Simple high grading, especially if performed using low-impact logging techniques, could have a far lower environmental impact, and could be financially more rational. Forest Stewardship Council Guidelines for Certifiers, Oaxaca, Mexico, July 1994. The Andean Pact created under the Cartagena Agreement unites Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela under the common goal of cooperation for balanced and harmonious economic development of the member countries. The Pact includes significant agreement on social issues and programs for infrastructure development which have major implications for the forestry sector. It will come into force in January 1995.
Discussion is already underway to incorporate Chile.
Recently there have been moves to incorporate social and environmental components. The Amazon Cooperation Treaty was signed in 1978 by Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela to promote harmonious development in the Amazon Basin. Program objectives include empowering the people to once again become the driving force for development and reestablishing the ecological balance in the region. The Mekong Committee was established in 1957 by Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam, which all share the lower Mekong River Basin. The countries agreed to a shared conceptual framework for planning the development of the river system.