§ Lord Aveburyasked Her Majesty's Government:
What European Union funding has been provided for the Leuser Management Unit in Acheh, northern Sumatra; and whether they will seek a review of this project in the light of allegations of illegal logging and the decision by the local authorities to construct the Ladia Galaska road network in the area of the Leuser Park. [HL4697]
§ The Lord President of the Council (Baroness Amos)The European Commission has provided a grant of 35 million euros to the Government of Indonesia to fund the Leuser Development Programme. The original seven-year implementation phase was extended for a further two years to allow for fund raising activities by the newly established Leuser International Foundation. The foundation will continue the management of the Leuser Ecosystem for a period of 20 years from 2004.
Two local NGOs and one national NGO active in illegal logging monitoring, Yayasan Leuser Lestari, Pagar Alam Semesta and Forest Watch Indonesia (all funded by DfID's Multi-Stakeholder Forestry Programme), continue to express concern about continuing illegal logging within the Leuser National park. They cite three recent allegations:
- (1) Lack of serious investigation by authorities of illegal logging in the upper watersheds of Bukit Lawang in Bahorok.
- (2) Involvement of local elite political party members in illegal logging in Karo, North Sumatra and Aceh Tenggara, including some with links to the Leuser International Foundation.
- (3) Continued indecision or inability to limit the scope of the Ladia Galaska road network through the Leuser National Park.
A comprehensive review of the Leuser Development Programme has just been completed (October 2004) which concludes that this programme has achieved the conservation of 2.6 million hectare of forest. It acknowledges that reports of illegal logging do continue. The Leuser Management Unit, established to manage the project, considers that illegal logging is much reduced but that continued vigilance is necessary. The review identifies significant lessons and makes constructive recommendations for improvement in management.
The Ladia-Galaska road project has not yet been approved and the new government have indicated that they wish to take a decision on this as a priority. The Leuser Management Unit and the Leuser International Foundation continue to oppose the contruction of the road.
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§ Lord Aveburyasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will extend the United Kingdom-Indonesian Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation to Improve Forest Law, Enforcement and Governance and Combat Illegal Logging and the International Trade in Illegally Logged Products, so as to allow international monitoring of illegal logging in areas under the control of the military; and what action has been taken to investigate allegations made by Mr M Basyah, project director of the Leuser Management Unit, concerning illegal logging in the Leuser National Park. [HL4698]
§ Baroness AmosThe Memorandum of Understanding aims to strengthen the capacity of the Indonesian Government and Indonesian non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to tackle illegal logging. Some training of Indonesian NGOs in monitoring has been provided by international NGOs, with financial support provided under the Memorandum of Understanding. However, no formal international monitoring of logging activities is planned.
Future support to monitoring by Indonesian NGOs will focus on West Kalimantan and Jambi provinces. This monitoring is likely to cover illegal logging activities by the military.
On the second part of the question, findings released in local papers and magazines have been overwhelming about the existence of illegal loggers in the park. These reports have also been confirmed by heads of two districts and the Leuser National Office. Local NGOs are frustrated at the lack of progress in addressing illegal logging in the National Park. The Leuser Management Unit continues to pass on allegations and reports of illegal logging to the police and the Ministry of Forestry for further investigation, but the Leuser Management Unit cannot itself instigate criminal proceedings; this is the responsibility of the Government of Indonesia. In the past, there has been a lack of political will to tackle illegal logging in Indonesia. However, following the recent elections, with the new ministerial team, there is the prospect of real change. The Leuser International Foundation has met the new Minister of Forestry and expressed its concerns at the problem. The Minister has stated that tackling illegal logging is a priority of the new government.
§ Lord Aveburyasked Her Majesty's Government:
What assistance the European Union is providing to the International Leuser Foundation, when it assumes responsibility for the preservation of the 850,000 hectare Gunung Leuser National Park in Acheh, northern Sumatra on 9 November; and whether they are co-operating in efforts to safeguard the wider 2.6 million hectare Leuser Ecosystem. [HL4699]
§ Baroness AmosThe European Commission (EC) is not providing further direct assistance to the Leuser International Foundation after 9 November 2004 for the management of the Leuser ecosystem. It has 67WA always been an objective of the EC support that the foundation should be financed through other sources and not directly by the EC. The Commission has supported the Leuser International Foundation in its efforts to raise funds through the provision of expertise in fund raising and the foundation is finalizing the arrangements for a grant of 500,000 US dollars for the next two years from a major international company. The foundation is optimistic that contacts already made will lead to further grants before the end of the year.
However, the management of Leuser National Park continues to be highly contested, with a number of NGOs expressing doubts as to whether the Leuser International Foundation will be effective or credible in tackling illegal logging or the new road through the National Park.