The adoption by the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) of a "Non-legally binding authoritative statement of principles for a global consensus on the management, conservation and sustainable development of all types of forests", commonly referred to as the Forest Principles, and of Chapter 11 of Agenda 21, represented the first international consensus on forests issues. Never before had nations agreed to a common set of guidelines that recognized the full range of forest values and dealt with them in a comprehensive manner.
Since then, international forest-related organizations like the FAO and the ITTO have been engaged in work either related to or influenced by the Rio outcomes. Individual countries or groups of countries have initiated processes aimed at strengthening global or regional cooperation and at supporting national efforts on forests. In addition, the new UN Commission on Sustainable Development (UNCSD) has established its program of work and the UN Secretariat's new Department of Policy Coordination and Sustainable Development has begun efforts to advance the sustainable development agenda within the UN system.
The challenge facing the international forest community is to find creative ways of dealing holistically with complex forest issues. Improving linkages among the large number of international organizations that have a stake in the forest agenda is a critical first step. Past performance in this regard has not been encouraging. Rhetoric, more often than practice, has prevailed and national policies, strategies and programs have suffered as a result of insufficiently coordinated actions and, in some cases, rivalries among partners hired by governments.
The purpose of this paper is to further the discussion on how to establish closer linkages among institutions that deal with key forest issues. Possible approaches include determining priorities that require immediate attention; examining how organizations currently interact; and proposing ways to bring about changes, if these are deemed necessary.
While the move toward more sustainable forest management clearly starts with local and national measures, international organizations can play a vital role in assisting with the development and implementation of policies and programs in support of individual country goals. Organizations at all levels, working in partnership, can contribute significantly to this end.
There is no single way to forge ideal partnerships. Each will depend on the nature of the issue to be resolved and where the expertise is located. The questions of ownership and land use are also significant factors in determining which and in what way organizations should become involved. Thus, this paper calls on the international forest community to define its priorities and establish linkages accordingly, recognizing that the responsibility for effective coordination ultimately rests at the national level.
Forests provide basic human needs for food, fuel and shelter. Through trade, they can enhance a nation's economic well-being. They play an important role in mitigating the effects of climate change and they house rich pools of biodiversity. Their cultural importance and their relevance to soil conservation and watershed management are also well documented.
Forests are increasingly being recognized and appreciated for their many values. Thus, it is not surprising that the issues that need to be addressed are extensive and complex. The questions posed in Annex 1, while in no way exhaustive, outline the scope of the debate.
Since UNCED, the international community has increasingly recognized the need to balance, if not reconcile, the political, scientific and socio-economic dimensions of the global forest debate. Not surprisingly then, this more holistic approach suggests a commensurate shift may be in order in the way organizations interact with and amongst each other.
Policies and programs that affect forests are sometimes formulated and implemented in response to problems that are not themselves linked directly to forests. Compounding this are the large number of organizations involved in the conservation, management and sustainable development of forests worldwide.
Harmonizing development needs with environmental considerations presents unique challenges. For example, while the importance of forests to biodiversity and climate change is undisputed, interest groups and decision-makers do not always recognize the significant contributions they also make in sustaining basic human existence.
The issues are multi-thematic and cross-sectoral, encompassing questions of interdependence, sustainability and security. They are connected with policies on agriculture, energy and environment, economic and rural development. They are also central to matters related to industry, science and technology, education and trade.
Sustainable development issues transcend national borders. Consequently, long lasting viable solutions can only be found through increased cooperation among countries and organizations that recognize the connections between and among them. One of the most formidable challenges ahead, therefore, is to develop complementary international and regional policies to support national ones and that these be environmentally and scientifically sound, economically practical, politically acceptable and institutionally operational.
While the debate on forests in recent years has revealed deeply rooted differences among key nations and organizations, there appears to be a greater willingness than in the past to identify and explore areas of common interest. Through the UNCSD, the international community has an opportunity to build on the momentum gathered during the UNCED process and work toward achieving consensus on key issues that will allow us to move somewhat optimistically into the next century.
Significant efforts have already been made to strengthen national policies and there are valuable lessons to be learned from experiences gained. Of particular relevance is the need to recognize that each country has its own special circumstances. This fact becomes especially significant in the case of developing nations, where three quarters of the world's population is located.
