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Europe & North Asia Forest Law Enforcement and Governance (ENA FLEG)

22-25 November 2005 | St. Petersburg, Russia
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24 November 2005
25 November & Summary
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Highlights from Friday, 25 November

On Friday, negotiators concluded their work on the Ministerial Declaration and the Indicative List of Actions, which were accepted by acclamation in Plenary. Closing statements were then made and the meeting was gaveled to a close at 12:02 pm.

   
   

Closing session: Dinah Bear, General Counsel, Executive Office of the President, US, Jonas Bjelfvenstam, State Secretary, Ministry of Industry, Employment and Comminications, Sweden, Shigeo Katsu, Vice President, Europe and Central Asia Region, World Bank, Valentin Stepankov, Deputy Minister of Natural Resources, Russian Federation, Osman Kahveci, Director General of Forestry, Turkey, and Lyubov Sovershayeva, First Deputy Plenipotentiary Representative of the President of the Russian Federation in the Northwestern Federal Region

   
Presentation of ENA-FLEG Ministerial Declaration and Indicative List of Actions
   
   
ENA-FLEG Co-Facilitators Jag Maini and Jürgen Blaser, Shigeo Katsu, Vice President, Europe and Central Asia Region, World Bank, and Valentin Stepankov, Deputy Minister of Natural Resources, Russian Federation
   
 
Jag Maini presented the Ministerial Declaration, noting that it consists of two parts – preambular and operative – and an Annex, containing an Indicative List of Action. Jürgen Blaser then summarized the ILA, noting that this four-page document sets a general framework for action by governments and civil society to help implement the MD. Delegates accepted the Ministerial Declaration and the Indicative List by acclamation.
   
 

Statements on Follow-Up

   
   

Ke Du, Global Environment Institute, China (left), said that civil society, represented at this conference by NGOs and indigenous peoples, stands ready to implement the Ministerial Declaration and the Indicative List of Actions. She outlined key areas where civil society is keen to see action.

Ragnar Friberg, Senior Vice President, Stora Enso (right), highlighted the importance of exchange and feedback between governments and civil society, including the private sector, which has much to contribute to combating illegal logging, and intends to actively engage in the follow-up to the Conference.

   
   

Jonas Bjelfvenstam, State Secretary Ministry of Industry, Employment and Comminications, Sweden, described EU activities in combating illegal logging, and highlighted cooperation with civil society.

Ikuo Kuroki, Deputy Director General, Japan Forestry Agency, noted that SFM is a priority for Japan and that illegal logging is something that Japan intends to address. He then announced the recent adoption of a government procurement policy aimed at increasing imports of legally harvested wood products from sustainably managed sources.

Zhongtian Zhang, Deputy Division Chielf, Department of International Cooperation, State Forestry Administration, China, said illegal logging and associated trade is a threat to the global management of forests. He emphasized the link between forestry and reduction of poverty, and termed the MD as a platform for cooperation.

   
   
Pekka Patosaari, Director, UNFF Secretariat, and Dinah Bear, General Counsel, Executive Office of the US President
   

Osman Kahveci, Director General of Forestry, Turkey, stressed the importance of follow-up. He invited participants to attend a workshop on ENA-FLEG implementation, which his government plans to hold in spring of 2006 in Antalya.

Pekka Patosaari, Director, UNFF Secretariat, focused on implementation as a prerequisite for change, and said privatization is expected to boost use of forest products for social development. He also described the role of UNFF in the sustainable management of forests.

Dinah Bear, General Counsel, Executive Office of the President, US, affirmed her government's support to the ENA-FLEG process and its implementation, which she said should lead to concrete and measurable results. She said US domestic law will be strengthened to prevent illegal timber reaching the country.

 
   

Valentin Stepankov, Deputy Minister of Natural Resources, Russian Federation

Shigeo Katsu, Vice President, Europe and Central Asia Region, World Bank, said the conference was a success, noting that the high political momentum generated in St. Petersburg needs to be sustained and that the MD and ILA require implementation. He said that the World Bank would be respond to requests for national action plans financing, and for implementing all aspects of the MD and ILA at the country level. He also noted the importance of collaboration with other international stakeholders such as the Asian Development Bank.

   

Valentin Stepankov, Russian Federation, and Shigeo Katsu, World Bank ,shake hands after the conclusion of the meeting.

Lyubov Sovershayeva, First Deputy Plenipotentiary Representative of the President of the Russian Federation in the Northwestern Federal District (center), said that illegal logging is a serious issue for Russia and that it damages Russia's reputation as a forest producer. She noted that the law is supreme and that the MD draws together the laws of nature and society.

Viktor Chervony, Chairman, State Forestry Committee, Ukraine (right), said that the FLEG process will help advance national law development, and that the MD is a good basis for cooperation.

   
   
 

Intergovernmental Negotations Session
   
   

ENA-FLEG Co-Facilitators Jag Maini, Canada, Viktor Teplyakov, Russia, and Elena Kulikova, Russia

Delegates completed their negotiations Friday morning

   
   
Gerhard Dieterle, World Bank, with ENA-FLEG Co-Facilitators Jag Maini, Canada, and Jürgen Blaser, Switzerland
   
Viktor Teplyakov, Russia, reviews the final version of the Ministerial Declaration (left) and ENB writers Xenya Cherny, Andrew Baldwin and Andrey Vavilov

Miscellaneous Photos
   
   
Heads of delegations pose for a photo  
   

Relevant Links

Background Information:
World Bank Forests and Forestry Website
World Bank - Forests Strategy and Operational Policy
Wold Bank’s webpage on ENA FLEG Ministerial Preparations
World Bank’s webpage on Background to the ENA FLEG process
World Bank’s webpage on the ENA FLEG Preparatory Conference - June 6 - 8, 2005
The Forests Dialogue on ENA FLEG
World Bank - ENA FLEG Overview
Gleneagles Illegal Logging Factsheet and Gleneagles Plan of Action on climate change, clean energy and sustainable development
EU Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade Initiative (EU FLEGT)
Royal Institute for International Affairs webpage on illegal logging
International Tropical Timber Organization’s webpage on forest law enforcement
FAO's website on illegal activities in forestry

IISD Reporting Services Coverage of Other FLEG processes:
IISD Reporting Services coverage of the East Asia Ministerial FLEG Conference - September 2001
IISD Reporting Services coverage of the Africa FLEG Ministerial Planning Meeting - June 2002
IISD Reporting Services coverage of the Africa FLEG Ministerial Conference - October 2003
ENB Coverage of the Fifth Session of the United Nations Forum on Forests
ENB coverage of the 3rd session of the negotiation of a successor Agreement
ENB coverage of the 17the Session of COFO
IISD Reporting Services coverage of the Europe and North Asia Forest Law Enforcement and Governance - 6-8 June, 2005

 


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