Asia Pacific experts discuss forest management, sustainable growth in region

JAKARTA (Xinhua) -- The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation's Experts Group on Illegal Logging and Associated Trade (EGILAT) discussed ways to address forest management amid efforts to create economic growth in the region, local media reported on Wednesday.   

The discussion was part of APEC Senior Officers' Meeting (SOM) event held in Indonesia related to the conduction of Asia Pacific Economic (APEC) Forum with the apex session scheduled later this year in Bali. 

Regarding Indonesia's chairmanship of APEC this year, Wahid Supriyadi, an economic expert staff at Indonesian Foreign Affairs Ministry said that that Indonesia would urge APEC members to step up their commitment to sustainable economic growth.

"Indonesia is very committed to environmental issues, including the protection of forest and marine ecosystems, and it is also a staunch supporter of sustainable economic growth," he was quoted by the Antara news agency as saying.

Indonesia's concern about forest management issue was based on the fact that Asia Pacific region is home to almost 53 percent of world's forests, Supriyadi said.

According to data issued by UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), countries joining in APEC produce about 60 percent of global forestry products, accounts for 80 percent of global forestry trade. 

"Those facts make forest management an essential issue for the regional organization. Therefore, we must discuss environmental sustainability side by side with industrial needs," Supriyadi said.

The EGILAT meeting was aimed at developing a strategic plan for cooperation among APEC members in the field of forest management, he added.

"Several forestry-related issues were discussed at the EGILAT meeting, such as policy, regulation, law enforcement and trade protection," Supriyadi said.

He said that other issues such as capacity development for forest management projects were also part of the discussion agenda.

"Indonesia has yet to convince the APEC panel to approve and fund the project," Supriyadi added.