East Asia Forest Law Enforcement and Governance

Definition: "A Forest Law Enforcement and Governance ministerial process is a political initiative launched by a number of countries to strengthen forest governance within a given region. These ministerial-level political processes aim to mobilize international commitment from producer, consumer and donor governments to increase efforts to combat illegal logging as well as the associated trade and corruption in the forest sector. They create the political space at national and regional levels to address these complex and politically sensitive issues more concertedly in the future and in partnership with major stakeholders from civil society and the private sector." (World Bank)

The Bali Ministerial Conference on FLEG of September 2001, hosted and chaired by Indonesia, was a crucial event for addressing forest law enforcement and governance in the region. The Conference's primary aims were to strengthen high-level commitment to build capacity for forest law enforcement, explore priority issues of forest law enforcement, including illegal logging in the East Asia region, and commit to action at the national and regional level. The Asia FLEG is widely regarded as having achieved to draw attention to and to create high-level political commitments for action to eliminate illegal logging and develop capacity to enforce forest laws.

Asia FLEG Ministerial Declaration

Illegal Logging, Collusive Corruption, and Fragmented Governments in Kalimantan, Indonesia (pdf)

Memorandum of Understanding to Improve Forest Law Enforcement and Governance (doc)

Royal Insititue of International Affairs - Illegal logging UK and Indonesia Memorandum of Understanding (pdf)