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Congo must do more for forests: NGO
Kinshasa (AFP) Jan 28, 2009 British NGO Global Witness hailed the Congolese government Wednesday for cancelling a raft of logging contracts but warned it needs to do more to ensure forest wealth benefits its people. The organisation, which combats the corrupt exploitation of natural resources, said that despite last week's decision to revoke the contracts, the Democratic Republic of Congo's government control over the forestry sector remained "extremely weak". It was responding to a decision last week to cancel some 60 percent of all contracts with logging companies, and convert others into long term concessions which are subject to strict social and environmental rules. The decision followed a lengthy review of timber contracts aimed at stamping out corruption in the sector. "We recognise the progress made by the DRC government in completing the review and cancellation of over half the existing contracts, despite heavy pressure from the logging industry," said campaigner Lizzie Parsons. "However, given numerous problems in the review process and decades of mismanagement in the forest sector, government and logging companies must do far more to ensure that Congo's forest wealth benefits the country's population." The contracts had been agreed during the 1998-2003 war, when huge concessions were gifted to logging concerns. Global Witness called on Kinshasa to boost authorities to ensure oversight of all forest-related activities, ensure the customary rights of local populations are respected, and guarantee the transparent conduct of forest revenue collection and distrubution. It urged the remaining companies with concessions to "immediately fulfill their social and environmental obligations ... and deliver on their commitments in active consultations with communities affected by their operations." DR Congo, which contains the world's second largest forested area after the Amazon, exports 200,000 cubic metres of timber annually, but of the 49 million dollars generated in foreign revenue, the government receives only 1.8 million in taxes and duties. bbos/jpc/db/co Share This Article With Planet Earth
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Leftist groups meeting in Brazil call for Amazon protection
Belem, Brazil (AFP) Jan 28, 2009Leftist groups attending the World Social Forum (WSF) in Brazil kicked off their week of activities Wednesday with a call for greater protection of the Amazon basin. |
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