Illegal Logging (revised from March 2005)

Briefing Paper
Duncan Brack, August 2006

Illegal logging and the international trade in illegally logged timber is a major problem for many timber-producing countries in the developing world. It causes environmental damage, costs governments billions of dollars in lost revenue, promotes corruption, undermines the rule of law and good governance and funds armed conflict. It retards sustainable development in some of the poorest countries of the world. Consumer countries contribute to these problems by importing timber and wood products without ensuring that they are legally sourced. In recent years, however, producer and consumer countries alike have paid increasing attention to illegal logging. Main initiatives include:

A series of discussions and declarations, including the Forest Law Enforcement and Governance (FLEG) conferences on East Asia, Africa, and Europe & North Asia.
Measures to exclude illegal timber from international markets - notably the EU's Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) Action Plan, which centres on a licensing system for legal timber exported from partner countries.
The use of government procurement policy to ensure that only legal (and usually sustainable) timber products are bought by government purchasers.
Voluntary industry initiatives to work with their suppliers to source legal timber.
Assistance with improved law enforcement in producer countries, and the establishment of systems to track the movement of legal products.

Surname
Membership No.
	Remember me