ladies and gentlemen of the media, good afternoon and thank you for coming today. the government of indonesia sends its best wishes to the people of great britain and hopes to continue the good relationship between the two countries and the rest of peace loving nations

” ladies and gentlemen “QUALITY and a sense of adequacy must be equally shared to achieve a powerful force that will relieve us from the current crisis “

INDONESIA, AS YOU CAN SEE ON THE SLIDE, IS BLESSED WITH RICH AND ABUNDANT NATURAL RESOURCES; ALTHOUGH IT DID NOT COME WITHOUT CHALLENGES. GEOGRAPHICALLY, THE COUNTRY IS FORMED BY THREE MAJOR TECTONIC PLATES WHICH MOVE AT LEAST 7 CM ANNUALLY. IN ADDITION, THE EASTERN PART OF THE COUNTRY GUARDS THE AXIS OF EQUATORIAL LINES. THIS SIMPLY MEANS THAT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT GEOGRAPHY, MUCH OF OUR WATER AND LAND HELPS SHAPE THE WORLD WE LIVE IN TODAY. BUT IT DID NOT COME WITHOUT SOME CHALLENGES. WE ARE HOME to ALMOST 4/5TH OF THE WORLD’S MOST ACTIVE VOLCANO. THE WORLD’S MAJOR VOLCANIC ERUPTION EVER RECORDED BY HISTORY WAS FROM OUR LAND. THE TOBA LAKE IN NORTH SUMATRA FOR INSTANCE IS THE “living” PROOF OF SUCH ERUPTION OVER 75 THOUSAND YEARS AGO. THEN COME TAMBORA AND THE MOST FILMED VOLCANIC ERUPTION IN THE WORLD, THE KRAKATOA IN 1883. ON CHRISTMAS MORNING IN 2004, A HUGE KILLER WAVE of Tsunami STRUCK ACEH AND IN LESS THAN 8 MINUTES 220,000 LIVES WERE TAKEN AND OVER HALF A MILLION PEOPLE WERE DISPLACED FROM THEIR HOMES. THE WORLD WAS STUNNED AND SHOCKED WITH SUCH A MASSIVE DESTRUCTION OF AN ANGRY MOTHER EARTH.

I DELIBERATELY SHARE THIS WITH YOU TO PROMOTE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF WHO WE ARE AND IF GEOGRAPHY IS DESTINY THEN LET US SHARE OUR ROLE IN THIS DIVERSE WORLD IN OUR PURSUIT TO ERADICATE POVERTY FROM THE FACE OF THE EARTH.

SUCH RICH, NATURAL RESOURCES DEMAND RESPONSIBILITY. WE ARE RESPONSIBLE TO ASSURE THAT THOSE RESOURCES ARE SUSTAINABLE.

IN A NATION OF 230 MILLION AND AN ANNUAL BIRTH RATE EQUAL TO THE ENTIRE POPULATION OF BELGIUM, WE MUST SEEK WAYS TO INSURE THAT WE LEAVE SOMETHING FOR OUR FUTURE GENERATIONS. AND WE PLAN TO DO PRECISELY that, LEAVING THE LEGACY AND WISDOM TO BRING ABOUT PROSPERITY BY MAINTAINING BALANCE AND HARMONY FOR THE PEOPLE AND THE ENVIRONMENT THEY LIVE IN.

UNTIL 1997, THE COUNTRY WAS ENJOYING ALMOST DOUBLE DIGIT economic growth RATES AND THEN financial CRISIS SWEPT THE REGION. WE then FOUND OURSELVES WAKING UP FROM AN ILLUSION OF WEALTH, WE Found OURSELVES CORNERED BY HEAPS OF DEBTS. ALL OF A SUDDEN, POVERTY AND DEBTS SPREAD ACROSS THE NATION.

UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES, IT IS NO USE PUTTING THE BLAME ON ANYONE. We just have to remain fully alert, try to do everything based on one’s responsibility and within one’s power AND to live in austerity in a balanced and appropriate way. we must work TO BRING BACK OURSELVES TO A NORMAL life, a life of decent living. of course, it calls on us to lead a life against the tide, against the habit with which we were familiar.

we must be prepared to ACCEPT the pain, and have the patience to make adjustments, AND HAVE the initiative to exercise deterrence, suppression and annihilation of the passion we have cultivated. to some extent, the situation would be improved if we could get rid of old habits. we will see an important impact if we could all do it together.

quality and sense of adequacy must be equally shared to achieve a powerful force that will relieve us from the current crisis. it will become such A POWERFUL force that it will help us prolong the ultimate collapse and return OF economic revival and stability. it could be quiet a task AND TIME CONSUMING, BUT certainty will prevail along with stability and sustainability.

we have grown used to a society that is dominated by physical gratification, characterized by money and materialism. under the heavy influence of materialism, we are mentally confused and blocked from the fact that there is yet another kind of joy, namely the joy of LEAVING LEGACY FOR OUR CHILDREN, AND WHAT BETTER WAY THAN ASSURING THAT OUR RESOURCES MAINTAINS THEIR BARING CAPACITY TO FEED AND PROSPER OUR CHILDREN, BUT MAINTAINING THE ORDER OF THE ECOSYSTEM IS SUCH A GREAT TASK THAT IT WOULD REQUIRE A SOLID COMMITMENT FROM ALL OF US AND WE CAN ONLY ACHIEVE THIS BY PROMOTION, NOT PROTECTION.
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if we manage to possess such qualities, we will be rewarded with happiness, peace and PROSPERITY, free from concern. WHEN WE TALK ABOUT SUSTAINABILITY, THE Pleasure comes from the ability to give and the ability to become less self-centered. it would be perfect if we could TRAIN ourselves to such an extent that we could draw pleasure from giving. this pleasure is the opposite of physical PLEASURE, WHICH could only be derived from material and external factors.

FOR PHYSICAL pleasure, gratification comes from satisfaction, the ability to struggle in search of material rewards that meet our desire. this gratification Can only be perpetuated through the FUELING of our ENDLESS DEMANDS. IT is a form of HAPPINESS achieved through taking, receiving, accepting and promoting the self. thus, this represents a fiery pleasure that keeps feeding our passion. this is because physical gratification relies on external CONDITIONS, WHICH IN TURN leads to continued destruction of nature and the environment.
WE HAVE COME FROM THOUSANDS OF MILES AWAY TO SEEK THAT GRATIFICATION AND WE ARE CONFIDENT THAT THE PEOPLE OF GREAT BRITAIN AND THE REST OF PEACE LOVING NATIONS WILL LEND US A HAND AND HELP US FIGHT POVERTY THROUGH COOPERATION BASED ON MUTUAL RESPECT AND UNDERSTANDING IN OUR SEARCH FOR OUR PLACE IN THIS DIVERSE WORLD

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, AS MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE OF INDONESIA, I AM GRATEFUL TO SHARE MY Government’s VISION ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT; PARTICULARLY IN THE PALM Oil SECTOR. THIS SECTOR IS THE COUNTRY’S EARNING PRIMADONA. IT HELPS ALLEVIATE POVERTY AND BRINGS SUSTAINABLE Development, BUT WE CAN ONLY DO THIS IF WE ALSO SHARE AND EMPOWER OUR ROLE IN THE GLOBAL CONTEXT.

And to this extent I am proud to inform you that Indonesia HAS MADE A commitment to undertake strategic decisions beyond its national obligation of reducing energy-related of greenhouse gas emissions as required by the Kyoto Protocol. “We are mindful that our forest resources are determining factors of global climate. Their ecosystems constitute a wealth that the Indonesian people can prudently share with all humankind. The natural resources within our forests and marine territory are the Indonesian people’s principal assets for development. We are determined to manage them with good governance so that these assets will enable us to conquer the basic problem of poverty.
In THE PAST years, we have witnessed how El Nino dried up our forests. Mitigation is imperative. Hence, the Government recently launched a reforestation movement called “Hutan Tanaman Rakyat” or “Forest of the People”. Sustainable forestry is in the heart of this community-based approach.”

