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Switzerland10 Tong Tana April 2003Not just for the timber dealers, also for the loggingvictimsthe ITTO bears a responsibility…… Indigenous peoples must be heard – …International Tropical TimberOrganisation ITTOjk – Early in 2001 the BMF and the Society for threatenedpoeples, Switzerland, (GfbV) launched a petitiondemanding that Switzerland resign from the ITTO.Though the ITTO is merely a trade organisation aimingto enlarge international business in tropical timber,Swiss membership in the ITTO has been equated formany years with Switzerland’s official tropical timberpolitics. That politics is not only about private industrymaximizing its profits but also constitutes a civilresponsibility for the population, has been ignored bythe Federal Council and the parliament. Thus, whenthe only ITTO aim of social importance – from 2000onwards to only accept timber out of sustainable forestmanagement in international trade – had not beeneven marginally achieved, we demanded Switzerland’sresignation from this token association. An acceptablealternative would have been to create a fund for indigenouspeoples – not only for those of the rainforests– in which Switzerland would pay an equalyearly amount as it does to the ITTO. Additionally,Switzerland should demand from the ITTO a mandatorydeclaration of species and origin of woods, prohibitionof trade with illegally produced timber and support ofcertification according to the standards of genuinesustainability. Motions have already been presented tothe National Council dealing directly with these issuesbut they are still pending parliamentary attention.In November 2002 the International Tropical TimberAgreement ITTA, the fundamental agreement of this organisation,was prolonged by three years for the lasttime. Negotiations dealing with the ratification processhave been reopened in the different member countriesand the BMF has been invited to a discussion forum onMarch 18 th 2003, to present its point of view of theITTO and the ITTA. Together with the GfbV we are alsogoing to use this opportunity to demand that the ITTOestablish an office of appeal for different groups ofpeople affected by logging activities and for environmentalorganisations. We do not see why the ITTO –actually an organisation lobbying for the producers,traders and industry – should listen to complaints presentedby the timber industry when, for example, itdoes not agree with Switzerland introducing a mandatorydeclaration of wood and wood products, but showno willingness to receive complaints dealing withthe social and ecological harm caused by the timberindustry.Were the ITTO to include the above mentioned initiativesit could become, at long last, an organisation deservingto be called a meaningful and complementaryelement of Swiss rain-forest politics!… like at the World social forum in Porto Alegre!
Switzerland11 Tong Tana April 2003FSC-tropical timber in pristineforest friendly communitiesjk – Few months ago the BMF was approached by acarpenter who wanted to know whether it was correctfor a “pristine forest friendly community” to useJatoba-timber from FSC-certified forest management.Due to lack of knowledge about the FSC-mechanics(BMF is not a member of FSC), we referred to the WWF,the driving force behind FSC. After WWF confirmed theFSC-certificate, nothing spoke against the use of theFSC-Jatoba timber.Shortly after, an FSC-accredited certification firmaccused us to abuse the FSC-label: Even though itcould not be excluded that the used timber actuallycomes from a FSC-certified forest, only a completecertification of the whole chain of custody, i.e. from theforest in Southamerica to the final processor – ourcarpenter – guarantees the FSC-certificate. Since inour case neither the intermediate traders nor the finalprocessor have been certified, this guarantee can notbe given.Only the complete chain-of-custody certification (CoC)allows an independent control of all the involved companies.If just one timber trader is not certified, nobodycan guarantee that he does not mix FSC-timber withtropical timber from plundered forests.As we realised that we have given green light too fast,the floor had already been put in place... While we canonly congratulate the engaging community for thehonest effort to comply with its pristine forestfriendliness, we have learned something: the largerthe demand for FSC-timber, the better we have to payattention – completely!Swiss Pristine Forest FriendlyCommunities and Cantonsjrd – On the 6 th January 2003 the community ofSissach in the Oberbaselbiet renounced use of woodfrom overexploitation and decided to shift paperconsumption towards recycled paper as far as possible.Greenpeace Switzerland and the BMF usedthis occasion to hold a press conference on thedevelopment of the “Pristine Forest Friendly Community”campaign in the parish rooms of Sissach onMarch 18 th .John Künzli quoted the missing <strong>Bruno</strong> <strong>Manser</strong>: “Whatgives us the right to consume goods which do notbelong to us geographically? How can we forbid exploitationat home – but still continue to importproducts out of overexploitation of the rain-forests?”Mrs Annemarie Spinnler from the Department ofEnvironment and Energy of the canton of Basellandpresented the effects of our paper consumption on theprotection of the last rain-forests.Mrs Elisabeth Alter (Chief of Construction and BuildingControl Office of the community of Aesch/BL) reportedon construction with indigenous woods and on thepurchase of the Swissbau-MINERGIE-House “Phoenix”,as the new environment friendly youth centre (look atwww.phoen-x.net/).Kuno Roth (Greenpeace) and John Künzli then presentedthe documents of acknowledgment, FSC beechwood plaques, to the representatives of the 9 communitiesof the cantons Baselland and Basel-City withbest wishes for the successful implementation of thedecided measures.Petra Schmidt, president of the community of Sissach,thanked them in the name of the pristine forest friendlycommunities of both Basels.National councillor Maya Graf, who comes fromSissach, reported on her motions in parliament toachieve “pristine forest friendliness” in the FederalGovernment (preference of recycled paper) and therenunciation of wood from illegal logging.Kuno Roth said: “Pristine Forest Friendliness is possible!Because of this the BMF and Greenpeace sent aletter to all the cantons of Switzerland on March 12 thinviting them to participate in this campaign.”Cantonal administrations purchase and consumeconsiderable volume. By making the right choices theycould have a very positive influence on sales ofenvironmentally friendly products.Since December, additionally to Sissach, the followingcommunities have decided to become “pristine forestfriendly”: Krummenau and Oberhelfenschwil (SG), Igis(GR), Zunzgen (BL), Laupen, Längenbühl and Rüegsau(BE), Bischofszell (TG), Plan-les-Ouates (GE). In themiddle of March, together with all the other 327communities mentioned in the last journal, they alsoreceived the document of acknowledgement.Communities and other corporations interested in ourcampaign as well as people who wish to make theircommunities become (more) pristine forest friendlycan order the documentation from the BMF (Tel.061 261 94 74) or download it via the Internet atwww.urwaldfreundlich.ch.Pristine forest-friendly Basel Countrysides and City –Congratulation!
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