Fafo-report 379

Global Witness

Logs of War

The Timber Trade and Armed Conflict

ISBN 82-7422-362-4
2002 66 p

Web edition (pdf 261K) * More publications on this subject

Economies of Conflict: Private Sector Activity in Armed Conflict

Programme for International Co-operation and Conflict Resolution

'Conflict timber' is a new term, coined by a UN sanctions panel of experts in 2001. But conflict timber is not a new phenomenon. In The Logs of War, Global Witness, the London-based investigative and campaigning NGO, has produced a comprehensive and disturbing analysis of the ways in which the tropical timber industry has helped sustain armed conflict and what can be done about it. The report was commissioned by PICCR as part of the Economies of Conflict research project, which examines the links between certain private sector activity and armed conflict.

Financial support for Economies of Conflict has been provided by the Government of Norway.

Contents

Executive Summary

1 Introduction

2 Timber and Conflict
2.1 The Political-Economy of the Timber Trade
2.2 Timber and Conflict Case Studies

3 Policy Responses
3.1 Government policy responses
3.2 Intergovernmental policy responses

4 Conclusion
The Industry Modus Operandi

Annex A: Illegal activities associated with the timber trade
Annex B: Levels of non-compliance/irregularities in international timber trade
About the Authors
About Fafo and PICCR