Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-lnqnp Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-23T05:53:37.815Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Conflicting international policies in tropical timber trade

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 October 2009

Caroline Amilien
Caroline Amilien*
Affiliation:
Centre for European and International Studies, Department of Law, University of Aix en Provence, France
*
* Caroline Amilien, 109 Pickctt Lane Cary, N.C., 27511, USA Tel: +1 919 467 6975 Fax: +1 919 467 6975
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Summary

Trade in tropical timber, while a minor cause of deforestation in the tropics, can be a substantial factor in promoting forest degradation and deforestation. International organizations and conferences increasingly recognize that adverse environmental effects of international trade can be reduced through regulations and economic incentives. Three international agreements, the GATT, the CITES, and the ITTA, now affect the tropical timber trade and are here reviewed. Adopted at different times, they illustrate different philosophies, pursue different objectives, and develop contradictory trade policy perspectives. Legal conflicts among these agreements reduce their effectiveness, and mitigate a global objective of making international trade in tropical timber more responsive to environmental issues. Harmonization among the GATT, the CITES, and the ITTA, and collaboration among organizations in charge of managing these agreements, should be reinforced in order to establish a coherent and uniform policy for tropical timber trade.

Keywords

EnvironmentInternational TradeInternational AgreementTropical Timber
Type
Papers
Information
Environmental Conservation , Volume 23 , Issue 1 , March 1996 , pp. 29 - 33
Copyright
Copyright © Foundation for Environmental Conservation 1996

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Arden-Clarke, C. (1991) The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, environmental protection and sustainable development. WWF Discussion Paper, WWF, Gland, Switzerland: 33 pp.Google Scholar
Barbier, E. (1994) Les effets environnementaux des échanges dans le secteur forestier. In: Les Effets Environnementaux des Echanges, pp. 65–116. OCDE, Paris, France.Google Scholar
Bourke, I.J. (1988) Trade in Forest Products: a Study of the Barriers Faced by the Developing Countries. FAO Forestry Paper, FAO, Rome, Italy: 140 pp.Google Scholar
Cameron, J., Mjolo-Thamage, T. & Robinson, J. (1992) Relationship between environmental agreements and instruments related to trade and development. In: The Effectiveness of International Environmental Agreements, ed. Sand, P., pp. 475–500. Cambridge, UK: Grotius Publications.Google Scholar
FAO (1992) Forest Resources Assessment 1990. Tropical Countries. Food and Agriculture Organization, Rome, Italy: x + 59 pp. + 44pp.Google Scholar
GATT (1990) Report of the Panel, Thailand-Restrictions on importation of, and internal taxes on cigarettes, November 7th 1990. In: Basic Instruments and Selected Documents, suppl. 37. GATT, Geneva, Switzerland.Google Scholar
GATT (1991) Report of the Panel, United States-Restrictions on Imports of Tuna, September 3rd 1991. In: Basic Documents and Selected Documents, suppl. 39. GATT, Geneva, Switzerland.Google Scholar
GATT (1994) Marrakesh Agreement Establishing the World Trade Organization. In: The results of the Uruguay Round of Multilateral Trade Negotiations, The Legal Texts, pp. 7–18. GATT, Geneva, Switzerland.Google Scholar
German, Bundestag (1990) Protecting the Tropical Forests: a High Priority International Task. German Bundestag, Bonn, Germany: 968 pp.Google Scholar
Lyke, J. & Fletcher, S. (1992) Deforestation: an Overview of Global Programs and Agreements. Congressional Research Service, Report for Congress, Washington DC, USA, 21st October: 79 pp.Google Scholar
Paye, O. (1992) La protection de l'environnement dans le système du GATT. Revue Belge de Droit International 25(1): 67–103.Google Scholar
United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (1992 a) Agenda 21. U.N. A/CONF.151/26 (Vol. III), 12 August 1992.Google Scholar
United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (1992 b) Non-Legally but Authoritative Statement of Principles for a Global Consensus on the Management, Conservation and Sustainable Development of all Types of Forests. U.N. A/CONF.151/26 (Vol. III), 12 August 1992.Google Scholar
United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (1992 c) Declaration on Environment and Development. U.N. A/CONF.151/26 (Vol. I), 12 August 1992.Google Scholar
United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (1994) UNC-TAD/TD/ TIMBER.2/Misc7.Google Scholar
United Nations Treaty Series (1950) Vol. 55, No. 814: 188–310.Google Scholar
United Nations Treaty Series (1976) Vol. 993, No. 14537: 243–89.Google Scholar
United Nations Treaty Series (1980) Vol. 1155, No. 18232: 331–53.Google Scholar
United Nations Treaty Series (1985) Vol. 1393, No. 23317: 78–102.Google Scholar
Vincent, J. (1990) Don't Boycott Tropical Timber. Journal of Forestry 88(4): 56.Google Scholar
Williams, M. (1994) International trade and the environment. In: Rio, Unravelling the Consequences, ed. Thomas, C.. Ilford, UK: Frank Cass Publications: 446 pp.Google Scholar
World Commission on Environment and Development (1987) Our Common Future. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press: XV + 400 pp.Google Scholar
World Wildlife Fund (1992) Conservation and sustainable management of tropical forests: the role of ITTO and GATT. A WWF International Discussion Paper, WWF, Gland, Switzerland: 12 pp.Google Scholar