Illegal Logging Assessment Counts Corruption As A Benefit

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14th October 2009, 06:12pm - Views: 658






People Feature Justice And International Mission Unit, UCAV&T 2 image

                                                                                                

      


Media Release                            Wednesday 14 October, 2009


Illegal Logging Assessment Counts Corruption as a Benefit


The Australian Government could be guilty of turning a blind eye to illegal logging imports if it adopts

recommendations from a recently commissioned economic assessment.


The Justice and International Mission Unit (JIM), the social justice arm of the Uniting Church in Victoria and

Tasmania, is deeply disturbed by an economic assessment done for the Federal Government on restricting the sale

of illegally logged timber has counted corruption in the timber industry as an economic positive. 


The assessment produced by the Centre for International Economics (CIE) counts any reduction in price to

consumers and any increase in profit to producers – as a result of bribery and other criminal activity in the global

forestry industry – as an economic benefit. 


Director of JIM, Dr Mark Zirnsak, said the assessment was an amoral economic analysis and devoid of any ethical

consideration.


“The Government needs to reject this flawed economic analysis that assesses corruption as an economic positive.


“The Australian Government refusing to take any regulatory action to address illegal logging would send a clear

signal that it is not committed to the fight against corruption globally,” Dr Zirnsak said.


The report makes no mention of any of the obligations Australia has voluntarily taken on to address corruption

through international treaties.


Australia is party to the UN Convention Against Corruption, the UN Convention against Transnational Organised

Crime and the OECD Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business

Transactions.


Through these treaties Australia has agreed to take action to address corruption generally, including bribery and

dealing with the proceeds of crime, into which timber produced through criminal activity would fall. A recent

assessment of countries compliance to the OECD Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in

International Business Transactions by Transparency International found Australia was among those countries

failing to fully live up to their commitments under the treaty.


Media Comment - Dr Mark Zirnsak, 0409 166 915 or 9251 5265






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