The Regional Convention for the management and conservation of natural forest ecosystems and the development of forest plantations, signed by the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Republics of Costa Rica, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama, on October 29, 1993, is hereby approved in each of its parts, the literal text of which is as follows:
"REGIONAL CONVENTION FOR THE MANAGEMENT AND CONSERVATION OF NATURAL FOREST ECOSYSTEMS AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF FOREST PLANTATIONS The Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Republics of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama
That the Tegucigalpa Protocol, which establishes the Central American Integration System (SICA), reaffirms among its purposes 'to establish concerted actions aimed at the preservation of the environment through respect and harmony with nature, ensuring the balanced development and rational exploitation of the natural resources of the area, with a view to establishing a New Ecological Order in the region'.
That the potential for forest development in Central America is based on 19 million existing hectares of forests and 13 million hectares of land with forest aptitude that currently do not have forests; That the wealth and diversity of the different life zones and species found in the tropical forests of the region, combined with its isthmian character as a bridge between the continental masses of North and South America, make this Central American region the most important repository of genetic wealth and biological diversity in the world; That in contrast to this wealth, another reality exists; currently, more than 20 million Central Americans live in poverty, and in particular, 14 million of these live in extreme poverty, as they cannot even meet their basic food needs. It is important to note that almost two-thirds of the poor live in rural areas; That in the region, it is increasingly evident that poverty worsens with the degradation of the forest and the local environment and that it increases even more with the external debt and the loss in terms of trade, all products of a process of unbalanced growth in previous decades; That in the rural sector, the concentration of land is even greater than what the indices show because, often, the best lands are occupied by those who possess the means and technology for their exploitation, relegating the poor to poor quality lands, fundamentally on hillsides. This is a habitual cause of deforestation and the high degrees of erosion and soil loss observed in the region, which leads to the further impoverishment of those who work those lands; That a frontal attack on poverty forms a fundamental part of the economic restructuring and modernization strategy; This strategy requires the massive incorporation of technical progress, productive efficiency, and greater social equity, to raise the quality of life of the poor majorities and to facilitate and support their full access to production and investment processes and to increase their productive performance; That forest resources, which cover more than forty-five percent (45%) of the regional territory, and soils with forest aptitude, which total more than sixty percent (60%) of the region, must play a preponderant role in this strategy; That despite this potential, it is estimated that around 416,000 hectares are deforested annually in Central America (48 hectares per hour), a rate that is increasing over time; That deforestation in the upper parts of watersheds has caused erosion, floods, droughts, loss of forest and agricultural productive potential, and loss of biodiversity, effects that together limit development opportunities and accentuate rural poverty, reducing the quality of life of Central Americans; That high levels of external indebtedness and the consequent debt service reduce the possibility of long-term investment, particularly that associated with the sustainable development of natural resources, and rather increase the pressure on them and on the soil resource, which runs the risk of being over-exploited in the production of input-intensive and short-term crops to generate the foreign currency required to service this debt; That the potential of Central America's forests to generate goods and services is not being valued in its proper dimension, nor is it being used in a rational and sustained manner. The genetic diversity, the scenic value, and their productive potential for timber and non-timber goods can be the basis upon which forest resources are not only conserved, but also contribute in a decisive and sustainable way to alleviating underdevelopment in Central America; That the forest resource must contribute to improving the quality of life of the Central American population, through the promotion and encouragement of national and regional actions aimed at reducing its loss, ensuring its rational use, and establishing mechanisms to reverse the destruction process.
THEY AGREE ON THE FOLLOWING CONVENTION:
FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES