Forest Law Enforcement & Governance in ASEAN

Chances and Limits of Private Sector Involvement

Diploma Thesis , 2011 , 104 Pages , Grade: 1,0

Politics - Environmental Policy

The problem of deforestation and forest degradation is currently highly prominent on the international agenda. In September 2001, the East Asia Ministerial Conference on Forest Law Enforcement and Governance (FLEG) took place in Bali, Indonesia and adopted the Bali Declaration. The participating countries committed themselves to strengthen their efforts in combating illegal logging and other forest crimes. In June 2010 the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) published a review of FLEG progress in Asia and the Pacific, keeping the issue a priority in global environmental governance.

Although the region of Southeast Asia accommodates only 5% of the world’s forests, it accounts for nearly 25% of the global forest loss over the past decade, whereas illegal logging is the major cause (World Bank 2010). Therefore this region is closely watched by the international community regarding progress towards sustainable forest management (SFM). The practice of illegal logging leads to an estimated annual loss of US$ 15 billion in developing countries.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) recognizes the importance of FLEG as a way to hinder these huge economic losses as well as the environmental and social consequences. The improvement of the region’s reputation and competitiveness in the international market is a pivotal goal.

Yet, deforestation and forest degradation remains an intensifying problem in the region. Traditional forms of state-led global environmental governance seem to fail achieving effective progress in governing the sensitive issue of forestry, where trade, environment as well as social values intersect. Due to the inadequate action of states, private forest certification schemes have emerged as a powerful and prominent type of non-state global environmental governance. This development led scholars and practitioners to consider non-state or private governance as a potential alternative solution for global forest governance.

The aim of this thesis is to systematically assess the chances and limits of transnational private forest governance in ASEAN. The overall intention in writing this paper is to contribute to our understanding of private and public governance and their collaboration. Therefore the central research question of this paper is whether and under what conditions private sector involvement can increase forest governance in ASEAN.

Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)

• Acknowledgements
• List of Acronyms
• Zusammenfassung
• 1 Introduction
• 2 State of the Art
  • 2.1 The Global Governance Perspective
  • 2.2 The Concept of NSMD Governance
    • 2.2.1 Legitimacy
    • 2.2.2 The Potential of ‘Ratcheting Up' Global Environmental Standards
• 3 Approach and Methodology
  • 3.1 Location of the Thesis: A Review of NSMD Governance
  • 3.2 Research Questions and Purpose
  • 3.3 Two-Dimensional Approach
    • 3.3.1 Intergovernmental and Private Governance Regimes
    • 3.3.2 Defining Regime Effectiveness
  • 3.4 Structure
• 4 Analysis Part I: Traditional State-led Governance - FLEG in ASEAN
  • 4.1 What is FLEG?
  • 4.2 The Current ASEAN FLEG-Process
  • 4.3 The \"ASEAN Way\" of Regional Environmental Governance
  • 4.4 Strengths and Weaknesses
  • 4.5 Concluding Thoughts
• 5 Analysis Part II: Forest Certification as a Form of NSMD Governance
  • 5.1 What is Forest Certification?
    • 5.1.1 The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)
    • 5.1.2 The Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification Schemes (PEFC)
  • 5.2 Normative and Theoretical Evaluation
    • 5.2.1 Strengths
    • 5.2.2 Weaknesses
  • 5.3 Concluding Thoughts
• 6 Analysis Part III: Private Transnational Forest Certification - An Effective Governance Tool for ASEAN?
  • 6.1 Forest Certification in ASEAN
    • 6.1.1 The FSC and National Certification Schemes
    • 6.1.2 Regional Forest Certification
    • 6.1.3 Structural Obstacles
  • 6.2 Assessing the Chances and Limits of Private Sector Involvement
    • 6.2.1 Chances: Certification as a Monitoring Tool
    • 6.2.2 Limits: The Risk of a \"Race to the Bottom\"
  • 6.3 The Role of the State
  • 6.4 Concluding Thoughts
• 7 Conclusion
• 8 Annexes
  • Annex 1: ASEAN Criteria for Legality of Timber
  • Annex 2: FSC Principles for Forest Management
• 9 Bibliography

Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)

This thesis investigates the chances and limitations of private sector involvement in forest law enforcement and governance (FLEG) within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). It examines the effectiveness of private governance regimes, particularly forest certification schemes, as tools for promoting sustainable forest management in the region.

• The role of private governance in global environmental governance
• The effectiveness of forest certification schemes as a tool for sustainable forest management
• The challenges and opportunities of private sector involvement in FLEG in ASEAN
• The potential for “ratcheting up” global environmental standards through private governance initiatives
• The interplay between state and non-state actors in the governance of forests.

Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)

The thesis begins by outlining the global governance perspective on forest management and introduces the concept of non-state market driven governance (NSMD). It examines the potential of private governance to raise global environmental standards. Chapter 3 discusses the research methodology and the two-dimensional approach used to analyze the effectiveness of state-led and private governance regimes. Chapter 4 explores the current state of FLEG in ASEAN and the challenges it faces. This chapter also evaluates the strengths and weaknesses of the "ASEAN Way" of regional environmental governance.

Chapter 5 delves into the concept of forest certification, focusing on the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification Schemes (PEFC). The chapter evaluates the normative and theoretical strengths and weaknesses of forest certification as a tool for sustainable forest management. Chapter 6 examines the implementation of forest certification in ASEAN, analyzing the chances and limits of private sector involvement in the region. It explores the potential for certification to act as a monitoring tool and considers the risks of a "race to the bottom" scenario. The chapter also discusses the crucial role of the state in fostering effective FLEG governance.

Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)

The primary focus of the thesis revolves around the concept of non-state market driven governance (NSMD) in the context of forest law enforcement and governance (FLEG) within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). The study centers on the evaluation of private governance regimes, specifically forest certification schemes like the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification Schemes (PEFC), in relation to their effectiveness in promoting sustainable forest management within ASEAN. Central themes include private governance, sustainable forest management, forest certification, ASEAN, and the role of the state in environmental governance.

• College: University of Potsdam (Lehrstuhl für Internationale Politik)
• Grade: 1,0
• Author: Jana Schwenzien (Author)
• Publication Year: 2011
• Pages: 104
• Catalog Number: V385871
• ISBN (eBook): 9783668640542
• ISBN (Book): 9783668640559
• Language: English
• Tags: governance, regime effectiveness, ASEAN, legitimacy, NSMD governance, FLEG, forest certification, FSC, PEFC, regional environmental governance