The Tropical Forest Action Programme (TFAP) Forestry Adviser's Group published a study in June 1993 that draws similar conclusions. Entitled A Study on Coordination in Sustainable Forestry Development, the document urges the international community to dedicate new resources and make better use of existing ones, including financial, to support priorities such as capacity building at the country level. It also advocates country led coordination and harmonization of all sectoral development frameworks and strategies.
Recognizing that effective coordination is based on the principles of national sovereignty over national resources; country leadership and country driven development; and external assistance based on national priorities, plans and programs, the authors have drafted a number of insightful recommendations. More generally, they are suggesting that the future orientation for the development of forests be global in scope, country driven and based on linkages between forests and other sectors.
How the international community ensures coordination of forest-related activities will be a true test of its ability to overcome significant barriers and make a difference in the survival of present and future generations. The success of current and planned endeavours to move sustainable forest management ahead is directly dependent on the building of new linkages and the strengthening of existing partnerships amongst governments, non-government organizations and the private sector, in collaboration with international organizations having recognized forest responsibilities.
It is equally important to direct assistance to those outside the forest sector who sometimes are the ones with the real power to take decisions and make commitments on the allocation of resources required to translate policy objectives into concrete action.
Given the limited availability of human and financial assistance, the most realistic approach may be to examine the comparable advantage of individual international organizations, identify areas of duplication and make recommendations on how to enhance their effectiveness to meet the challenges now facing the global forest community. The recent study prepared for the Forestry Advisers' Group, noted earlier, provides an excellent starting point for considering ways to improve the current situation in this regard.
The international forest community needs to reach agreement on activities that should be undertaken on a priority basis so that it can focus its limited resources on dealing primarily with the most pressing issues, at least in the short term. This should then lead to defining a minimum international forest agenda that will bind technical and financial multilateral institutions and thus avoid sterile competition and duplication. Recognizing that some priorities will require the involvement of those outside the forest sector, key issues might include, among others, the following:
i) the development and implementation of criteria and indicators for sustainable management of all types of forests;
ii) the promotion of an international climate that would encourage international trade in forests products from sustainable sources, based on non-discriminatory procedures;
iii) innovative approaches for mobilizing new resources and environmentally sound technology and applying existing resources more effectively to promote sustainable forest management;
iv) expansion of forest cover, enhancement of forest productivity and consideration of aspects related to land use to meet the multiple needs of an expanding world population;
v) conservation of forest resources worldwide, enhancement of forest health and vitality and management of forests for multiple uses;
vi) broad participation and increased transparency in forest management; and
vii) full integration of cross-sectoral dimensions and assessment of the influence of policies external to the forest sector.
Indeed, the ability to formulate concrete proposals for the consideration of the UNCSD on how to improve institutional linkages is predicated on reaching general agreement on a manageable number of clear priorities. Hopefully, the second session of the IWGF will result in identifying these so that the appropriate institutions can respond accordingly.
For example, if at the national level, it is agreed that what is lacking is country capacity to develop a framework that integrates forest policies and legislation with those of other sectors, assistance may be sought from external sources. In this instance, the choice of which partners to approach would depend on the expertise they possess in formulating and implementing comprehensive strategies and action plans at the macro level. They would also have to accept, not to state embrace, the notion of country led coordination.
Besides the involvement of international organizations, greater use could be made of regional mechanisms to advance national interests when blocks of countries share similar conditions and concerns. This could significantly strengthen their negotiating position in the global arena. Fora such as the FAO's regional forestry commissions could perhaps be called upon to play more of a catalytic role in this area than they have in the past.
The successful integration of national forest sector planning with land use, agriculture, industry, trade, education, science and technology, among others, requires that international organizations change the way they have historically interacted. This necessarily entails that they re-examine their mandates, clarify their roles and make fuller use of each other's strengths.
Those that are concerned primarily with forest matters are well positioned to lead this effort by virtue of the cross-sectoral nature of many of the issues. How greater complementarity with related sectors has been achieved should be subject of a report, at some point, to the UNCSD. As task manager within the UN system for two major disciplines of interest, i.e., forests and agriculture, it may be appropriate for the FAO to take on this responsibility.
Establishing closer linkages among international, regional, national and local organizations is key to progressing toward sustainable forest management. The difficulties inherent in doing so are well recognized but so are the consequences of maintaining the status quo. The continuing depletion and degradation of natural resources at the global level leave us with few alternatives.
