Global Witness - Breaking the links between natural resources, conflict and corruption
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Global Witness was appointed the official independent monitor of Cambodia's forestry sector in 1999 and played this role until 2003. These pages contain information produced during the implementation of the project. The Forest Crimes Monitoring Unit was established following the 1999 Consultative Group meeting to develop the Cambodian government's capacity to detect and suppress illegal logging, and to provide the international community with an independent oversight of this process, through the appointment of Global Witness as an Independent Monitor.
The FCMU consisted of three components:
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An office in the Department of Forestry and Wildlife (DFW), known as the Forest Crime Monitoring Office (FCMO) that monitored forest crimes in production forests.
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An office in the Ministry of Environment, known as the Department of Inspection (DI) that monitored forest crimes in protected areas.
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An independent monitor. Global Witness' role during the implementation of the project was to independently monitor the performance of the above agencies.
In theory, the two government offices operated parallel information tracking systems. Their provincial and district offices were expected to feed information, on a monthly basis, into the monitoring units. This information was to have been inputted into a computerised case tracking system, resulting in a series of 'open' cases which the Cambodian government was committed to take action on.
However, during the whole implementation of the project, there were major problems related to the lack of cooperation shown by the FCMO to the Independent Monitor and the DI, together with the failure by DFW to report any illegal activities by the concession companies. The vast majority of cases against concessionaires were reported by Global Witness and again the follow-up by DFW was disappointing; in all but one of the cases they failed to take appropriate action against the company involved.
In April 2003, the Cambodian government terminated Global Witness' role as the official Independent Monitor, breaching the World Bank conditions for further disbursement of the Bank's Structural Adjustment Credit to Cambodia. However, we have continued to work in the country with the same objective that took us there in 1995: to eliminate illegal logging, to improve governance and to increase transparency and accountability in the forest sector. We are still committed to ensure that Cambodia's forests are managed for the benefit of all, not just a powerful few.
All Global Witness' work on Cambodia can be found under our forests campaign.
Latest Publications
March 2010
Environmental groups call on French shipping company Delmas to cancel shipment of precious wood from Madagascar
Global Witness and the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) today called on French shipping company Delmas to cancel a shipment to China of hundreds of tons of rosewood from the port of Vohémar, in northeastern Madagascar. The campaign groups accuse the company of facilitating the destruction of Madagascar’s last remaining forests caused by vast illegal logging of rosewood.
Open letter to Delmas shipping company raises concerns over rosewood shipments from Madagascar
An open letter from Global Witness and the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) to Delmas shipping company expressing grave concerns at its involvement in the transport of timber from Madagascar which has been declared illicit by the Malagasy authorities. The groups accuse Delmas of facilitaitng the destruction Madagascar's remaining rosewood forests through illegal logging.
Link between Angolan president's son-in-law and state oil company raises questions about transparency
The son-in-law of the Angolan president has been nominated to the board of a holding company that owns a third of the Portuguese oil firm Galp Energia, which has investments in Angola. The nomination was made by the State oil company, Sonangol, which is responsible for managing Angola's oil on behalf of its citizens. This arrangement raises concerns about conflicts of interest to which Sonangol has not responded.
DR Congo: ex-rebels take over mineral trade extortion racket
Former rebels from the Congrès national pour la défense du peuple (CNDP) have established mafia-style extortion rackets covering some of the most lucrative tin and tantalum mining areas in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Global Witness reported today following four weeks of research in the region.
Global Witness concerned at choice of new Ukraine energy minister
Global Witness is concerned that Yuri Boyko, a controversial figure from the murky past of Ukraine’s gas industry, has been put back in effective charge of a key gas supply route from Russia to the European Union.
Landmark oil and mining transparency initiative faces credibility test as key deadline passes
The Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI), a pioneering initiative to bring more openness to the world's oil and mining industries, faces a major credibility test after 20 out of 22 countries failed to meet a key deadline today.
Global Witness urges Cambodia’s donors to condemn sponsorship of military units by private businesses
Aid donors to Cambodia, including the US, EU, Japan, China and the World Bank, should send a strong message to the government that they will not countenance the bankrolling of Cambodia’s military by private businesses. This call follows the announcement last week by Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen of the formation of 42 official partnerships between private businesses and Cambodian military units.
February 2010
A near miss? Lessons learnt from the allocation of mining licences in the Gola Forest Reserve in Sierra Leone
Between 2005 and 2007, two mining licences were issued in the Gola Forest Reserve in Sierra Leone, even though the area was a proposed national park. This new report identifies weaknesses in Sierra Leone's natural resource governance and attempts to draw lessons for the future.
Parliamentary committee report on libel, privacy and press freedom not strong enough to defend public interest reporting
A report on press standards, privacy and libel makes broadly sensible recommendations but does not go far enough to allay fears that England's laws are a barrier to public-interest campaigning.
Campaigners criticise proposals to define palm oil plantations as forests
The Ecosystems Climate Alliance today criticised the EU and Indonesia for attempting to reclassify palm oil plantations as forests, saying this would be a step backwards in efforts to halt climate change though preventing deforestation.
28 countries accused of facilitating money laundering … but key offenders missing
An international financial crime watchdog has named and shamed countries that are failing to stop dirty money entering the financial system, a move welcomed by Global Witness. However, conspicuously absent are major financial centres and secrecy jurisdictions, many of which also have serious weaknesses in their anti-money laundering regulations.
