Honduran National Commission for Honduran National Commission for Human RightsHuman Rights

CONADEHCONADEH

Fausto Mejía ZelayaFausto Mejía Zelaya

IFM Project Coordinator in HondurasIFM Project Coordinator in Honduras

Illegal Logging Update and Stakeholder Consultation

Chatham House, London Chatham House, London

January 25 - 26, 2007January 25 - 26, 2007

IFM Project

Forest Resources in Honduras

Deciduous forests: 2.9 million haDeciduous forests: 2.9 million ha

Pine forests: Pine forests: 2.5 million ha2.5 million ha

Timber exports60,000 m³ - US$ 80 million:• 94% United States• 4.57% Caribbean countries• 0.60% European Union

Poverty and forest resources

• Approximately 40% of the rural population (1.7 million people) live in and around forests

• Populations living in forest areas do not have access to their benefits

Environmental problem:

Deforestation 100,000 ha/year

Comisionado Nacional de Derechos Humanos

IFM Pilot Project

Comayagua

La Paz

ColónCortés

Olancho

Francisco Morazán

Yoro

Intibucá

El Paraíso

ValleCholuteca

Atlántida

Gracias a Dios

Copán

LempiraOcotepeque

Santa Bárbara

Proyecto Piloto Monitoreo Forestal Proyecto Piloto Monitoreo Forestal Independiente (MFI)Independiente (MFI)

(May 2005 – April 2006)(May 2005 – April 2006)

Observations (Gathered Evidence)32 Mission reports + 2 Summary reports document:32 Mission reports + 2 Summary reports document:

• Logging beyond authorised limits and exceeding authorised volume

• Logging of trees in protected areas

• Fraudulent use of transport permits

• Anomalies in the issuance of timber sales rights

• Abuse of power and non-compliance with regulations by local authorities

• Usurpation of local producers organisations

• Processing of timber without relevant permits

• Non-compliance with technical standards

• Weakness in the application of forest certification systems

Impacts

• Reported infractions could result in penalties of up to Reported infractions could result in penalties of up to USD265,000USD265,000

• Changing the 'culture of impunity‘ (e.g. through Changing the 'culture of impunity‘ (e.g. through disciplinary actions)disciplinary actions)

• Active participation of the civil society in fighting Active participation of the civil society in fighting illegalityillegality

• Use of information by other organisations Use of information by other organisations (e.g. EIA)(e.g. EIA)

Problems / Risks

Environmental groups urge Honduran government to solve killing of activistsTEGUCIGALPA, Honduras: Eleven environmental groups announced Monday that they have sent a letter to President Manuel Zelaya demanding a full investigation into the killing of two Honduran activists.Activists Heraldo Zuniga and Roger Ivan Murillo Cartagena were fatally shot on Dec. 20 in the central Honduran town of Guarizama, 150 kilometers (93 miles) east of Tegucigalpa in the province of Olancho, a region being rapidly deforested near the Nicaraguan border.The two men were local leaders in the Environmental Movement of Olancho, or MAO, which opposes logging by timber companies.

• Intimidations of civil society representatives Intimidations of civil society representatives campaigning for the protection of forestscampaigning for the protection of forests

• Exertion of political influence in cases where influential Exertion of political influence in cases where influential people are involved in illegal activitiespeople are involved in illegal activities

• Administrative and logistical obstacles by the Forest Administrative and logistical obstacles by the Forest AdministrationAdministration

IFM – Today a Reality in Honduras

Beneficiary institutions:• Forest Authority• Office of the Attorney General of Environment and Natural

Resources• Special Office of the Public Prosecutor of the Environment• Commission Against Corruption

Funding donor organisations

Comayagua

La Paz

ColónCortés

Olancho

Francisco Morazán

Yoro

Intibucá

El Paraíso

ValleCholuteca

Atlántida

Gracias a Dios

Copán

LempiraOcotepeque

Santa Bárbara

Área de acción del Proyecto

• Extension of project area

Further Steps (1)

Further Steps (2)

•Social Audit Programme component:Social Audit Programme component:

Empowerment of local civil society through capacity building - holding government to account

Conclusions

• CONADEH’s independence and credibility as an independent monitor has been crucial for the successful implementation of IFM

• IFM supported the process of finding solutions to the problems of the forest sector

• Government members interested in contributing to find solutions to the problem of illegal logging and corruption

• Empowered civil society to claim their rights to participation, transparency and accountability

• Increasing political pressure (involvement of political elite in logging in Natural Reserve)

We are strongly committed to contributing to the We are strongly committed to contributing to the elimination of illegal logging in Honduras and Central elimination of illegal logging in Honduras and Central

America and to grant communities more equitable America and to grant communities more equitable benefits of their own forest resourcesbenefits of their own forest resources

Recommendations

• International community must increase pressure to improve governance and transparency in the forest sector

• Perpetrators and ‘intellectual authors’ of intimidations / murders of civil society representatives must be brought to justice

• Improved support of IFM project by concerned organisations (e.g. GTZ in ‘Río Plátano Biosphere Reserve’)

• The government needs to make a stronger commitment - despite all positive results already achieved

THANK YOU VERY THANK YOU VERY MUCHMUCH

Fausto Mejía ZelayaIFM Project Coordinator in HondurasCONADEHFausto.mejia@gmail.com

Laura FuronesIFM Regional Manager for Latin AmericaGlobal Witnesslfurones@globalwitness.org