While a partnership approach is often time consuming and resource intensive, involving major stakeholders, including the private sector and NGOs, in sectoral integration, policy formulation, program implementation, conflict resolution and decision-making is a prerequisite to success. Better coordination of bilateral and multilateral assistance to the forest sector, including financial, depends on such a cooperative approach.
Annex I
The critical role of forests in influencing global ecological cycles, human habitat and the economic state of nations is widely recognized. However, the extent of their impact at local, regional and international levels is not yet well understood. These dimensions, especially as they pertain to changes in forest cover, need to be scientifically monitored, systematically assessed and the information made available to those who require it.
The following set of questions, while incomplete, is intended to provide an indication of the challenge now before the forest community.
Forest conservation and sustainable management: How to provide appropriate incentives to forest owners to conserve forests as carbon reservoirs, for biodiversity and for other common property and public service values and to increase the contribution of forests to meet basic human requirements for economic development, employment, energy, food, fiber, shelter and water without degrading the forest environment.
Agroforestry: How to enhance the role of agroforestry farming systems in agricultural stability and rural incomes to meet needs for fodder, fuel, poles, timber and other forest products.
Forest cover: How to increase forest cover, rehabilitate degraded forest land and combat desertification for social, environmental and economic benefits as well as for energy production.
Enhancement of forest productivity: How to maximize benefits, including timber and non-timber values, from natural forests and such initiatives as afforestation, reforestation and tree farming.
National interests and global responsibilities: How to harmonize local and national forest sustainable development benefits with regional and global environmental responsibilities.
International cooperation: How to strengthen institutional arrangements to improve international cooperation, enhance the transfer of environmentally sound technology and mobilize expertise and financial resources for the conservation, management and sustainable development of forests.
Local empowerment: How to involve local populations and communities, including indigenous people and women in decision-making processes.
International trade: How to manage forests sustainably, respond to environmental signals of the marketplace and promote open markets.
Determining the state of forests: How forests are defined, their distribution, rates of change and the relative significance of natural, modified and planted forests.
Monitoring forest health: How to develop appropriate indicators that accurately assess the health and vitality of forest ecosystems.
Sustainable forest management: How to define criteria for forest conservation and sustainable management and translate them into guidelines for forest managers.
Understanding human activities: How human behaviour impacts on forests and how to project the incidence and consequences of increased activities.
Assessing human impacts: How forest and non-forest related activities resulting from human interventions affect biodiversity, productivity and ecological integrity.
Managing human activities: How to develop appropriate measures at local, national and international levels that will positively influence human behaviour as it relates to the conservation, management and sustainable development of forests.
Annex II
The following short descriptions represent only some of the key international institutions involved in sustainable forest management. It should be recognized that many more regional and national organizations, including inter-governmental and non-governmental ones, are actively working toward achieving this objective as well.
UNITED NATIONS SYSTEM:
UN Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD): The CSD has two roles. One is to monitor and review the implementation of Agenda 21 and other UNCED decisions. The second is to make recommendations on what steps should be taken to further implementation. In exercising this first mandate, the CSD examines both reports on international implementation and national implementation. It is also tasked with moving the sustainable development agenda forward, recognizing that Agenda 21 should be an evolving dynamic program and that the CSD should be a focal point for sharing experiences, proposals, and ideas. The latter is an advocacy function that will likely be exercised largely by the CSD's high level meeting of Ministers. A document produced by the Secretary General on new and emerging issues served as the springboard for ministerial discussions at the 1994 session.
In order to give substance to its deliberations, the UNCSD receives input from various groups of experts and by intergovernmental meetings held intersessionally. These meetings, especially the intergovernmental ones, are a useful avenue for preparing policy options for upcoming sessions. The UNCSD had two working group meetings during the 1994-1995 intersessional period: one on finance and one on technology and the sectoral issues coming up for review at the 1995 session (land, desertification, forests and biodiversity). Further, the High Level Segment of the 1994 session agreed that the Chairman, in consultation with the Bureau, would undertake a coordinating role for the preparatory work being done on forests in the lead-up to the 1995 review on forests.
