ASEAN WIDENS DOOR FOR ENGAGEMENT ON ENVIRONMENT AND TRADE

UNCLAS JAKARTA 000165 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPT FOR OES/ENRC, EAP/MTS/, EAP/RSP USFS FOR CMACKIE USTR FOR MLINSCOTT, DBROOKS USAID FOR CBARBER, MMELNICK NSC FOR CEQ CONNAUGHTON, VAN DYKE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: SENV EAID KGHG ECON PGOV ID REF: A) 2007 JAKARTA 2643 B) 2007 JAKARTA 2550 C) 2007 JAKARTA 2336 D) 2007 SINGAPORE 2092 SUBJECT: ASEAN WIDENS DOOR FOR ENGAGEMENT ON ENVIRONMENT AND TRADE ¶1. (SBU) Summary: Ministerial and Leaders' statements during the 2007 ASEAN Summit focused on regional environmental initiatives, and recognized the significance of the illegal timber trade. The various statements, together with the recent U.S.-China MOU on illegal logging, present an opportunity to enhance and deepen regional efforts in combating illegal logging and dealing with other cross-border environmental and trade issues. GOI officials express strong interest in pushing for ASEAN follow-through, including creating a timber/logging component to ASEAN-WEN. End Summary. ¶2. (U) ASEAN focused on the environment during its 40-year anniversary and in the run-up to COP 13 in Bali last December (refs A and D). At the conclusion of the ASEAN Summit on November 20, ASEAN leaders signed a "Declaration on Environmental Sustainability" at November's Summit. As anticipated, ASEAN Ministers of Agriculture and Forestry (AMAF) endorsed a "Ministerial Statement on Strengthening Forest Law Enforcement and Governance (FLEG) in ASEAN" at their 29th Meeting in Bangkok on November 1 (ref B). The Ministers reaffirmed ASEAN's commitment to "combating illegal logging and its associated trade", and called for strengthening forest law enforcement and governance to address this problem -- the first specific reference to illegal logging at such a high-level ASEAN meeting. ¶3. (U) Immediately following the ASEAN Summit, Leaders at the 3rd East Asia Summit (EAS) on November 21 issued a "Singapore Declaration on Climate Change, Energy and the Environment". The Declaration specifically highlighted the Heart of Borneo and Coral Triangle Initiative (ref C) as important regional environmental efforts. ¶4. (SBU) During a meeting on January 24 to discuss the U.S.-Indonesia MOU on illegal logging, Indonesian Ministry of Forestry (Dephut) officials expressed strong interest in convening a regional dialogue involving all ASEAN country members. They believe the ASEAN AMAF statement on illegal logging last fall, which Indonesia vigorously advocated, offers the starting block on which to engage all of ASEAN. The Dephut officials feel that a timber counterpart -- or component -- to the ASEAN Wildlife Enforcement Network (ASEAN-WEN) is now an appropriate and politically feasible follow-through action. They add that the U.S.-China MOU on illegal logging signed in December and the increased international focus on forestry and deforestation in climate change discussions add further weight. ¶5. (SBU) Comment: Concrete action on issues often gathers momentum only after ASEAN leaders make these sorts of declarations. By doing so, they provide the necessary high-level political backing for regional initiatives. Initiating a regional dialogue and cooperative activities on illegal logging should now be easier, as ASEAN and GOI officials have noted (ref B). End Comment. HUME