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Forests Policy & Practice

Workshop on the International
Arrangement on Forests beyond 2015
“A Country-Led Initiative in Support
of the UN Forum on Forests”

29-31 October 2014 | Beijing, China

Daily Web Coverage (Click on the Following Links to See Our Daily Webpages)

Summary Highlights of the Meeting

Wednesday, 29 October 2014

The Workshop on the International Arrangement on Forests (IAF) beyond 2015, a Country-Led Initiative in support of the UN Forum on Forests, opened today in Beijing, China. In the morning, participants heard opening speeches, including from Zhao Shucong, Minister of the State Forestry Administration, People’s Republic of China, who stated that improving forest governance systems was the main challenge for the post-2015 IAF.

In the morning and afternoon, participants met in a plenary session, co-chaired by Wu Zhimin (China) and Peter Besseau (Canada). Participants heard presentations on the Co-Chairs Summary of the first meeting of the Ad Hoc Expert Group (AHEG) on the IAF, an Independent Assessment of the IAF, with a focus on future options, and on possible elements of a strategic plan for the IAF.

Participants asked questions and requested clarifications about the presentations, and shared general comments about the way forward for the IAF. Discussions centered around, inter alia: integration of the IAF with the post-2015 sustainable development agenda including through enhancement of the political profile of forests; the example of UN-Water as a potential model for an interagency coordination mechanism within the future of the IAF, and the costs and benefits of either expanding or streamlining the current IAF.

*Visit the web coverage for Wednesday, 29 October 2014.
*The summary of the workshop is available in HTML and PDF format

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Workshop on the International Arrangement on Forests beyond 2015 opens in Beijing
Co-Chair Peter Besseau giving a presentation
Sibylle Vermont, Switzerland
M. Mamadou Mbodj, Sénégal
Meredith Stokdijk, New Zealand
Elise Haber, South Africa
Vicente A. Bezerra, Brazil
Arvids Ozols, Latvia

Thursday, 30 October 2014

On the second day of the Workshop on the International Arrangement on Forests (IAF) beyond 2015, being held in Beijing, China, participants met in plenary sessions and breakout groups to discuss elements of a future IAF.

In the morning plenary, participants heard presentations on regional processes and partnerships, including on the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization (ACTO), the Congo Basin Forest Partnership (CBFP), and the negotiations of a European legally-binding agreement (LBA) on forests.

Participants then met in two breakout groups to discuss: strengthening regional and sub-regional involvement in the IAF; strengthening the role and functioning of the Collaborative Partnership on Forests (CPF); strengthening involvement of Major Groups in the IAF; low-cost, high-value, achievable actions relevant to a two- to three-year horizon; and up-scaling the Facilitative Process. Participants highlighted: the importance of regional processes within a global forest architecture; the CPF’s role in SFM implementation; the difficulties of increasing involvement of Major Groups given the current UN system rules; increasing the profile of UNFF through specific communication actions; and the continued difficulties of accessing funding through the Facilitative Process.

*Visit the web coverage for Thursday, 30 October 2014.
*The summary of the workshop is available in HTML and PDF format

Ingwald Gschwandtl, Austria, presented to plenary
Peter Mayer, Austria
Aysha Ghadiali, the United States
Charles Barber, World Resources Institute
Jürgen Blaser, Switzerland, and
Godwin Kowero
, African Forest Forum (AFF)
Hans Friederich, International Network for Bamboo and Rattan, and
Charles Barber
, World Resources Institute
Arvids Ozols, Latvia, checking out the iisd.ca website


On the last day of the Workshop on the International Arrangement on Forests (IAF) beyond 2015, a Country-Led Initiative in support of the UN Forum on Forests, participants discussed at length a discussion paper on possible elements of a strategic plan for a future IAF. The discussion focused on, inter alia: the possibility of drafting a strategic plan before decisions are taken at UNFF11; the duration of the strategic plan; and the importance of linking the global objectives on forests and the strategic plan to the sustainable development goals (SDGs). Several participants agreed to form an informal drafting group to examine all potentially relevant SDGs and associated targets with a view to identifying links to forest issues, prior to the second meeting of the Ad Hoc Expert Group (AHEG2) on the IAF in January 2015.

In the afternoon, the co-chairs presented a draft summary report of the meeting. Participants made several suggestions and comments on the report. Co-Chair Peter Besseau (Canada) noted that a revised draft would be posted online for comment, prior to forwarding the finalized Co-Chairs’ Summary Report to AHEG2 for its consideration.

Noel Nelson Messone, Minister for Forests, Environment and Protection of Natural Resources of the Gabonese Republic, delivered the closing address, and Co-Chair Besseau closed the Workshop at 5:07pm.

The summary of the workshop will be available on this site on Monday, 3 November 2014.

*Visit the web coverage for Friday, 31 October 2014.
*The summary of the workshop is available in HTML and PDF format

Zheng Zhong, China
Godwin Kowero, African Forest Forum (AFF)
Teguh Rahardja, Indonesia
Srećko Juričić, Croatia, and Heikki Granholm, Finland
Raymond Landveld, Suriname
Aden Michael Forteau, Grenada
S. S. Garbyal, India
Workshop on the International Arrangement on Forests beyond 2015 closes in Beijing
L-R: IISD RS Team Sean Wu, Reem Hajjar, Jennifer Covert and Richard de Ferranti

Funding for coverage of this workshop has been provided by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry of Finland
Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry of Finland<

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