forests

crackdown on illegal forestry and independent monitoring


The international community convened a meeting of donors in Tokyo in February 1999. With political stability, and the country at peace for the first time in 30 years, the meeting would be able to address the core issues of Cambodia's reconstruction and rehabilitation. At this point, Global Witness' unrelenting campaign to monitor illegal logging began to pay off. The Cambodian Prime Minister, Hun Sen, knew that forestry would be high on the agenda and, on 6th January 1999, announced a sweeping crackdown on illegal logging. Within five months government figures boasted of 748 sawmills closed down and 14,000m3 of timber confiscated. In January 1999 Global Witness carried out a countrywide investigation which largely bore out these claims.

Hun Sen
Hun Sen, Prime Minister of Cambodia

The donors' meeting identified the need for independent monitoring to ensure the Cambodian government's compliance with the promised forestry reforms. The IMF's re-engagement and the World Bank's new Structural Adjustment Credit were conditional on the signing of the deal. Global Witness was appointed to this official independent monitoring role. The appointment of an NGO to this kind of role is probably unique in world terms.

The independent monitoring role formed part of the Forest Crime Monitoring Unit, which is also made up of inspection teams from the Department of Forestry and Wildlife, who are responsible for monitoring forest crimes in production forest and the Ministry of Environment, who are responsible for monitoring forest crimes in protected areas.

The project allowed Global Witness to open an office in Phnom Penh and take on local staff. Global Witness' role was funded in the first year by DFID and AusAid and in subsequent years by Danida, the Danish development agency.