Resources

Bibliography compiled by Lorena Ibargüen Tinley in 2004. A-Z by country and subject:

• Africa
• Cambodia
• Cameroon
• Certification
• CITES
• Communities
• Concessions
• Corruption
• Deforestation
• Ecuador
• FLEG
• Forest Crimes
• Forest Law
• Forest Law Enforcement
• Forest Policy
• Forests
• Global Witness
• Governance
• Illegal Logging
• Illegal Timber Trade
• Independent Forest Monitoring
• Indonesia
• Kimberley Process
• Law Enforcement
• Monitoring
• Participation
• Philippines
• Trade

Also on this site

• Regional Activities - Africa
• Verification Case Study - Cameroon
• Verification Case Study - Ghana

2003, Africa Ministerial Declaration. Africa Forest Law Enforcement and Governance (AFLEG). Yaounde, Cameroon: October/2003
Abstract: The declaration deals with strengthening of institutional reforms in the forest sector in Africa concerning aspects of good governance. Some of the points the ministers agreed upon are: the mobilisation of financial resources for forest law enforcement, promotion of alternative economic opportunities for communities dependent on forest resources, cooperation between law enforcement agencies, involvement of stakeholders including local communities in decision making in the forestry sector, participation of the rural population in management of forest resources, promotion of transparent information, adaptation of policies in the rural sector, particularly land allocation policies
Keywords: Africa/forest law enforcement/governance/illegal logging/Project - SO140/VeriforBibliography

Baker, M., Clausen, R., Kanaan, R., N'Goma, M., Roule, T., & Thomson, J. 2004, Conflict timber: dimensions of the problem in Asia and Africa. Volume 3: African cases. Final report submitted to the United States Agency for International Development. ARD, Inc
Abstract: The DR Congo country case study and 4 desk studies (Gabon, Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone) included in this volume document the ways conflict timber currently poses critical problems in several African countries. Investigations underlying this report were guided by three key concepts: commodity characteristics of timber, characteristics of markets for timber and characteristics of governance systems in countries where conflict timber incidents occur. Conflict timber as defined in this study occurs in two types of incidents:

1. conflicts fuelled by forest resources, and
2. conflict emerging because of competition over forest resources.

According to this study's conclusions, some of the main trends affecting conflict timber incidents in Africa are:

• Conflict fuelled by forest resources only occur in two countries in Africa (DRC and Liberia), due to the fact the fewer countries retain enough trees to motivate conflict.
• Warfare conditions exerted demonstrably different effects in the two countries in the region most affected by warfare, emphasizing the need of case -by -case analysis in interpreting conflict timber incidents
• In neither Liberia nor the DRC did timber figure as the prime conflict commodity, other commodities, e.g. diamonds and gold are easier to transport and conceal.
• In countries where conflict is fuelled by timber, governance can be qualified as "of poor quality"
• The existence of unregulated financial institutions enables the use of commodities to finance warfare
• The international markets for African hardwoods have been rising over the past decade and there are indications that the trend will continue over the foreseeable future.
• The key to controlling conflict timber incidents in Africa, is better governance

Keywords: Africa/conflict timber/DR Congo/Gabon/governance/Guinea/Liberia/Sierra Leon/Verifor Bibliography /Project - SO140

Collomb, J. G. & Bikie, H. 2001, 1999-2000 allocation of logging permits in Cameroon: fine tuning Central Africa's auction system , Global Forest Watch Cameroon
Abstract: This document presents information on how the different logging rights were allocated in Cameroon between 1999- 2000 and to whom. It is concurrent with the Global Forest Watch Cameroon mandate to make such information widely available to national and international audiences
Keywords: Africa/Cameroon/Verifor Bibliography /Project - SO140

Forests Monitor 2001, Sold down the river. The need to control transnational forestry corporations: a European case study , Netherlands Committee for IUCN and Map research was funded by the MacArthur Foundation.
Abstract: This report examines the role of the European Union (EU) in the management of forest resources in six countries in Central Africa: Cameroon, Central African Republic, Congo (Brazzaville), Democratic Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea and Gabon. One of the reports objectives is to effectively assess the benefits of the international timber trade on local communities. It looks into each country case to analyze the role of transnational corporations, of multilateral and bilateral creditors and national governments, in view of the expansion of forest commercial exploitation. Some of the aspects reviewed are the capacity of these African national governments to enforce forestry legislation, the timber industry's response to weak enforcement and the lack of transparency and democracy. The report concludes that private companies are logging illegally on a significant scale and national governments are using logging concessions to develop and maintain their various patronage networks. In this context, local communities are becoming more marginalised, their rights being undermined and livelihood opportunities threatened. This report is third in a series which focuses on the social, environmental, economic and political impacts of transnational corporations (TNC's) on forests and forest peoples
Keywords: Africa/Cameroon/communities/concessions/forests/trade/transnational corporations/Verifor Bibliography /Project - SO140

