10 reasons U.S. must hold Peru to trade deal and protect Amazon (commentary)

[Judi Lynn]

Peru’s pioneering forest inspection agency OSINFOR has taken the lead in exposing the rampant illegalities that have]idominated Peru’s timber trade for decades, but it has done so only because it has been independent of other government ministries.

In December 2018, Peru moved OSINFOR into the Ministry of Environment, effectively stripping it of its independence, a decision that could gravely compromise OSINFOR’s effectiveness in the future.

This move also arguably violates the Trade Promotion Agreement between Peru and the United States, which entered into force 10 years ago and stipulates that OSINFOR must be “independent.”

The U.S., a top importer of Peruvian timber, has a major responsibility for ensuring that it is produced legally and therefore must insist Peru respect the Trade Promotion Agreement by making OSINFOR independent again. – This post is a commentary. The views expressed are those of the author, not necessarily Mongabay.

More:
https://news.mongabay.com/2019/02/10-reasons-u-s-must-hold-peru-to-trade-deal-and-protect-amazon-commentary/