We have a binding political commitment to insure the different conservation areas have been secured largely through the introduction and enforcement of Government regulations. In this respect, cornerstone Legislation protecting the environment includes:
-. Law No. 41/1999 about Forestry on articles 49 and 50 dearly regulated the responsibility of concession license holders of the Impact on forest burning and prohibition to role activities which created forest destruction on their concession area.
- Law No. 18/2004 about plantation on article 26 stated clearly about prohibition for alt plantation business entity to open or cultivate their Land with burning activities which caused pollution and damage on the environment.
Law No.2311997 about environment management, articles 41 and 42 dearly stated all act against the law which caused pollution and environmental damage. On act No.45, regulated about punishment in environmental destruction If its acted by Legalized institutions (company)
- Government Regulation No. 45/2004 about Forest Protection on article 10 verse 2b stated that forest protection consist of prevention, extinguishing, and damage management, even on articles 42 and 43 already regulated about the implementation of punishment for activities against the law for companies which not withhold Legal Licenses of forest products
- Government Regulation No. 4/2001 about environmental about control on environmental pollution and damage related with for forest and Land burning.
Minister of Forestry Decree No. 7012001 on article 8 stated that Land clearing associated with nationally approved non-forestry activities or authorized by district governments may only be located outside the permanent state forest zone. Any declassification of Land from forest to non-forest (such as agricultural plantations) must have taken place with the free and prior informed consent of local and adat communities, and be gazette in a manner consistent with applicable regulations.
The Indonesian Government is also mindful of the need to enforce these Laws and policing efforts using the most effective technologies available continue to increase. However, as Indonesia 15 one of the largest Island Archipelagos with many remote areas, the demand placed on human and financial resources in enforcing Laws is substantial; and an effective system of enforcement remains a daunting but necessary challenge.
The private sector is playing Its role. As the development of palm oil plantations Is frequently cited as being a significant contributor to deforestation and haze through burning, the following is worthy of attention:
Although palm oil cultivation has increased substantially in the last few years, the total hectares devoted to palm oil stand at 6 million hectares In 2006. Almost all the palm oil plantations have been developed on secondary forest areas that wore fanned after Logging.  Over 80% of palm plantations in Indonesia are in compliance with HCVF (High Conservation Value Forest) Criteria

Indonesia is to be hosting the 13th Conference of Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Third Conference of Parties to the Kyoto Protocol in Bali this coming December. In these meetings, Indonesia hopes the international community may be able to reach A common ground leading to a climate regime beyond 2012 when the Kyoto Protocol expires.

On forestry sustainable management, President Yudhoyono had convened a meeting of eight Leaders of major forestry countries on the occasion of the High-level Event on Climate Change in the UN last week (24 September). It is hoped that the major forestry countries— Brazil, Cameroon, Costa Rica, Gabon, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, the Republic of the Congo and Indonesia—will present a united front for the effective preservation of the “lungs of the world.” It shows that not only is ready to undertake responsibility beyond its obligation in the global climate change issue, but has become an important leading role in many new initiatives.

In addition to Indonesia’s ideal for global peace and sustainable development, there is a strong “vested interest” reason why we are taking this position. Seventy percent of Indonesia’s land territory is covered with tropical forests, and 70 percent of our archipelago is marine territory. 

And from my end as the Minister of Agriculture, I have taken THE initiative to promote sustainable palm oil.  Indonesia and Malaysia have signed A cooperation agreement to launch communications activities to align the world perspective of Palm OIL Plantations and the issues of deforestation, wildlife, indigenous people and human rights. The world major palm oil stakeholders have formed a Round table for Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) which forms together all Palm Oil companies, NGOs, regulatory bodies and governments. THEY voluntarily meet and communicate to seek AN amicable solution to the ongoing concerns about palm OIL plantations and THEIR impact on the environment and ecosystem.  RSPO should be the ideal forum to mutually work out a solution FOR the problem and one of the proposals is to establish a Green Certification on CPO products.

Sustainable Palm Oil has Eight Imperatives and is linked to ethical values, compliance with legal requirements, and respect for people, communities and the environment.

later in the next session, our resource persons will take you through a brief journey on sustainable palm oil and what the country has done to ensure that it stays sustainable.

Ladies and Gentlemen, There are measurable and workable initiatives on sustainable palm oil already available. Let’s work together to make that happen. Sustainable palm oil, like climate change or other Environment issues, is a global issue. We must work together as responsible members of global community. Unilateral action by disregarding others’ will never work.

thank you for your kind attention and we look forward to working together to create a better environment for understanding of our role to Insure a more coherent and sustainable environment in which we owe our children.