In 1995, countries will be expected to report progress on the implementation of commitments related to five cross-sectoral clusters, i.e., critical elements of sustainability; financial resources and mechanisms; education, science, transfer of technologies, cooperation and capacity building; decision-making structures; and roles of major groups, as well as the sectoral issues noted above.
The UNCSD Secretariat: The UNCSD Secretariat is located in New York as part of the larger Department of Policy Coordination and Sustainable Development (DPCSD), headed by Nitan Desai, Under Secretary-General (USG). The Secretary General delegated to Mr. Desai the responsibility of preparing the emerging issues paper used as a springboard for ministerial discussions at the 1994 session of the UNCSD.
The Inter-Agency Committee on Sustainable Development (IACSD): The IACSD was established by the Secretary General to coordinate the implementation of Agenda 21 by agencies and bodies of the UN system, i.e. the "task manager" role. As Chair of the IACSD, the Under-Secretary General of the DPCSD has designated a task manager for each of the key Agenda 21 programs. This translates into a coordinating role on behalf of the UN Secretariat: each task manager is to monitor the implementation of the program area both within their own organization and in others within the UN system. The task manager reports to the IACSD, chaired by the USG of the DPCSD. The report of the IACSD is the primary input used by the UNCSD to monitor implementation of Agenda 21 by the UN system.
The High Level Advisory Board (HLAB): The HLAB, comprised of approximately twenty eminent persons, was established to give high level advice to the Secretary General on sustainable development issues. Ways are now being explored to strengthen the links between the HLAB and the CSD.
UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO): The FAO is the UN agency with the primary mandate for forestry within the UN system. In the post UNCED follow up process, FAO, as "task manager", is responsible for key areas of Agenda 21. These include land use planning, forests, mountains and agriculture and rural development - Chapters 10, 11, 13 and 14 respectively.
At the twenty-seventh session of the FAO in November 1993, member states requested that the FAO assume the following responsibilities:
continue to lend full cooperation to the CSD in ensuring full support for the implementation of the relevant provisions of the UNCED decisions and the comprehensive reporting and adequate monitoring of UNCED follow-up;
pursue the promotion and coordination of the Tropical Forests Action Programme (TFAP) so as to report further progress to the CSD in 1995;
take a lead role in the preparatory process for the implementation of the "non-legally binding authoritative statement of principles for a global consensus on the management, conservation and sustainable development of all types of forests", cooperating closely with other partner organizations so that progress could be reported to the 1995 session of the CSD; and
prepare concrete proposals for strengthening the normative role of the FAO on forest sustainable management and its cooperative role in the UNCED follow-up.
Each biennium, the FAO convenes the Committee on Forestry (COFO) which, along with the World Forestry Congress every six years, are the only multilateral fora where governments, among others, regularly deliberate on a wide range of forest issues.
International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD): The aim of IFAD is to mobilize additional financial resources from donors on concessional terms for developing member states to introduce, expand or improve food production systems and to strengthen related policies and institutions within the framework of national priorities and strategies.
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP): UNEP was established in 1972 to bring global environmental problems to international attention. Its mandate includes conducting global environmental research, monitoring and reporting; providing assistance to developing countries through information sharing, technology transfer and preparation of national sustainable development plans; and bringing countries together to discuss and design national, regional and international environmental programs and policies. UNEP also hosts a number of environmental convention secretariats.
United Nations Development Program (UNDP): UNDP administers and coordinates the majority of technical assistance provided through the UN system. Its traditional involvement in the area of forests has been in the development of cyclical country programmes, inviting the participation of national central planning/financing agencies and a broad spectrum of UN and other organizations.
United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO): UNIDO is responsible for non-wood pulp industries, for dealing with issues in established mill operations and for secondary wood processing industries. Thus, UNIDO complements the FAO in the latter's role to integrate wood supply planning with primary industrial production.
United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization - Man and the Biosphere Programme (MAB): The combination of science, culture and education gives UNESCO a unique insight into understanding the interdisciplinary nature of emerging environmental issues. The establishment of a special committee to advance UNESCO's contributions toward implementing UNCED commitments lays the foundation for significant progress in the field of environment and sustainable development.
More specifically, UNESCO's Advisory Committee on Biosphere Reserves, reporting to the Director General, advises on technical matters concerning the designation, evaluation and management of biosphere reserves. It also provides advice in the development, operations and monitoring of the resulting international networks.
