We, the undersigned organizations, unions, and institutions, oppose the Global Free Logging Agreement discussed by some member governments of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and promoted by a number of forest products industry associations.

Without proper measures to prevent negative environmental and social impacts, the elimination of tariffs (Accelerated Tariff Liberalization) and non-tariff barriers will threaten biodiversity, forests, and the communities that depend on forests.

Further elimination of tariff and non-tariff measures will exacerbate an already difficult situation for Japan's domestic timber industry. Timber imports already account for over 80% of domestic consumption. Further trade liberalization will make it even more difficult for the domestic timber industry to survive. Forest communities throughout Japan depend on the estimated 80,000 jobs provided by the timber industry. And our forests also depend on the industry, as most of Japan's forests are plantations and require regular thinning and maintenance. Further decline of Japan's timber industry, due to dependence on imported timber, will, therefore increase unemployment in the timber sector and reduce the ability of the industry to maintain healthy forests.

Japan's should increase its domestic timber self-sufficiency to reduce pressure on sensitive and frontier forests overseas. Japan, the world's largest timber importer, is known worldwide for its role as a major consumer of timber logged from rich tropical forests in Southeast Asia, Africa, and South America and from temperate forests in Canada, Russia, and the United States.

We believe elimination of tariff and non-tariff measures will threaten the ability of local and national governments to establish policies and measures to protect forests and the communities that depend on the resource. By requiring, for example, the elimination of non-tariff measures (NTMs) such as raw log export bans, eco-labelling and third-party certification, and strong phytosanitary controls.

Free trade is not an end in itself, but is justifiable only as a means to improve human living conditions and the environment. Measures that serve to protect the environment and the health and welfare of communities should not be treated indiscriminately as impediments to free trade. However, WTO and governments have failed to adequately involve civil society, which represents communities and works to protect the environment. We urge WTO and governments to change their present approach and involve representatives of NGOs, unions, and other organizations when discussing trade liberalization.

Therefore, we urge the governments and the WTO to:

WITHDRAW support for further trade liberalization in the forest products sector, and first

REVIEW agreements and measures introduced thus far that affect timber trade and forests,

REPAIR the damages and inadequacies of these agreements and measures; and

REFORM the WTO before embarking on a new round of negotiations to liberalize trade.

We, the undersigned, look forward to responses and action from governments and the WTO.

Sincerely,

Japanese Diet Members:
Akiko DOMOTO
Ken-ichiro SATO
Syuuichi KATO
Takashi KOSUGI (Chairman of *GLOBE Japan)
and 38-GLOBE-Japan members
* GLOBE: Global Legislators Organization on a Balanced Environment

NPOs/NGOs:
Japanese NGOs ADB Fukuoka NGO Forum
APEC Monitor NGO Network (AM-net)
A SEED Japan
Ecological life 21
Friends of the Earth Japan
Japan Environmental Exchange (JEE)
Global Village
Green Friends (Japanese Forest NGO）
Greenpeace Japan
Japan-Brazil Network (JBN)
The Japan Citizens’ Coalition for the UN International Decade of World’
Indigenous peoples
Japan NGO Network on Indonesia (JANNI)
Japan Tropical Forest Action Network (JATAN)
Kansai NGO Council
KIKO Network
Rainbow Parade
Rural Poor
Sarawak Campaign Committee (SCC)
Solid Actions for Globalization & Environment (SAGE)
Stop Furon
The Earth Environment Resuscitate Actual Practice Association
Tropical Forest Kyoto
** Japan Consumers Association

Labor Union:
Labor Unions Conference of Forest-relating Industries Workers' Union
* consisting of:
Japan Lumber Industries Workers' Unions Coalition
All Forestry Workers' Union of Japan
Japan Forestry Labor Union
Green Resource Public Corporation's Labor Union

Individuals:
Kenji AGO Kenichiro KAWACHIDA, Michio ITO, Keita ABE, Yoko ABE, Ryuuichiro ABE, Toyoyuki KAWAKAMI, Chie AWASAKI, Toshiaki IKEO, Kimiko ISHIBASHI, Kazuhiko IMAMURA, Tadashi OGURA, Ikuko UEHANE, Naoko UTSUKI, Junko OGAWA, Hiromi KAWAKAMI, Hiroshi KANDA, Ayaka KIMURA, Mika KURATO, Tasujiro KOJIMA, Ichiro KOBAYASHI, Yuuko SHIMIZU, Konomi SHIMOICHI, Hidetomo SHIRAISHI, Satoko SUMITANI, Yoshimoto SEKI, Hiroyuki TAKAGI, Akio TAKAHASHI, Sadahiko TAKEDA, Mitsumi TERAO, Tsukasa NAKAGAWA, Kanta NAKAGAWA, Riei NAGASE, Keiko FUJIWARA, Megumi MINAMI, Kunihiro MASUKAWA, Naoko MATSUDA, Naruya MORITA, Yuriko MIYAZAKI, Chie YAMAMOYO, Etsuko YOKOTA, Ryouko WAKATAKE, Kazunari WATANABE, Chie YOSHIMUNE, Yuta HARAGO, Dai NAKAJIMA, Kinko KOYANO, Osami NOMURA, Mikiko FUKUDA