REMARKS BY SECRETARY GENERAL
THE MINISTRY OF FORESTRY OF THE REPUBLIC OF INDONESIA
ON THE FIRST MEETING OF ASIA FOREST PARTNERSHIP (AFP)

Tokyo, 11 November 2002

• Excellency Mr. Mutsuyoshi Nishimura, Ambassador for Global Environment, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan,
• Excellency Ms. Shinako Tsuchiya, Parliamentary Secretary for Foreign Affairs of Japan,
• Distinguished participants, Ladies and gentlemen,

Good morning. It is a great honor and privilege for me to address before you in this particular event. At the outset, I would like to express my greatest appreciation to the Government of Japan, in particular to His Excellency Mr. Mutsuyoshi Nishimura, the Ambassador for Global Environment, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, for his continuous endeavor to build partnership among Asian governments and other concerned partners for the sustainability of forests in Asian region. In this occasion, I wish to extend my sincere gratitude to our partners for putting their commitment to unite for Asia Forest Partnership, which in turn, I believe would give significant contribution to the sustainability forest management in the region. I also would like to express my gratitude to the Delegation of Japan visiting Indonesia on 7 to 9 October 2002 for their mission to discuss the preparation of Asia Forest Partnership.

Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

Forests, in particular tropical forest in Asia region is currently under a dreadful threat. The degradation and deforestation in this region are happening at an alarming rate. In Indonesia alone, the rate of deforestation has reached of about 1.6 million hectares per year during the last three years. This has even been worsened by the "97-98" economic turbulence, which struck the region. The main causes of deforestation and degradation might be addressed to the conversion of forest for other purposes, illegal timber harvesting, and forest fire.

Indonesia's forest is one among the richest ecosystems in the world, and for centuries most of Indonesian people have been dependent for their livelihood, on forest. For more than last three decades, Indonesian forest had played an important source of revenue of the Government to support the speeding up the Indonesian economy. It is unfortunate, however, that Indonesia forest is currently facing many problems, which threaten its existence and hence the environment.

Growing concern on the current forest condition has pushed the Indonesian Government to take all necessary actions to cope the complex problems in practicing sustainable forestry on the ground. The Indonesian Government has, therefore, committed to stop further loss of the forest and its biological richness, and in the immediate term or within the next 10 years the policy is directed towards rescuing and recovering the forest resources.

Indonesian Ministry of Forestry has identified five priority issues for immediate programs, taking into account the other important issues. These priority programs are: (1) Combating illegal logging and associated trade of illegally harvested forest products; (2) Controlling forest fire; (3) Restructuring forestry sector; (4) Enhancing rehabilitation of degraded forests and lands and conservation of natural resources; and (5) Managing smooth transition process of decentralization in forestry sector. Actions are now being taken to implement the programs on the ground combining with social forestry for each activity.

Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

Now, allow me for a few minutes to highlight the policy changes and the main achievements since the last two years of those five priority programs.

The problems of illegal logging and trade of illegally harvested timber have been complicated by underlying internal and external factors, such as poverty, unemployment, corruption, imbalance supply and demand for forest products, and international market. To deal with these factors, the Government has internally developed three approaches, namely: (1) Improvement of forest management and administration; (2) Improvement of people welfare, through among others development of social forestry; and (3) Promoting effective law enforcement, by strengthening coordination among enforcement institutions and judiciaries.

At the international level, initiative for international cooperation to curb illegal logging and international trade of illegally harvested timber has been put forward through the Ministerial declaration on Forest Law Enforcement and Governance, done in Bali on 11-13 September 2001. A Task Force to monitor the effective implementation of declaration is being formed and supposed to be inaugurated on 21-23 October 2002 in Jakarta. However, due to the Bali's incident it was postponed until January 2003.

Forest fire is another most factors affecting forest degradation. There are on-going actions including improving communication network, preventing forest fires through extension programs, and establishing a forest fire task force known as "forest fire brigades", in several fire prone districts.

Restructuring forest sector is undertaken to fill the gap between the industrial capacity and the potential sustainable timber supply. This gap is believed to be one of the major factors encouraging unsustainable timber harvesting, illegal logging and other forest related crimes. A comprehensive assessment of the logging concession areas and timber-based industries including log tracking system, machineries, workforces, marketing, and company's debt has been undertaken. A regulation requiring the implementation of mandatory assessment in forest concessionaires that should be done by independent auditor has now been enacted and implemented.

Rehabilitation of degraded forest and conservation of natural resources is undertaken to increase the potential supply and to conserve the biological diversity. Plantation will only be undertaken on bare and deforested lands. Natural forest conversion for plantation development has now been terminated.

In accordance with the national political shift from centralized to decentralized government, it is envisaged that the transfer of authority in forest sector should be undertaken gradually. The process should allow provision of sufficient time for establishing appropriate instruments and institutional and philosophical basis of sustainable forest management can be delivered correctly to the local authorities.

Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

Endeavors to undertake sustainable forest management require full supports and commitments from all stakeholders at district, provincial and national levels. However, it has been widely known that forests plays very important roles at the global level, therefore, it is important that promoting sustainable management needs also global supports.

This Asia Forest Partnership is a foundation for a long process of international cooperation to promote sustainable forest management in Asia. Asian countries are facing similar problems to implement sustainable forest management. Therefore I believe that Asian countries should unite to tackle the problems collaboratively. The future of the Asian forest depends on our works today and the tasks ahead may be difficult, but I have every confidence that the success can be more easily achieved when we work together as partners.

On behalf of the Government of Indonesia, I would like here, to cordially invite governments from Asia region to work collaboratively under the auspices of this partnership initiative with the Governments, Inter-governmental Organizations and Non Government Organizations, which have committed to involve in the initiative led by the Government of Indonesia and the Government of Japan. I also cordially invite other Governments and Organizations interested in contributing to the sustainable forest management in Asia to join and support the initiative. However, I would like to emphasize that this partnership will not prevent bilateral cooperation between countries.

Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

I should not take any longer your precious time and I wish you all every success and let's make the Asia Forest Partnership 2002 a cornerstone for the achievement of sustainable forest management.

Finally, again, I would like to convey my deepest gratitude to the Government of Japan for providing such an excellent place and hospitality. Thank you very much for your kind attention.

Tokyo, November 11, 2002
SECRETARY GENERAL

WAHJUDI WARDOJO