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In February 2007, the three governments of Borneo - Brunei, Indonesia and Malaysia - demonstrated their commitment to securing a sustainable future for Borneo's highland rain forest by signing an historical declaration.

The Heart of Borneo Declaration commits the three countries to a common conservation vision to ensure the effective management of forest resources and the creation of a network of protected areas, sustainably-managed forests and land-use zones across the 22 million hectares which constitute the Heart of Borneo - an area which covers almost one third of the whole island.
DECLARATION ON THE HEART OF BORNEO INITIATIVE
Three Countries, One Conservation Vision
We, the Governments of Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia and Malaysia, recognizing the importance of the Island of Borneo as a life support system, hereby declare that:

  • With one conservation vision and with a view to promote people’s welfare, we will cooperate in ensuring the effective management of forest resources and conservation of a network of protected areas, productive forests and other sustainable land-uses  within an area which the three respective countries will  designate as the “Heart of Borneo (HoB)”, thereby maintaining Bornean natural heritage for the benefit of present and future generations, with full respect to each country’s sovereignty and territorial boundaries, and also without prejudice to the ongoing negotiations on land boundary demarcation.
  • The HoB Initiative is a voluntary trans-boundary cooperation of the three countries combining the stakeholders’ interests, based on local wisdom, acknowledgement of and respect for laws, regulations and policies in the respective countries and taking into consideration relevant multilateral environmental agreements, as well as existing regional and bilateral agreements / arrangements.
  • We are willing to cooperate based on  sustainable development principles  through research and development, sustainable use, protection, education and training, fundraising, as well as other activities that are relevant to trans-boundary management, conservation and development within the areas of the HoB.

To support this Declaration, we, the three countries will prepare our respective project documents incorporating the strategic and operational plans, which will form the basis for the development of our road map towards realizing the vision of the HoB Initiative.   

Done at Bali, Indonesia on the twelfth day of February, two thousand and seven in three original copies.

The Heart of Borneo Declaration rel= © WWF