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5th Ministerial Conference on the Protection of Forests in Europe (MCPFE)
5-7 November 2007 | Warsaw, Poland
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November 2007
English
Polski
IISD's Summary
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Summary Report
Daily web coverage:
Monday, 5 Nov 2007 - Tuesday, 6 Nov 2007 - Wednesday, 7 Nov 2007

On the second day of the Fifth Ministerial Conference on the Protection of Forests in Europe (MCPFE), delegates discussed implementing sustainable forest management, using wood as a source of bioenergy and the links between forests and water resource protection. Participants heard statements from MCFPE signatory countries and observer countries and organizations. Signatory States then adopted two Warsaw Resolutions on "Forests, wood and bioenergy" and "Forests and Water," the Warsaw Declaration, and two Ministerial Statements on the establishment a Pan-European Forest Week in October 2008, and on forest fires. A signing ceremony was then held, during which Ministers and Heads of Delegation of the Signatory States signed the newly-adopted documents.

Jan Szyszko, Poland's Minister of Environment and co-Chair of MCPFE 5, invited Germany and the Slovak Republic to replace Austria in the General Coordinating Committee (GCC), which has the task of facilitating and coordinating the work of the MCPFE, and passed the MCPFE presidency to Norway. Co-Chair Szyszko gaveled the meeting to a close at 5:10 pm.

Statements from Signatory Countries
Richard Lammel, Federal Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Production of Germany, said that water resource management is an important challenge of the future, which requires cross-border cooperation.
Konstantinos Kiltidis, Minister of Rural Development and Food of Greece, expressed gratitude for quick European support to combat recent forest fires in Greece and rebuild the natural environment.

Throstur Eysteinsson, Director of National Forests, Iceland Forest Service, emphasized Europe’s responsibilities arising from increased imports of wood, a trend that could lead to the reduction of forest cover elsewhere.

Mary Wallace, Minister of State, Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food of Ireland, welcomed the two MCPFE reports, and said her country will sign the conference documents.

Stefano Boco, Minister of State, Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Forestry of Italy, welcomed the increased awareness of the role of forests, after the recent devastating fires and floods in Europe.

Arvids Ozols, Deputy State Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture of Latvia, highlighted the importance of cross-sectoral solutions in addressing the challenge of balancing wood production and provision of forest services.

Felix Naescher, Director General of the Ministry of Environment Affairs, Agriculture and Forestry, Liechtenstein, called for a cross-ministerial dialogue in addition to a cross-sectoral approach.

Fernand Boden, Minister of Agriculture, Viticulture and Rural Development, Luxembourg, said his country was working on projects to replace fossil fuels with wood biomass.

Milosav Andjelic, Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management, Republic of Montenegro, said forest-based enterprises were key to the development of his nation’s economy.
Terje Riis-Johansen, Minster of Agriculture and Food of Norway, noting Norway’s ambitions to become carbon-neutral by 2050, outlined proposed national measures to significantly increase the use of wood from SFM areas for bioenergy.
Jan Szyszko, Minister of Environment of Poland, emphasized transforming SFM into a self-financing process and creating markets for forest services.

Rui Gonçalves, Secretary of State, Ministry of Environment of Portugal, noted national efforts to replace fossil fuels by renewable energy sources.

Ciprian Pahontu, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of Romania, reaffirmed support for the outcome of the conference.
Valery Roshchupkin, Head of the Federal Forest Agency of the Russian Federation, commended the conference documents.

Grubii Ghenadie, Head of the Forestry Service and Forest Regeneration of Moldova, presented on his country’s experience in SFM.
Miroslav Jurena, Minister of Agriculture of the Slovak Republic, emphasized his country’s intention to implement the MCPFE 5 decisions, and offered to host MCPFE 8.
Jose Luis Herranz Saez, Director-General for Biodiversity, Ministry of Environment of Spain, noted that both Warsaw Resolutions were important to his country, in the face of recent forest fires and increasing droughts.
Osmon Kahveci, General Director of the General Directorate of Forestry, Turkey, noted national achievements, including giving priority to social functions of forests.
Andreas Götz, Vice-Director, Federal Office for the Environment, Switzerland, noted Switzerland’s inter-sectoral cooperation with water suppliers to protect ground water.
Session on statements by the MCPFE observer countries and organisations
Delegates heard statements from the MCPFE observer countries and organisations.
Sevugyan Regupathy, Minister of Environment and Forests, India, noted that in India, social and environmental benefits of forests are prioritized over commercial ones.
Jaye Shuttleworth, Director, Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade of Canada, elaborated on her country’s forest policies and challenges.

Yuichi Sato, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan, on behalf of the Montreal Process, described current work on finalizing the revision of criteria and indicators.
Abdeladim Lhafi, High Commissioner for Water and Forests, Prime Ministry, Morocco, presented his country’s special conditions and their effect on national forests.

Viktor Sivets, Head of Forest Management, State Forestry Committee, Ukraine, said the state forest programme of Ukraine is being successfully implemented.
Leslie Weldon, US Forest Service, described the Forest Service’s mission, US initiatives and partnering with other countries to better manage forests.
Eladio Fernandez-Galiano, Head of the Council of Europe, offered increased cooperation to the MCPFE process in areas of the Council’s concern.
Julia Marton-Lefevre, IUCN-The World Conservation Union, described the IUCN's contribution to furthering the aims of SFM.
Pekka Patosaari, Director of the UNFF Secretariat, said the implementation of the Non-legally Binding Instrument for the Sustainable Management of All Types of Forests will need adequate financing.

Andrey Kushlin, Senior Forestry Specialist, World Bank, said the Bank had made strategic investments in forest-related innovation, capacity building and training.
Signing of Documents and Closing Ceremony
Delegates had a break before the signing and closing ceremony
Ministers during the signing ceremony
Ministers and Heads of Delegation of the Signatory States signed the Warsaw Declaration and Resolutions.
Ministers and Heads of Delegation of the Signatory States after the adoption of the two Ministerial Statements.
Around the Conference
Daily web coverage:
Monday, 5 Nov 2007 - Tuesday, 6 Nov 2007 - Wednesday, 7 Nov 2007
Related Links

Links to IISD Resources

International Forum on Soils, Society and Global Change, 31 August - 4 September 2007, Selfoss, Iceland
 Seventh Session of the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF7), 16-27 April 2007, United Nations (UN) Headquarters, New York, United States of America
 United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF) ad hoc expert group on the consideration of the content of the non-legally binding instrument (NLBI) on all types of forests, 11-15 December 2006, UN Headquarters, New York, United States of America
 Scoping for a Future Agreement on Forests, 16-18 November 2005, Berlin, Germany
4th Ministerial Conference on the Protection of Forests in Europe, 28-30 April 2003, Vienna, Austria
 Linkages Update
 Forests-L - Forests Policy Issues and Announcement Listserve
 MEA-L - Multilateral Environmental Agreements Listserve
African Regional Coverage

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