The World Bank: The World Bank provides leadership in areas related to structural adjustment and economic reforms in many developing countries to foster development in the broadest terms. It is currently reviewing its policies related to the forest sector.
The World Food Programme (WFP): The WFP was established in 1961 as the food aid organization of the UN system. It provides food aid to low income, food deficit countries to assist in the implementation of economic and social development projects and to meet the relief needs of victims of natural and other disasters.
OTHER INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS:
Regional Development Banks: Regional institutions such as the African, Asian, InterAmerican and Caribbean Development Banks support country capacity building and the strengthening of infrastructures. With regard to the forest sector, some regional banks have undertaken reviews and have produced estimates of future investment requirements. In other cases, banks have provided substantial technical assistance in preparing and analyzing investment projects.
International Center for Research in Agroforestry (ICRAF): Consistent with the mandate of the Consultative Group on International Agriculture Research (CGIAR), its parent organization, ICRAF's research focuses on improved forest productivity and uses of trees in land use systems, soil productivity and conservation. The center is headquartered in Kenya.
International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO): The ITTO is a commodity organization, founded as a result of the 1983 International Tropical Timber Agreement (ITTA). It is governed by a 51 member council composed of countries that produce and consume tropical timber. The ITTO has made important contributions at the policy and planning levels, providing guidelines and reference standards for the sustainable management of tropical forests.
International Union of Forestry Research Organization (IUFRO): IUFRO is a communications network for over 15,000 scientists, including those from 700 forest research institutes. At the 1990 general meeting in Montreal, Canada, new commitments were made by northern forest research agencies and donors to provide technical assistance to tropical forest research agencies.
Centre for International Forestry Research (CIFOR): The CIFOR, headquartered in Indonesia, has recently been established as part of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR). Its main objectives are the following:
to improve understanding of the physical, biological, economic and social aspects of forest systems in developing countries;
to increase sustainable production from forests through management, species selection/improvement, utilization, marketing and policy;
to provide information and advice to support policy decisions on forest land use; and
to increase national forest research capacities.
INTERNATIONAL NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS:
CARE: This organization helps the poor of Africa, Asia and Latin America become more self- sufficient. It offers assistance in such areas as clean water, community health, agroforestry and small enterprise development.
Consejo de la Tiera (Earth Council): The Earth Council's mission is to support and empower people in carrying forward the spirit of Rio and fulfilling the promise of the Earth Summit in building pathways to a more ethical, equitable, secure and sustainable future. In this regard, the Earth Council strives to work in coordination with other institutions and to assist in work carried out by others.
Ford Foundation: Founded in 1936, the Ford Foundation moved to national and international programming in 1950. It serves the public interest mainly by granting and lending funds for educational, developmental, research and experimental efforts designed to produce significant advances on problems of worldwide importance.
Forest Stewardship Council (FSC): The FSC is an international non-profit, non-governmental organization, established to evaluate, accredit and monitor certifiers of forest products. It will not certify forest products itself but has developed a set of principles for natural forest management that forms the basis for determining adherence by timber producers and certification bodies.
International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED): IIED is an NGO based in London. It conducts resource and environment policy studies for governments, donor agencies and international technical agencies. IIED played an important role in developing the groundwork for national forest policy studies as part of TFAP planning. It maintains close ties with ITTO and is represented on its technical research committee.
Friends of the Earth International (FOEI): FOEI was founded in 1971 and consists of national groups committed to the preservation, restoration and responsible use of the environment. It promotes research, education and advocacy in such areas as climate change; marine issues; ozone; rivers and dams; and tropical rainforests.
Four Directions Council (FDC): Established in 1981, the FDC is an informal group of American and Canadian Native tribal leaders that plays an advocacy and clearing house role to put native communities in touch international agencies. It works on a voluntary basis, regularly monitoring international meetings to determine the relevancy of particular issues to aboriginals. It then contacts those with the appropriate expertise to encourage them to become involved.
Green Peace International: Founded in 1971, this organization works to stop and reverse destruction of the atmosphere and biosphere. It promotes disarmament, arms control and an end to nuclear testing; supports the use of alternative and renewable energy resources; and campaigns on selected issues of environmental concern. Areas of interest include protection of marine animals and their habitats and prevention of land, air and water pollution, especially dumping of toxic waste.
