Conservation diplomacy – one government's commitment and strategy to eliminate illegal logging

Illegal logging, associated trade and corruption in forests are a relatively new topic for governments to address. The United States government, having attempted to advance international commitment to address these problems in multilateral fora, decided to implement a different strategy to ensure that these issues were effectively addressed and action taken. Along with other partner governments, including the UK, the US identified illegal logging as a component of the G8 countries Forest Action Programme, sponsored the first in a series of Forest Law Enforcement and Governance Ministerials, and initiated and facilitated a forest Partnership in the Congo Basin. The United States Secretary of State Colin L. Powell launched the President's Initiative Against Illegal Logging in July 2003 in Washington, D.C.