World Wide Fund for Nature, Greenpeace, World Rainforest Movement, Fern, Friends of the Earth EWNI- Australia- Netherlands-Japan-Cyprus-Finland- Switzerland-Chili-Bangladesh-Congo-Estonia- France, Slovakia, Netherlands Committee for IUCN, Forest Peoples Program, Global Witness, Towards a different Europe, Forest Monitor, A SEED Europe and Japan, Just Forests, Both Ends, Earthlink, Quantum Conservation; Zoological Society for Conservation of Species and Populations, NCIV, Rainforest Foundation UK, Down to Earth, Berggorilla und Regenwald Direkthilfe, ERA, ICA, CED, Jane Goodal Institute, UWECT, RIC, Centre for International Studies, Fallsbrook Centre, Forest Council, Phlippine Reef and Rainforest Conservation Foundation, Yggdrasil Institute, Faculty of Economics, Kanazawa University, Societe of Saint Columban, Centro de Calidad Ambiental, Centro de Ecologica y Desarollo, Fundacion Ecotropicao, IBASE, Le Reve, ARA, RAN, JATAN, Workshop for all beings, Dwars, SCC-Japan, JMA, PERC, Roots and Shoots, International Network of Forests and Communities, Native Forest Netwok, Progressive Animal Welfare Society, Leavenworth Audubon, Defenders of Wildlife, Animal Protection Institute, Lower Columbia Basin Audobon Society, Friends of the Bitterroot, Rainforest Relief, Allegheny Defense project, National Forest Protection Alliance, Hells Canyon Preservation Alliance, SAFE, RMACC, Audubon Society Green Rock-Seattle- Black Hills-Kalmiopsis, Canadina parks and Wilderness Society, Environmental Action and Research Society, Kettle Range Conservation Group, Forest Action Network, Luna Treesit Ground Support, Califonians for Radioactive Safeguards, Coalition for Jobs and the Environment, The Clinch Coalition, Virginia Forest Watch, Columbian Magazine, NorthCoast Environmental Centre, Peace and Justice Action League, The Ruckus Society, Magic, Friends of Placer Country Communities, Ursulines of Tirdonc, Alabama Environmental Council, Protect All Children's Environment, Siskiyou Regional Education Project, Sierra Student Coalition, Educational Ideas, Gifford Pinchot Task Force, ASHE, Oregon Sierra Club, APEC Monitor, Centro Alexander von Humboldt, Great Lakes Breving News, Headwaters, Accion for Community and Ecology, Asia-Pacific Enfironmental Exchange, Wetlands NYC, Green Onion Resource Centre , Australians for Animals, Native Forest Action New Zealand, Northcliff Environmental Centre, Southern Carolina Forest Watch, Centre for International Studies, Southern Oregon Forest Coalition, Australian Wilderness Conservation, EIA, Superior Wilderness Action Network, Fyke Nature Association, AK regenwald, Earthculture, Lake Superior Green, Pacific Crest Biodiversity Project, seattle Earth First, Shenandoan Ecosystem Defense Fund, Klamath Forest Alliance, North Queensland Conservation Council, Biodiversity Conservation Center, Friends of Siberian Forests, Saskatchewan Environmental Society, Green Friends, Sakhalin Environmental Watch, Group Taiga, Tribal Commune Agzu, Tribal Commune Iman, Ecodal, Kamchatka's League of Independant Expert, Socio-Ecological Union,

October 1999

We, the undersigned non-governmental organizations representing citizens concerned about environment and development, oppose the proposal by the US and other members of APEC to create a 'free trade agreement' for forest products.

We condemn the proposal because, if implemented, we fear it will lead to increased logging and consumption of ecologically and socially valuable forests around the globe. We also condemn the proposal because of the undemocratic and ecologically irresponsible manner in which it is being developed.

We are deeply worried about the proposal's content: the intention is to eliminate tariffs on wood products. This could stimulate increased production and consumption. Another potential agenda item could be the elimination of non-tariff measures (NTMs) which may make it impossible to maintain environmental safeguards such as third-party certification and eco-labelling, strong phytosanitary controls on imports of wood products that carry exotic pests and pathogens, and regulations to promote local industries.

We call on the members of the WTO to refrain from negotiating a forest products agreement until an independent assessment has been made of the social and environment impacts of trade liberalization on forests and forest people, and effective steps have been taken to mitigate those impacts on, and avoid future harm to, forest ecosystems and peoples.

We call on the CSD to fulfil its commitment of developing a framework for assessing environmental and social impacts of trade policies and agreements by its next meeting in April 2000.

We also condemn the forest products agreement for the economic paradigm that it perpetuates: the WTO and its members have ignored the potential adverse effects of trade liberalization on forest ecosystems and forest communities by failing to assess the environmental and social impacts of timber trade liberalization and on liberalization in other sectors that affect forests and forest peoples. The WTO and its members have also failed to adequately involve civil society in timber trade and other liberalization discussions.

The proposal for a forest products agreement reflects an economic agenda which prioritises trade liberalization as an end in itself rather than as a means which, in some circumstances, may be useful for improving environmental protection and quality of life. This agenda does not take into consideration the concerns of the people and communities who are ultimately affected.

We the undersigned look forward to responses from our governments, the CSD and the WTO regarding our concerns over the proposed forest sector liberalization.

Charlie Arden Clarke, Jean-Paul Jeanrenaud

Ricardo Carrere

Patrick Anderson

Vladimir P.Zakharov

Tim Cadman

Fern UK/Brussels

Saskia Ozinga

Friends of the Earth, England, Wales and Northern Ireland

Sarah Tyack

Friends of the Earth France/Amis de la Terre

Helene Ballande

Friends of the Earth, Finland

Otto Miettinen

Friends of the Earth, Netherlands

Gemma Boetekees

Friends of the Earth Cyprus

Kika Pitsillidow

Friends of the Earth, Switzerland

Urs Chretien

Friends of the Earth, Slovakia

Juraj Lukac,

Friends of the Earth, Estonia

Taime Puura

Towards a Different Europe, Netherlands

Olivier Hoedeman

Dwars, the Netherlands

Bart Brymans/Marijn Peperkamp

Just Forests, Ireland

Tom Roche

Both Ends, Netherlands

Paul Wolvekamp

Earthlink, Germany

Bernard Henselmann

Quantum Conservation, Germany

Richard Perron

Zoological Society for Conservation of Species and Populations, Germany

Roland Wirth

ASEED Europe

Karen Grant

Down to Earth, campaign for ecological justice in Indonesia, UK

Frances Carr

NCIV (Dutch Centre for Indigenous Peoples)

