Please see the report below from Togu Simorangkir, Chairman of Yayorin, the Orangtan Foundation's partner organisation. Orangutan Foundation and Yayorin joined the Indonesian Forestry Parallel Event on United Nations Framework Climate Change Conference COP 13 Bali, Indonesia, December 2007.
Indonesia is currently hosting one of the most important world events: the United Nations Framework Climate Change Conference COP 13 (UNFCCC) where thousands of delegates from 190 countries gather together in Bali, Indonesia, to discuss matters related to climate change.
While the big conference is held in the highly-guarded Westin Hotel, there have been many other smaller parallel events in other parts of the Nusa Dua complex in Bali. One of such events was the at the Ayodya Hotel, between 4th and 7th December 2007. Here Orangutan Foundation and Yayorin opened a booth where we introduced the Belantikan Conservation Programme (BCP) to the visitors of the exhibition.
The exhibition went well, and many people came to our booth to ask questions about the orangutans, BCP, Orangutan Foundation and Yayorin. It was quite interesting to know that a few visitors did not even know the important role orangutans have on the tropical rainforest ecosystems and how they actually play a part in reducing Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions. It was a pleasure for all of us to explain such an important concept to interested individuals.
Togu talking to the Indonesian Minister of Forestry, M.S.Kaban
The exhibition was also a great opportunity for us to meet with other NGOs and government institutions, especially the Forestry Department. In addition, we were also able to meet with some representatives of large pulp and paper companies, palm oil plantation companies and others. It was a really good time for all parties to get together and discuss things that can benefit everyone and, at the same time, the environment.
Sally Tirtadihardja representing Yayorin and the Orangutan Foundation at the exhibition.
The highlight of our participation in UNFCCC happened on the 10th December 2007, where the President of the Republic of Indonesia formally launched the “Indonesian Orangutan Conservation Strategy and Action Plan 2007-2017” book. The book consists of specific, measurable and time bound action plan in regard of orangutan conservation in Indonesia. It was a very important event for all orangutan conservation stakeholders in Indonesia because it shows strong commitment from all parties to work together and serious support from the government in orangutan conservation. I had been actively involved in the development of this Orangutan Conservation Strategy and Action Plan book. After many meetings and other coordination “headaches”, it was very rewarding to finally stop talking and start taking actions. It is one of the biggest wishes of Yayorin that all plans written in the book are executed seriously and, when the time truly comes (2017), we all can look back and be satisfied with the results.
