免费日韩片_欧美成人精品一区二区男人小说_国产乱码一区二区三区四区_国产精品国产三级国产aⅴ入口_成人看的污污超级黄网站免费_欧美一级在线免费观看_成人午夜免费无码福利片_国产乱人伦偷精品视频色欲_aaa少妇高潮大片免费看_国产精品1234_亚洲精品国产suv一区88_中文字字幕在线中文无码_精品亚洲区_午夜九九九_国产av国片精品jk制服丝袜_色综合亚洲_亚洲成av人片无码bt种子下载_欧美色就色_精品少妇的一区二区三区四区_男人用嘴添女人下身免费视频

African leaders sign forest treaty
(Agencies)
Updated: 2005-02-06 16:17

Leaders of seven Central African countries signed a landmark treaty on Saturday to work together to help save the world's second largest rain forest.

French President Jacques Chirac attended the ceremony, which concluded a two-day summit focusing on threats to the great forests of the Congo Basin.

Delegations attend the opening session of the second Central Africa heads of state summit on conservation and sustainable management of forests ecosystems, in Brazzaville February 5, 2005. [Reuters]

The forests make up very heart of Africa, encompassing 500 million acres stretching though 10 countries. They are also home to more than half Africa's animal species, including the world's entire population of lowland gorillas. Nearly 20 million people depend on the forests for food and shelter.

But illegal logging, poaching, ivory trafficking and a rampant bushmeat trade are destroying the forests at alarming rat. Environmentalists say 3.7 million acres of land in the Congo Basin are lost each year.

French President Jacques Chirac delivers a speech at the opening session of the second Central Africa heads of state summit on conservation and sustainable management of forests ecosystems in Brazzaville, February 5, 2005.[Reuters]

"We are gathered here to ensure the preservation of a priceless heritage, the greatest wealth of the Congo Basin, the forest," said Chirac, addressing Brazzaville's parliament house, where giant colorful paintings of elephants, cheetahs and monkeys hung from the vaulted walls. "The protection of these forests cannot wait."

Chirac was in Brazzaville as part of a brief tour of the Republic of Congo and Senegal, both former French colonies.

Sitting alongside the French president were leaders from the Republic of Congo, Gabon, Sao Tome, Equatorial Guinea, Congo, Chad and Central African Republic — which make up the bulk of the Congo Basin.

The treaty will make it easier for countries to jointly track and combat poachers, who easily slip across Africa's remote borders. It will also help provide funds for training and conservation, and harmonize laws in different countries that regulate logging.

The treaty is the long-fought result of a 1999 meeting between Central African leaders in Yaounde, Cameroon.

Environmental groups attending the summit hailed the treaty as a triumphant victory.

"You're finally seeing a commonality in what people are saying that was unthinkable 10 years ago," said Claude Martin, head of the World Wildlife Fund. "The leaders here are seeing how the exploitation of their forests will not contribute to their economies, poverty reduction and future prospects."

Close

Today's Top News     Top World News
China sets no timetable on currency change         China could be world's No. 3 auto producer         All 104 aboard Afghan jet believed dead         Direct flights a hit with New Year passengers         China to attract more foreign experts: Premier         Nine dead in Japan, apparent group suicide	All 104 aboard Afghan jet believed dead       Attacks kill 3 US troops, 33 Iraqis       Rice dives into heart of Middle East peacemaking       Call made from phone of abducted Italian in Iraq       Solana: Military strike on Iran would be a 'mistake'       Five terror suspects surrender in Kuwait