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| The delegation of the third Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Meeting of Ministers Responsible for Forestry |
By FIDELIS SUKINA
The third Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Meeting
of Ministers Responsible for Forestry which was held from Tuesday the 27th
to Thursday the 29th in October 2015 has reaffirmed support for previous meetings.
Within the three day meeting the Ministers and heads of
departments for forestry in APEC economies discussed among others the continued
support for past declarations.
Issued discussed include, supporting sustainable forest
management; forest conservation and forest rehabilitation climate change and
private public dialogue on mechanisms.
In the final ministerial statement presented on Thursday by
Chairman of the meet, Papua New Guineas Forestry Minister Douglas Tomuriesa, he
gave some insight into how APEC countries will be going about in a regional
approach combating the issues.
“We encourage APEC economies to share information and best
practices through Asia-Pacific Network for Sustainable Forest Management and Rehabilitation
(APFNet), and other bilateral and multilateral collaborations to support
sustainable forest management, including the promotion of forest cooperation
and policy dialogues within or among APEC economies”. Tomurieas said
For Papua New Guinea Tomurieas said that we needed to have
better sustainable forest management, adding that meetings with Malaysia, China
and Russia highlighted the important issue of planting more trees.
“During our bilateral meetings Russians invited us to go and
see the module they have in Russia where young children are trained in
sustainable forestry, it is important that our children at a young age learn
how to manage our forests”. Tomurieas said
One of the main agenda’s illegal logging in APEC countries
saw leaders recalling on past APEC meeting’s to further strengthen their stand.
“We recognize the 2012 Vladivostok APEC Leaders’
Declaration, in which leaders are committed to strengthen efforts to combat
illegal trade in timber and other forest products; to implement measures to
ensure sustainable forest ecosystems management; and to facilitate sustainable,
open, and fair trade of non-timber forest products”.
“Enhance cooperation among APEC economies through the Expert
Group on Illegal Logging and Associated Trade (EGILAT) to combat illegal
logging and associated trade, promote trade in legally harvested forest
products, and build capacity, building on EGILAT’s development of the Common understanding
of the Scope of Illegal Logging and Associated Trade and the Timber Legality
Guidance Template”. Tomurieas said
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