Forests Press Conference portrait of Asti Roesle

Asti Roesle, forest campaigner of Greenpeace Switzerland, speaking at a press conference about Congolean rainforests organized by Greenpeace and the human rights organisation GfbV (Society for Threatened Peoples).

Greenpeace and human rights organisation GfbV (Society for Threatened Peoples) organise a press conference together to inform about the disastrous effects of the international timber industry in Congolean rainforests.

In original language:

Pressekonferenz über Kongo Regenwald

Zürich, 29. Mai 2007: Greenpeace und die Menschenrechtsorganisation Gesellschaft fuer bedrohte Voelker (GfbV) machen an einer gemeinsamen Medienkonferenz auf die verheerenden Auswirkungen der internationalen Holzindustrie in den Regenwaeldern in der Demokratischen Republik Kongo (DRK) aufmerksam. © Greenpeace / Thomas Schuppisser

Unique identifier: GP01QPC

Type: Image

Shoot date: 29/05/2007

Locations: Europe, East Europe, Alpine Countries, Switzerland, Zurich

Credit line: © Greenpeace / Thomas Schuppisser

Ranking: ★★★★ (E)

Containers

Shoot:

Press Conference on Congo Rainforests in Zurich

The environmental organization Greenpeace and the human rights organization Society for Threatened Peoples (GfbV) organized a joint press conference on the devastating impact of the international timber industry in the rainforests in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). They call in particular the extension of the moratorium on new logging licenses. Their claims also relate to Switzerland and Swiss companies.
The Congo rain forest after the Amazon are the second largest in the world and still have large intact forest areas, at present, are in acute danger: "Roads are built first, then the valuable jungle trees are cut down and huge areas suffer from deforestation. What remains is devastated landscapes and an impoverished and exploited population. In particular, the indigenous forest people suffer, "says Christoph Wiedmer, managing director of the Society for Threatened Peoples.
Not only for the species diversity and stabilizing the climate, the forests play a prominent role: According to Adrien Sinafasi Makelo, Chairman of the "Pygmies Indigenous Network Association" and the head of the organization "Dignité Pygmée" these woods are a home and a source of live for about 40 million people in the DRC.
"With 8 percent of the worldwide storage in existing forests, carbon as well as its capacity of carbon conversion, the Congo rain forests play a significant role for the climate far beyond the African continent." says Roesler Asti, Forests campaigner at Greenpeace Switzerland.
Greenpeace and the GfbV therefore call on the Swiss Tropical processors, not to buy any tropical timber that hasn’t been certified by the FSC (Forest Stewardship Council). The World Bank and donor countries, including Switzerland, shall be urged to support the current moratorium on new licenses until a jointly developed plan and a minimum of governmental and control structures have been established.

Conceptually similar