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REPORT OF THE FIRST SESSION OF THE CSD INTERGOVERNMENTAL PANEL ON FORESTS:: 11-15 SEPTEMBER 1995

The Economic and Social Council, in its decision 1995/226, endorsed the recommendation of the third session of the Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD) to establish an open-ended ad hoc Intergovernmental Panel on Forests (IPF) to pursue consensus and coordinated proposals for action to support the management, conservation and sustainable development of forests. In pursuing its mandate, the IPF is expected to focus on 11 issues clustered into five interrelated categories and submit final conclusions and policy recommendations to the Commission at its fifth session in 1997.

The IPF will consider the outputs of a large number of ongoing processes and initiatives and draw upon the expertise and resources of relevant organizations within and outside the United Nations system, as well as from all relevant parties, including major groups. Meetings of experts sponsored by one or more countries, international organizations and major groups will contribute to the work of the IPF. The IPF will hold a total of four meetings and, at its first session, decided that all topics should be left open for discussion during its second and third sessions, but different topics will be emphasized at each session.

At its first session, which was held in New York from 11-15 September 1995, the IPF elected its officers, adopted its programme of work, and attempted to set the dates and venues of future meetings. The debate intensified on Friday afternoon as delegates painstakingly renegotiated the text of the report of the meeting. When the meeting finally adjourned at 1:15 am on Saturday morning, many tired delegates admitted that they did not know exactly what they had agreed to.