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Norwegian Ambassador to Indonesia Supports UNODC Efforts to Combat Forest and Wildlife Crimes in Visit to West Papua



West Papua (Indonesia), 20 October 2014
- Located in Indonesia's West Papua province, Raja Ampat is renowned for its forest and marine diversity; it is said to have the highest marine diversity on Earth. Consisting of 1,500 islands, the area has become famous because of the beauty of the landscape and the corals, which make it a top diving location with tourist potential. The vision for Raja Ampat, as voiced by the head Raja Ampat District, Mr. Marcus Wanma, is to conserve its biodiversity both in land and sea by ensuring that its natural resources are not harmed or destroyed.

Raja Ampat's sanctuary forests are managed by the West Papua Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BBKSDA), under the Ministry of Forestry, and the protection forests and production forests are managed by the District Forestry Service. Issues that are central to Raja Ampat's forest preservation include the threats of illegal logging, encroachment and wildlife trafficking. These concerns are often linked to crimes of corruption and money laundering, particularly when it comes to moving forestry and wildlife resources that have been obtained illegally. While the human impact has been less severe in Raja Ampat than other areas of Indonesia to date, Indonesia's forests are disappearing rapidly and so the threat to Raja Ampat is imminent.

The local government of Raja Ampat has been seeking solutions to prevent threats to the natural resources of the land and sea. Conservation efforts are being carried out with support from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and the Government of Norway.  

The Norwegian Ambassador to Indonesia, Mr. Stig Traavik, personally visited Raja Ampat from the 7th to the 9th of October. Mr. Traavik met with UNODC Country Manger, Mr. Troels Vester, Mr. Wanma and the Head of BBKSDA, Mr. Agung Setyabudi to discuss issues that are pertinent to Raja Ampat. The Ambassador's visit included an introduction to the forest area and wildlife.

On Thursday the 9th of October, Mr Traavik visited the Community-based Forest Protection Training that was conducted by UNODC and supported by the Government of Norway. The training was aimed at increasing the capacity of community members, forest rangers and police officials at the local level to ensure forest protection. The Ambassador addressed the attendees, citing West Papua as a unique and important place because of its biodiversity and cultural heritage.  Mr. Traavik expressed the importance of taking an integrated approach involving the people of West Papua, who own the forest, the forestry police from the Ministry of Forestry, and frontline police officers, to ensure the forest is protected.

Mr. Wanma expressed his appreciation of the support received from UNODC and the Government of Norway to assist Raja Ampat in preserving its natural resources.