The First International Workshop on Community Forestry in Africa was held in the Gambia in February 1999. It began the process of bringing together all of the African experiences in community-based natural resource management. Until the Gambia workshop, those looking for documentation of existing initiatives would have looked towards Asia for information about best practices and experience in participatory forest management.

Summary: China’s trade in timber products with Myanmar grew substantially from 1997-2002, from 295,474 m3
(round wood equivalent, RWE) in 1997 to 947,765 m3 (RWE) in 2002. Despite increased volume,
timber product imports from Myanmar comprised only 2.5% of China’s total timber product imports
from 1997-2002. However, the small fraction of total imports masks two important features: i)
timber imports from Myanmar are primarily logged in slow-growing natural forests in northern

La définitio n de mécanismes app ropriés à la lu tte contre les activités illé gales et la corruption dans le sec t eur forestier dev rait constituer un des fondements des réformes législativ es entreprises par une majorité de pays africains. Ce nouveau cadre juridique est une des conditions préalables à la gestion durable des ressources forestières . Les principales caractéristiques des nouvelles lois sont une reconnaiss ance des valeurs sociales, écono miques et environnementales et leur intégration dans les object ifs de la gestion durable des forêts.

A Briefing Document by Global Witness. October 2003...

Table of Contents... Recommendations...
Introduction...
Summary:
Natural Resources and Conflict in Burma;
SLORC/SPDC-controlled logging;
China-Burma relations and logging in Kachin State;
Thailand-Burma relations and logging in Karen State...

#039;Capitalizing on Conflict' presents information illustrating how trade in timber, gems,
and gold is financing violent conflict, including widespread and gross human rights
abuses, in Burma. Although trade in these “conflict goods” accounts for a small
percentage of the total global trade, it severely compromises human security and
undermines socio-economic development, not only in Burma, but throughout the
region.
Ironically, cease-fire agreements signed between the late 1980s and early 1990s

This National Action Plan developed in 2003 by the Republic of Tajikistan is a national-wide policy aiming at implementing the commitments of the Republic of Tajikistan concerning the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Thus, the document indicates the priorities and measures to be undertaken to address the problem of climate change, to develop a capacity for further research and analysis of the climate system, its variability and change, to strengthen the international cooperation and joined efforts to mitigate climate change.

THIS report is based on research undertaken by AFRA in 2002/3. The process of compiling the information included an extensive literature review, workshops with the forest dwellers and interviews with various stakeholders. A number of issues were considered and a large volume of literature and workshop reports on these exists in AFRA's offices. These are available on request. The Department of Regional and Land Affairs commissioned a similar study in 1993 when the state was attempting to lure people out of the forest following the 1988 "invasion".

Contains close scrutiny of chapter 11 (on land and property) of the Kenya Draft Constitution Bill; editorial on Kenya Land Alliance supports the campaign for the protection of forest lands; the new Minister of Lands and Settlements’ plans to modernise his Ministry (including a commitment to make public the Njonjo Land Commission report); the new Minister for Planning and National Development’s perception of land issues in Kenya (including a commitment to tax land held by speculators); a review of NARC’s (National Rainbow Coalition) agenda for success on land issues (including an end to land

The present Law lays down provisions relating to the right of wood and pasture exploitation in the Region of Carinthia. The text consists of 63 articles divided into 9 chapters as follows: General provisions (I); New regulation and regulation of traditional rights (II); Transfer of exploitation rights (III); Safeguard of rights of use (IV); Basic rights of wood cutting in case of need (V); Special field services (VI); Authorities and proceedings (VII); Penalties (VIII).

Overproduction of coffee and low coffee prices have resulted in a global crisis affecting the people and biodiversity of many tropical countries. The authors, from the Wildlife Conservation Society in Indonesia, describe expanding production of low-quality robusta coffee, which contributes to low prices and lowland deforestation, but is not improving the livelihood of local farmers.

This report summarises two separate Friends of the Earth reports on, respectively, the increasing demand for palm oil in developed countries, and the social and environmental impacts of palm oil cultivation in Southeast Asia - focussing particularly on Indonesia.

This Policy Brief is the first in the series and introduces ASB and the issues it deals with.