A United Nations Committee is being urged to act on human rights violations committed by illegal loggers in Papua New Guinea. Watchdog groups ACT NOW and Jubilee Australia have filed a formal request to the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination to consider action at its next meeting in August.
"We have stressed with the UN that there is pervasive, ongoing and irreparable harm to customary resource owners whose forests are being stolen by logging companies," ACT NOW campaign manager Eddie Tanago said. He said these abuses are systematic, institutionalised, and sanctioned by the PNG government through two specific tools: Special Agriculture and Business Leases (SABLs) and Forest Clearing Authorities (FCAs) - a type of logging licence."
