree cover remain at almost
60 percent and more than 70 percent respectively and we are
fully committed to our pledge of retaining a minimum 50
percent level of forest and tree cover in perpetuity. In
this connection, our Permanent Forest Estate (PFE) has been
expanded from 12.7 million to 14.1 million hectares. A
total of 4.7 million hectares of forests outside the PFE
representing 14.3 percent of the total land area, has been
dedicated for the protection of biodiversity and
environment. The National Forestry Policy has been updated
in 1992 and we have recently amended the National Forestry
Act to strengthen its provisions and to introduce stiffer
penalties for forest offences. The state of Sarawak is
adjusting its log production in accordance with the
recommendations of the Cranbrook Report by 1994 and has
undertaken specific programmes to cater for the needs and
welfare of the indigenous people who are directly dependent
on the forests. At the international level, Malaysia as a
member of ITTO, has given her full commitment to the
attainment of the ITTO sustainability target by the year
2000, and is involved in collaborative work in forestry on a
bilateral basis with a number of countries including Japan,
United Kingdom, Germany, New Zealand, Canada, the United
States and Sweden.
15. I believe that on the basis of these measures,
Malaysia is in a good position to fulfill her commitment
towards the sustainable management, conservation and
development of her forests. This should give us the courage
and confidence to meet the challenges and developments in
global forestry in the years to come.
16. With these remarks, ladies and gentlemen, I have great
pleasure in declaring open the 14th Commonwealth Forestry
Conference.
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