Jarvie, J., Kanaan, R., Malley, M., Roule, T., & Thomson, J. 2003, Conflict timber: Dimensions of the problem in Asia and Africa. Volume 2: Asian cases. Final report submitted to the United States Agency for International Development. ARD, Inc
Abstract: The Indonesian country case study and nine desk studies included in this volume document the ways conflict timber currently poses critical problems in several Asian countries, notably Indonesia, Burma, Nepal, Vietnam and, to a lesser extent, Afghanistan. Conflicts financed by timber or conflicts over control of forests and forest resources have often erupted in violence. Indonesia counts the most active conflict timber incidents in today's Asia, where conflict timber deaths, injuries and destruction of property are nearly daily events
Keywords: Afghanistan/Africa/Asia/Burma/conflict timber/forests/illegal logging/Indonesia/Nepal/Vietnam/Verifor Bibliography /Project - SO140

Secretariat of the Forest Integrity Network, Landell-Mills, P., Spears, J., & Gupta, A. 2002, Progress toward containment of forest corruption and improved forest governance. An information note prepared for Transparency International's Annual General Meeting
Abstract: This document summarizes some of the initiatives taken recently by various stakeholder groups to combat forest corruption and foster improved forest law enforcement. It recognizes that the containment of forest related corruption can only be done with the participation of various stakeholders including local communities, NGO's, private sector, governments and development agencies and proceeds to give brief descriptions and examples.

• Local communities: community action in India, Mexico and Tanzania.
• NGO's: work done by Global Witness, the Nature Conservancy, Forest Trends and Global Forest Watch.
• Private Industry: Council for Forest and Paper Associations, the World Business Council for Sustainable Development.
• Governments: Albania, Cambodia, Ecuador, Indonesia, FLEG in Africa and Asia, and the European Commission's Action Plan.
• Multilateral Banks and Development Agencies: World Bank, FAO, the International Tropical Timber Organization

The document concludes with TI's and FIN's steps to build coalitions to fight forest corruption by:

1. building up and publicizing data and information on the issue
2. promoting action plans that include ideas such as: community forestry, integrity pacts for forest concessions, review of laws and policies, certification, citizen-watch activities etc.

Keywords: Africa/Asia/Cambodia/certification/ communities/concessions/corruption/Ecuador/ FLEG/forest law/forest law enforcement/governance/ Indonesia/law enforcement/NGO's/participation/Transparency International/Verifor Bibliography /Project - SO140

Thompson, J. & Kanaan, R. 2004, Conflict timber: dimensions of the problem in Asia and Africa. Volume 1: Synthesis report. Final report submitted to the United States Agency for International Development. ARD, Inc
Abstract: USAID contracted ARD to conduct a nine-month-long study on Conflict Timber: Dimensions of the Problem in Asia and Africa. For the purposes of this study conflict timber was divided into two classes, and was defined as: the harvest and sale of timber and other forest products, specifically to finance armed conflict; and rival claims to ownership of, or control over, forest resources, resulting in conflict. This Synthesis Report includes the regional summaries for Africa and Asia as well as key findings. Some of the main findings are:

• there is a strong link between conflict timber and poor inequitable systems of governance
• governments are almost always complicit in conflict timber activities
• loose financial oversight generates incentives for powerful individual actors to engage in conflict timber activities
• ambiguous land / resource tenure promotes struggles over timber

Keywords: Africa/Asia/conflict timber/governance/illegal logging/illegal timber trade,/Verifor Bibliography /Project - SO140

World Diamond Council 2003, The essential guide to implementing Kimberley Process. These guidelines have been prepared by the World Diamond Council on behalf of the World Federation of Diamond Bourses and the International Diamond Manufacturers' Association
Abstract: In 1998, the world became aware that certain rebel movements in Africa were selling, among other things, illegally obtained diamonds - known as conflict diamonds - to fund their wars against legitimate and internationally recognized governments. In order to fully combat the scourge of conflict diamonds, on November 5, 2002, fifty-two governments ratified and adopted the final Kimberley Process Certification Scheme. In essence, these countries have agreed that they will only allow for the import and export of rough diamonds if those rough diamonds come from or are being exported to another Kimberley Process participant. These guidelines give background information to the Kimberley process as well as a description of the steps needed, by both exporting and importing companies, for positive compliance according to the Kimberley Certification Scheme and System of Warranties
Keywords: Africa/certification/Kimberley Process/The Kimberley Process/Verifor Bibliography /Project - SO140