Taiga Rescue Network (TRN): The TRN is an international network of environmental groups formed in 1992 to protect boreal forests. It is characterized by a consensus platform, an international coordination centre, an international reference group and an annual meeting. NGOs signing the platform is public and there is no membership in the TRN. Statements emanate only from the coordination centre and are associated only with organizations that endorse those particular statements. The centre was based in Sweden for 1993-94 and the second annual conference was held in Athabasca, Alberta in August 1994.
World Conservation Union (IUCN): The IUCN is an independent international organization comprised of national governments, government agencies and non-government organizations. Its mission is to encourage, support and assist societies throughout the world to conserve the integrity and diversity of nature and to ensure that any use of natural resources is equitable and ecologically sustainable.
World Rainforest Movement (WRM): Formerly known as the World Resources Network, this organization was founded in 1986. It aims to stop the destruction of rainforests worldwide and protect the survival of forest dwellers.
World Resources Institute (WRI): The WRI is a Washington based independent policy and research institute, founded in 1982. It contracts with governments, business, environment and development organizations to conduct technical and policy studies.
World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF): WWF is an independent conservation organization committed to saving critical wildlife species and their habitats. It works toward this end by preserving genetic, species and ecosystem diversity. It is also concerned with the sustainable use of renewable resources, promoting actions that reduce pollution, wasteful exploitation and over consumption of energy and resources.
Annex III
Forest Principles
The adoption of the non-legally binding authoritative statement of principles for a global consensus on the management, conservation and sustainable development of all types of forests (commonly referred to as the Forest Principles) at the UNCED conference was a breakthrough of historic importance. The Forest Principles, which reflect a delicate series of compromises between North and South, essentially comprise the first international consensus on issues related to the conservation, management and sustainable development of forests worldwide.
Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)
The CBD came into force at the end of 1993. It focusses on three main objectives, namely the conservation, the sustainable use and the equitable sharing of the benefits of biodiversity. Since forests house rich pools of biodiversity, the convention has important implications for their conservation, management and sustainable development. There is some NGO support for a forest protocol within the CBD but so far, the idea has not received wide support.
Framework Convention on Climate Change (FCCC)
The FCCC came into force in March 1994. It focusses on greenhouse gas emissions estimation methodologies and inventories; the adequacy of commitments; and the preparation of a second assessment report. Because of the significant role that forests play in mitigating the effects of climate change through the storing of carbon, the convention has important implications for their conservation, management and sustainable development as well.
Convention to Combat Desertification and Drought (CCDD)
One of the key outcomes of the Rio Earth Summit was agreement to negotiate an international convention to combat desertification and drought, especially in Africa. The negotiating committee has now finalized the text of the convention, including annexes for Africa; Asia; Latin America and the Caribbean; and North Mediterranean.
Central American Forest Convention
During the XVI Central America Presidents' Summit held in Guatemala City in October 1993, the Foreign Affairs Ministers from Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama signed a regional convention for the management and conservation of natural forest ecosystems and the development of forest plantations. Ratification is expected shortly.
Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES)
CITES establishes the international legal framework for the prevention of trade in endangered species and for an effective regulation of trade in others. It gives producer and consumer countries their share of the joint responsibility, creates the necessary means for the international cooperation that is essential for fulfilling this responsibility and provides for the monitoring of international trade. The animal and plant species are listed in three apendices: those threatened with extinction; those not now threatened but may become so; and those that are subject to regulation within the jurisdiction of a Party and for which the cooperation of other Parties is needed to prevent or restrict their exploitation.
General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT)
The Uruguay Round of GATT negotiations resulted in the removal of significant barriers, thereby increasing opportunities for enhanced trade in forest products. The Uruguay Round package also provided for the creation of a Trade and Environment Committee to examine environmental issues related to trade rules. This work has begun in the context of a sub-committee of the Preparatory Committee of the World Trade Organization (WTO). The WTO will also continue to be the main international forum for lowering trade and non-tariff barriers to trade in forest products.
International Tropical Timber Agreement (ITTA)
The final round of negotiations on a successor agreement to the 1983 ITTA were concluded in Geneva in January 1994, after fourteen months of deliberations. The new agreement remains focused exclusively on tropical timber and clearly states that it cannot be grounds for trade discrimination. It also recognizes the need for tropical timber to be managed on a sustainable basis by the year 2000 and a voluntary fund, known as the "Bali Partnership Fund", was established to assist producers achieve this goal. Consumer countries issued a separate commitment, pledging to sustainably manage their forests by the year 2000 as well.
