Vision on Paper meeting kicks off in Riau

Pekanbaru (EoF News)--- In a bid to provide a ‘common vision’ on pulp and paper industry globally, non-governmental organizations in provinces which host such industry started a two-day meeting on Friday here in setting up vision and mission to anticipating the industry’s growing problems. The meeting has theme Common Vision for The Transformation of Indonesia Pulp and Paper Industry towards Socially and Environmentally Sustainable Industry. Kabut Riau, Environmental Paper Network, CAPPA, Jikalahari, Walhi Riau and WWF Indonesia supported the meeting that attended by scores of NGOs from Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi and Kalimantan.
Dede Kunaifi of Kabut Riau, a local NGO, said agenda of meeting would also touch global market issue which inevitable to pulp and paper industry. Zulfahmi, coordinator of Jikalahari (Riau NGOs network for forest rescue)  said, “What the NGOs have done in expressing their concerns on pulp and paper industry problems  remains far from expectation. As one of the meeting’s steering committee members, Zulfahmi said that it is time for organizations in ‘upstream level’ to make their own stance since in European countries and North American had been pioneered this point before.
Suhandri of WWF-Indonesia said there should be more than vision created by the meeting, that is a mission which would be conveyed by would-be forum of NGOs toward international community. The agenda of meeting also would respond the latest forestry agreement issued by the Government following the launch of Government Regulation Number 6 Year 2007 last week. The rule regulates forestry management including HTI (industrial timber plantation) issues such as relaxation of rules for pulp and paper industry.
Kasmadi of CAPPA (Community Alliance for Pulp & Paper Advocacy) said it is time for NGOs to build up a ‘common vision’ on pulp and paper industry by ‘the upstream level’ which has been over years neglected.  The participants would share their concerns over the industry on each point of view relating to social and ecological impact as well as legality aspect before designating the common vision, he added.

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