For centuries, the Iban tribals of Malaysia have cultivated crops by clearing trees, but without endangering the rainforests. At the centre of their practices are traditional rights that each generation inherits.

Governments and loggers unhesitatingly blame tribals for the destruction of rainforests, but studies show otherwise.

Despite considerable resistance from developing countries, the powerful pro forest convention lobby will get its own way in setting up a world forest commission.

Small island countries will test, at a 1994 world conference, the sincerity of Western nations' promise about aiding development, which they made at Rio.

In late April, the Indo-British Environment Initiative (IBEI) was launched simultaneously in London and New Delhi to help unblock follow-up international green negotiations after the Rio summit.

At a recently held conference on tropical timber, producer nations demanded temperate forests be included in any agreement on international timber trade.