JAKARTA, 10 October 2011
The 33rd Meeting of the ASEAN Ministers on Agriculture and Forestry (33rd AMAF) held a Ministerial Special Event in Jakarta to pay tribute to the UN International Year of Forests 2011. With the theme “Forests for People”, the event also showcased ASEAN’s cooperation on forestry in the last four decades. Forestry cooperation is expected to help establish a sustainable and inclusive ASEAN Community in the year 2015.
The forest in ASEAN covers about 213 million hectares of land. It supports rich diversity of plant and animal species and the livelihoods of the region’s people. At least 350 million people live in or around forests, and depend wholly or partially on forest resources for income and subsistence – food, fuel, fiber, medicine, livestock grazing areas, and other necessities. This include 60 million indigenous peoples, who are wholly dependent on these forests for livelihoods, and, more fundamentally, for their cultural survival and identity.
“Many more people in the region and around the globe depend on the forests for the vital ecosystems services they perform, including watershed protection, soil erosion control and climate regulation”, said Dr Surin Pitsuwan, the Secretary-General of ASEAN.
“The contribution of forests to local livelihoods, national economies and regional vitality is significant—though often insufficiently valued and under-recognised,” he added.
The Special Ministerial event focused on the complex forest-people interactions at different levels. The event included an exhibition showcasing ASEAN Cooperation with Dialogue Partners and Development Partners and a premier showing of a brief video entitled “ASEAN Cooperation in Forestry: Towards a People-Centered ASEAN”.
The video captures the interdependence between forests and people. It features challenges confronting ASEAN States as they try to balance diverse demands for forest resources and the initiatives States are undertaking in response.
The Ministerial Statement read during the event pledged commitment of ASEAN Member States to fully support the initiatives, partnership, and cooperation. It tasked the senior agriculture and forest officials to implement necessary actions to promote cooperation in forestry to contribute to a prosperous, stable, peaceful, and safer ASEAN Community.
There is increasing recognition within ASEAN that a people-oriented forest strategy – one which balances economic, social, and environmental objectives – needs to be mainstreamed into every country’s broader development strategy and as a key element of regional cooperation.
“Achieving the goal of ASEAN Community building and meeting the targets of the Millennium Development Goals, will require enhanced cooperation and stronger partnership with Dialogue Partners and Development Partners. Strengthening Social Forestry through enhanced support for the ASEAN Social Forestry Network as a backbone of regional forestry cooperation will be a priority and key agenda for creating a people-centered ASEAN of the future”, said Mr Sundram Pushpanathan, Deputy Secretary-General for the ASEAN Economic Community.
