INTERGOVERNMENTAL WORKING GROUP ON FORESTS (IWGF) REPORT
SECOND MEETING OTTAWA/HULL, CANADA, OCTOBER 10-14, 1994
Summary
The Second Meeting of the Intergovernmental Working Group on Forests (IWGF) was convened in Hull, Canada from 10-14 October 1994. This followed the First Meeting of the IWGF in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from 18 - 21 April 1994, and the presentation of the report of the Meeting under cover of document E/CN.17/1994/18 dated 12 May 1994 before the Second Session of the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development (UNCSD) held on 16-27 May 1994.
2. Participation in the Second Meeting of the IWGF was expanded to cover technical and policy experts from 32 countries, 5 intergovernmental organizations and 11 non-governmental organizations, as listed in Annex 1.
3. The stated objective of the IWGF is to facilitate dialogue and consolidation of approaches to the management, conservation and sustainable development of all types of forests leading to the review of forest issues by the UNCSD at its Third Session in April 1995. The IWGF is not a negotiating forum. It brings forward a range of options, opportunities and approaches, in respect of some of the salient issues on forests for the consideration of the UNCSD at its 1995 Session, including the UNCSD Intersessional Working Group on Sectoral Issues and the FAO Ministerial Meeting on Forests in March, 1995.
4. From the multiplicity of issues relating to forests, the IWGF considered at its First Meeting in Kuala Lumpur five key issues, namely:
(a) Forest Conservation, Enhancing Forest Cover and the Role of Forests in Meeting Basic Human Needs;
(b) Criteria and Indicators for Sustainable Forest Management;
(c) Trade and Environment;
(d) Approaches to Mobilizing Financial Resources and Technology Transfer; and
(e) Institutional Linkages.
Subsequently, two additional issues were identified for consideration namely:
(f) Participation and Transparency in Forest Management; and
(g) Comprehensive Cross-sectoral Integration Including Land Use Planning and Management and the Influence of Policies External to the Traditional Forest Sector.
These issues feature prominently in the UNCED Forest Principles and Chapter 11 of Agenda 21. Background papers on each of the issues were developed to facilitate discussion. These papers have been widely circulated and are available on request.
5. Further deliberation of these issues was undertaken during the course of the Second Meeting of the IWGF, resulting in the generation of a series of synthesis papers, one for each issue considered. Each synthesis contains a section which crystallizes the key points raised during the Meeting and includes a set of suggested options, approaches and opportunities specific to each topic. These syntheses together with this summary make up the Report of the Second IWGF Meeting.
6. This Report is a product of a collective effort made at the Meeting, which takes into account the wide range of sometimes differing views expressed on many of the complex forest issues discussed and does not necessarily reflect a consensus among participants.
7. The co-sponsors of the IWGF were requested to present this report in the hope that it will be a valuable contribution to the ongoing international dialogue on forests.
8. The participants to IWGF expressed their gratitude to the governments of Canada and Malaysia for having competently organized this constructive and positive meeting. The participants are grateful to the government and people of Canada for their warm hospitality.