Leo van der Vlist

Forest Monitor

Stuart Wilson

Netherlands Committee for IUCN

Willem Ferwerda

Forest Peoples Program, UK

Marcus Colchester

Global Witness, UK
Simon Taylor

Rainforest Foundation UK

Simon Counsel

Berggorilla & Regenwald Direkthilfe, Germany

Iris Weiche

ARA

Wolfgang Kuhlmann

Workshop for all beings, Poland

Liliana Davidziuk

JMA, the Netherlands

Micha Kuiper

Roots and Shoots, Italy

Daniela de Donna

Environmental Investigation Agency

Sarah Weeler

AK Regenwald

Rudiger Jehn

Biodiversity Conservation Center, Russia

Mikhail Karpachevskiy

Andrei Laletin

Friends of Siberian Forests, Russia

Sakhalin Environmental Watch, Russia

Dmitry Lisitzyn

Group "Taiga", Russia

Vladimir Zemtzov

Tribal Commune Agzu, Russia

Arkadii Kaza

Tribal Commune Iman, Russia

Vyacheslav Kanchuga

Ecodal, Russia

Victoria Angeyu

Kamchatka's League of Independant Experts, Russia

Olga Chernyagina

Friends of the Earth, Congo Democratic Republic/CADIC

Swedi Elongo

ERA, Cameroon

Emile Tanawa

Institute for Cultural Affairs, Ghana

Lambert Okra

CED (Centre pour l'environnement et developpement), Cameroon

Samuel Nguiffo

Jane Goodall Institute, Uganda

Linda G. Rothen

Uganda Wildlife Education Centre Trust

Wilhelm Moeller

Friends of the Earth, Australia

Leonie van der Maesen

Rainforest Information Centre Australia

Bill Peisly/John seed

Australians for Animals

Sue Arnold

Native Forest Action New Zealand

Dean Baigent -Mercer

Northcliffe Environment centre

WA Australia

Australian Conservation Society

John Connor

North Queensland Conservation Council

Carol Booth

Rainforest Action Network

Randy Hayes

Fallsbrook Centre, Canada

Patrick Mallet

Forest Council US

Tim Hermach

Le Reve

Henri Jacob

PERC

Paige Fischer

American Lands

Antonia Juhasz

Leavenworth Audobon Society

Pat Rasmussen

Black Hills Audoban Society

Jean T MacGregor

Seattle Audobon Society

Stephanie Matheney

Green Rock Audoban Society

Bill Hallstrom

Kalmiopsis Auduban Society

Nathaniel Wander

Lower Columbia Basin Audubon Society

Lupito Flores

Forest Action Network, Calgary

Cody Torgerson

Superior Wilderness Action Network

Ray Fenner

Fyke Nature Association

Hugh M Carola

Rick Spencer

Earthculture

Southern Oregon Forest Coalition

Geroge Hutch

Luna Treesit Ground Support

Michael van Broekhoven

Californians for Radioactive Safeguards

Ernest Goitein

Coalition for Jobs and the Environment

Jackie Hanrahah

The Clinch Coalition

Detta Davis

Kettle Range Conservation Group

Tomothy Coleman

Banff Environmental Action and Research Society

Reno Sommerhalder

Edmonton Chapter Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society

Sam Gunsch

SAFE

Bill Welsch

Hells Canyon Preservation Council

Brenda Schweitzer

National Forest Protection Alliance

Jake Kreilick

Allegheny Defense Project

Timothy Doody

Rainforest Relief

Tim Keating

Progressive Animal Welfare Society

Robert Stagman

Peace and Justice Action League of Spokane

Rusty Nelson

Bloomington RAG

Donald Winslow

Northcoast Environmental Center

Tim McKay

Columbian Magazine

Geraldine Gillespie

Virginia Forest watch

David Munly

The Ruckus Society

John Sellers

Magic

Robin Bayer

Friends of Placer Country Communities

Dale Smith

Ursulines of Tirdonk for Justice and Peace

Valerie Heihorn

Alabama Environmental Council

Karen Lovell

Protect All Children's Environment

Emt o'nan

Great Lakes Breving News

Bill Metzger

Headwaters

Robert Lansdorf

Action for Community and Ecology in the Rainforest of CA

Orin Langelle

ASHE

Dane Kuppinger

Oregon Sierra Club

George Hutchinson

Gifford Pinchot Task force

David Jennings

Educational Ideas

Jean Marie DeSpain

Sierra Student Coalition

Peter Kirn

Siskiyou regional Education Project

Roman Cooper

Asia Pacific Environmental Exchange

Jim Puckett

Wetlands NY

Bobbie Flowers

Green Onion Resource Centre

Richard Spotts

International Network of Forests and Communities

Faith Oro

Defenders of Wildlife

Nicole Stoduto

Centre for International Studies, Canada

Aaron Schneider

Animal Protection Institute

Christopher M. Papouchis

Southern Carolina Forest Watch

Kathy McDeed

Heartwood

Andy Mahler

Friends of the Bitterroot

Larry Campbell

Lake Superior Green

John Conley

Pacific Crest Biodiversity Project

David Attech

Shenandoan Ecosystem Defense Fund

Christina Wulf

Seattle Earth First

Andrew Park

Klamath Forest Alliance

Carol L. Wright

Saskatchewan Environmental Society

Roger Peters.

Red Mexicana de accion al Libre Commercio

Mexico

Centro de Ecologica y Desarollo, Mexico

Prof David Barkin

Fundacion Ecotropico, Colombia

Rosario Ortiz

IBASE Brazil

Rosa Roldan

Centro de Calidad Ambiental Guadalupe, Mexico

Elke Wisseborn

CODEFF- Friends of the Earth Chile

Hernan Verscheure

Centro Alexander von Humboldt, Nicaragua

Suyen Barahona

Societe of Saint Columban, Japan

Paul McCartin

Faculty of Economics, Kanazawa University Japan

Prof Un'no Yahiro

Yggdrasil Institute

Mary Byrd Davis

Phlippine Reef and Rainforest Conservation Foundation

Gerry Ledesma

IEDS-FoE-Bangladesh

Chowdhury M.F.

A SEED Japan

JATAN, Japan

Yoichi Kuroda

Friends of the Earth, Japan

Eiichiro Noguchi

Sarawak Campaign Committee, Japan

Mihoko Uramoto

APEC Monitor

Toyoyuki Kawakami

Green Friends

Hisao Fujii