DRC: Alliance against World Bank's support to industrial logging

SOURCE: W R M B U L L E T I N 90
January 2005 - English edition

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WORLD RAINFOREST MOVEMENT
MOVIMIENTO MUNDIAL POR LOS BOSQUES

International Secretariat
Maldonado 1858; Montevideo, Uruguay
E-Mail: [email protected]
Web page: http://www.wrm.org.uy
Editor: Ricardo Carrere
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Congo (DRC): Alliance against World Bank's support to industrial logging

A broad alliance of environment, development and indigenous human rights
organisations organized a "Forest Forum" in Kinshasa on November 13th,
2004, with the aim of strengthening the struggle against the increase in
industrial logging in DRC's rainforests and for the respect of local
peoples' rights (see WRM Bulletin 80).

In face of the imminent threat of new laws and re-zoning plans supported
by the World Bank that could result in up to 60 million hectares of
rainforest (an area the size of France) being opened up to logging
companies, a group of international NGOs made a joint declaration
addressed to the Congolese government and the international financial
agencies. They demanded that a moratorium on the issuing of any new
logging concessions should be maintained until the Congolese authorities
comply with strict conditions. These would also imply the existence of
conditions that guarantee -among other:

* State transparency towards civil society, including public information
that should comprise two stages: initial publication of proposed
legislation enabling civil society to be informed and its reactions to be
gathered; a second publication presenting the State's decisions, taken on
the basis of the public's reactions in particular.

* An independent monitoring system accessible to all, including, in
particular the local populations, who could play a role in providing
relevant information. Monitoring must also be followed up with dissuasive
sanctions when offences are noted, up to and including termination of the
concession contract.

* Respect for the rights of local communities and indigenous peoples which
would imply their active involvement in preparing the anticipated zoning
plan, according to the principle of prior, free and informed consent;
their active involvement in the allocation and planning of concessions
according to the principle of prior, free and informed consent; and the
delineation, testing and identification of community forests.

In their declaration, the alliance encouraged the Bretton Woods
Institutions to ensure greater transparency in their actions.

Simon Counsell, Director of the Rainforest Foundation UK, one of the
members of the alliance, said: "Industrial logging has been
environmentally and socially disastrous in many parts of Africa, and there
is now wide agreement that the World Bank's plans for a massive expansion
of the timber industry in the Congo are likely to have similar
consequences. Alternatives to industrial logging must be found that
benefit the people of Congo whilst protecting the environment. Hopefully,
the demand for respect of local peoples' rights represents a major shift
in thinking by conservation organisations as to how best to protect the
world's remaining tropical rainforests".

Article based on information from: "World's leading conservation
organisations call for halt to expansion of logging in Congo rainforest,
and for respect of local peoples' rights", Rainforest Roundation press
release, sent by Simon Counsell, e-mail: [email protected]