contents
home
cover
 1. recommendations
2. introduction
3. the case for positive conditionality & international responsibility
4. the forest policy reform project & the steering committee
5. transparency
6. forest yield & revenue potential
7. concession activity and review
8. dfw–enforcement & jurisdiction
9. situation update–general
special military region
military region 1
military region 2
military region 3
military region 4
military region 5
10. the role of cambodia’s neighbours & other importing countries
thailand
laos
vietnam
japan
11. opportunities
the forest stewardship council (fsc)
protected areas and world heritage status
12. conclusion
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1. RECOMMENDATIONS
The international donors should impose positive conditionality on non-humanitarian aid to Cambodia, based on performance related improvements in the forestry sector.
The RGC should request that the multilateral and bilateral donors exert pressure on Vietnam, Laos and Thailand to ensure their cooperation with the 31st December 1996 timber export ban.
The RGC should reduce the forest sector contribution for the 1999 budget to a sustainable level commensurate with legitimate concession activity. The current $20 million figure will result in severe over exploitation of forest resources. The international donors should finance the revenue shortfall.
The RGC should hold monthly meetings to provide updates on the current status of legal and illegal forestry activities to their own departments and to the donors.
An independent monitor should be appointed urgently by the RGC to monitor the forestry situation, and to check the above reports.
The donors should provide funds to enable the Ministry of Environment to monitor the Ministry of Agriculture's role in implementing the 16 point declaration agreed at by the Council of Ministers on 22nd January 1999.
All concession activity should be stopped and all concessions suspended, pending the review scheduled to be carried out by the ADB. The ADB should ensure that the Forest Concession Review process commences immediately.
Any concessionaire involved in illegal activities should be prosecuted and have their concession terminated.
The Department of Forestry and Wildlife (DFW) should have authority to penalise provincial forestry departments in cases when they contravene legislation.
The DFW should confiscate all known stockpiles of timber, including those cited in this document. Illegally operating sawmills, such as those of Division 11 should be closed.
The RGC should provide communal land title in forest land to communities who entirely depend on the forest, such as the hill tribes in Ratanakiri, and access to forest land elsewhere, where communities traditionally use forest resources to supplement agricultural production. The draft land law currently before the National Assembly undermines forestry reform and will potentially increase landlessness in the rural population. Its passage through the National Assembly should be immediately put on hold, pending urgent review, consultation and redrafting. The ADB should insist on this process as a condition of support, only releasing funds once it is completed.
The RGC should require that all concessions should achieve FSC standards (see FSC section).
Protected area status should be extended into areas of particularly rich biodiversity, to make up for the severe degradation of many existing protected areas. These areas include the area west of the Mekong opposite Stung Treng currently under concession to Pheapimex and Everbright, and the Cardamom mountains between Phnom Somkos and Aural wildlife sanctuaries.
The donors and the RGC should develop a nationwide land use and conservation management plan to ensure that protected areas receive effective protection, in tandem with effective land management in other areas. The donors should provide adequate funding for this.
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