Despite fiery opposition from Canada, U.N. negotiators on Saturday created a new international body, the U.N. Forum on Forests, to implement existing international agreements and conventions on forest protection. Canada argues that existing conventions are not working and wants the U.N. to begin negotiations on a new, comprehensive treaty on forest protection. Enviros oppose launching talks on a new treaty, arguing that it would divert attention and money from implementing existing conventions on forest protection, which came out of the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio and subsequent U.N. meetings. Enviros say that Canada, under pressure from its powerful logging industry, wants to delay forest preservation efforts and make its questionable logging practices into international law.
