KINGDOM OF CAMBODIA
Office of the Council of Ministers		Nation Religion King

 

Speech by H.E. Mr. Sok An

Senior Minister, Minister in Charge of the

Office of the Council of Ministers at the

 Second Annual Workshop on Strengthening

Forest Crime Monitoring and Reporting

27-28 March 2002

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Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen

Distinguished Guests,

Today I am honored to participate in the Second Annual Workshop on "Strengthening Forest Crime Monitoring and Reporting" to be held for two days. May I take this opportunity to highly appreciate and value the leaders and officials of the Ministry of A 'culture, Forestry and Fisheries who have been collaborating with FAO and UNDP in Cambodia; and my special thanks to the Government of the United Kingdom for supporting and sponsoring the workshop which aims at reviewing and assessing the past implementation process of Forest Crime Monitoring and Reporting, and outlining follow-up actions with the view to increase efficacy in interdicting and eradicating forest anarchy, and helping manage forest in Cambodia with a sustainable manner. I would also like to warmly welcome Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, particularly His Excellency Ambassador of the Embassy of the United Kingdom in Cambodia and international forest consultants who participate in the workshop, and I hope that during this seminar several recommendations are produced so that policies and measures can be built upon and launched to preserve and protect forest in Cambodia. Indeed, It reflects high attention paid by international and national institutions in this regard to the efforts made by the Royal Government of Cambodia.

Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

Forest is. not only a valuable natural resource and a composition for supporting human and animal lives on the planet, but it also plays a key role in protecting and equalizing sustainable natural environment. Furthermore, it becomes more important for Cambodia because so far 85% of the Cambodian population who are living in the rural area have totally relied on agriculture and forest. If we can protect it well, it will serve as a dryless source of wood, energy, medicine, food for animals, and protein... and other forest products that contribute to the income growth and economic and social development in the rural area and the country on the whole. Likewise, it greatly contributes to preserving good environment that many countries are focusing on protection and reforestation commonly known as Green Environment.

Before the year 1970, Cambodia forest covered 13.2 million hectares which was equivalent to 73% of the total land area enriching with great natural resources, but then it was seriously affected by almost three decades of protracted civil war and exploitation by unconscious people who destructively logged anarchically rooted out natural resources for their own interest that's why our valuable forest has been substantially damaged and it is required stem measures to urgently curb these wrongdoings. On the current assessment report, Cambodia forest still covers 10.6 million hectares, which is equivalent to 58%. This report illustrates that the percentage of land area that the forest covers is still big, but the quality and quantity is deteriorating at an alarming level.

To better protect the forest, the Royal Government of the second mandate, under the leadership of Samdech Prime Minister Hun Sen, pays high attention to forest, resolving to eradicating anarchical activities in connection with forest and intensifying actions to push forwards forest reconstruction and development with sustainable manner. In addition, the process of Cambodia reform policy shows progress on many aspects as to formulation of national forest policy, new law on forest, enforcement of law on concession forest management, cancellation of agreement on concession forest with some companies, suspension of some concession forest companies in order to negotiate and conclude new contracts and protect the interest of local community ... etc. In the same manner, the Royal Government has launched an order 02 dated 06 January 1999, Prakas 01 dated 25 January 1999 and 27 September 1999, and has taken subsequent measures in addition to Decree and law on "Forest Management and Relevant Regulations in force " to ensure successful and effective implementation. Furthermore, the Royal Government has closely collaborated with the donor community to develop the forest crime monitoring and reporting project that was put in place on November 1999 and culminated in good results. As for activities and the outcome as well as the past implementation of the project, H.E. Mr. Chan Sarun, Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries has presented you in detail already. Here what I want to outline is that great success the Royal Government has gained depends on frank and active participation from international, national citizens circles. We have confiscated logs, timber and forest products that are illegally exploited, and we also dismantled and burned down many sawing workshops, wood processing workshops, vine Lmiet businesses and coal mine.

However, we must not forget that those unconscious people always intend to commit anarchies in connection with forest for their own interest when we are off guard.

Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

Anarchical activities in connection with forest is very dangerous for Cambodia, losing our priceless natural resources and hitting by natural disasters such as flood, draught, negative impacts, and especially our national prestige and honor might be attacked by mass media. Therefore, I would like to call upon armed forces, local government, and relevant institutions at all levels, the donor community and international organizations to closely and frankly cooperate and give support to forestry-fisheries and environment agencies manage so that they can peruse forest offenses within their jurisdiction under the political 'programs of the Royal Government towards forest sustainable management.

I hope that Excellencies, Ladies and Gentleman and international consultants who participate in this workshop will make their best efforts to discuss and give recommendations for the way forwards in strengthening forest crime monitoring and reporting activities through pro-active approach taken to clearly notify forest offences, to target real locations on time, where measures can be easily taken and get a success and high efficacy. I would Re to wish the workshop proceed smoothly and produce great success as outlined; and my thanks also go to all of you who have spared your valuable time par6cipating in today's workshop.

Once again. I would like to express my deep thanks to all of you who get involved in protecting, interdicting and developing forest in Cambodia; my special thanks go to the Government of Germany through GTZ, and the Government of Japan through JICA that have been supporting Cambodia with its process of forest reform policy; and my thanks also go to Ambassadors, 10s, NG0s that participate and share good experiences for these two-day-long workshop.

I have honor to declare the Second Annual Workshop on "Strengthening Forest Crime Monitoring and Reporting" officially Open.

Thanks