The Global Environment Facility (GEF)
The GEF was established in November 1990 as a three-year Cdn $1.5 billion (US $1.2 billion) pilot facility to assist developing countries and economies in transition address global environmental problems in four areas: protection of the ozone layer (primarily for economies in transition), mitigation of climate change, the protection of biodiversity and the protection of international waters. The GEF is co-managed by the World Bank, UNDP and UNEP.
In March 1994 agreement was reached on a restructuring and replenishment of the GEF that will enable it to provide the necessary financial and operational basis for the implementation of the biodiversity and climate change conventions. While forest projects are not directly eligible for GEF financial assistance, funding may still be provided if forest initiatives relate to the GEF's four focal areas, most particularly biodiveristy conservation and mitigation of climate change.
The GEF has initiated several important projects in forest biodiversity conservation. Some aspects of watershed management, desertification and storage of atmospheric carbon in trees are also being funded.
Tropical Forests Action Programme (TFAP)
The Tropical Forests Action Programme (TFAP) is an international framework designed to assist concerned countries in the conservation and sustainable use of tropical forest resources for socio-economic development and environmental sustainability.
A revamping of TFAP was initiated in 1991 and changes were introduced in the approach, procedures and institutional arrangements. As a result, planning and implementation are more multi-disciplinary, participatory, country led and process oriented, involving stakeholders from governments, non- governmental organizations, donors and international agencies.
FAO coordinates the TFAP at the international level and, following the UNCED call for all nations to prepare action programmes and plans for sustainable forest development and conservation, the TFAP remains the primary vehicle for the implementation of forest commitments arising from Agenda 21 and the Forest Principles.
Annex IV
Indo/British Workshop
The governments of India and the United Kingdom, in close collaboration with the FAO, jointly sponsored an international workshop to develop reporting formats for the 1995 CSD review of forests. It was held in Delhi, India, July 25 to 27, 1994. Thirty-nine countries, several UN agencies and a number of international non-governmental organizations were represented. The meeting resulted in the adoption of a framework for national reporting to the third session of the CSD, 1995.
Canada/Malaysia Initiative: Intergovernmental Working Group on Forests
Global forest issues are complex and wide ranging, touching on social, economic, environmental and cultural dimensions. To facilitate the UNCSD review on forests in 1995, discussions within the context of the Canada/Malaysia initiative focus on the need to:
develop criteria and indicators for the sustainable management of all types of forests;
promote a climate that facilitates trade in forest products;
find innovative ways to address the issue of new and additional resources and propose creative approaches to economic cooperation and transfer of technology;
expand forest cover, improve forest conservation and enhance forest productivity;
maximize international cooperation through better institutional linkages;
broaden participation and increase transparency in forest management; and
integrate cross-sectoral dimensions more fully and assess the influence of policies external to the forest sector.
Fifteen countries, three inter-governmental organizations and five non-governmental organizations participated in the first meeting in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from April 18 to 21, 1994. Canada will host a second larger session, from October 10 to 14, 1994.
The "Helsinki Process"
Recognizing the need for the cooperation of all European countries in the prevention and control of forest degradation, and reinforced by the the requirement to implement commitments made at the UNCED conference with regard to forest conservation, management and sustainable development, a process of ministerial conferences was launched and continues to gather momentum. A Ministerial Conference on the Protection of Forests in Europe was held in Helsinki, Finland on June 16 and 17, 1993. Resolutions adopted as a result of these high level discussions focus on activities to be undertaken in the forests of Europe.
The first expert level follow up meeting to the Helsinki Conference was held in Geneva on June 23-24, 1994. Agreement was reached on six criteria and twenty-seven quantitative indicators for the sustainable management of European forests. These will form the basis on which to gather and assess information on how signatory states have succeeded in implementing the general guidelines for sustainable forest management as described in the Helsinki Resolutions.
The "Montreal Process"
Considerable controversy surrounds what constitutes environmentally sustainable forestry. The issue is debated from ecological, socio-economic, scientific and cultural perspectives. In an effort to respond to demands from concerned citizens and the international marketplace, the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE) sponsored a seminar of experts in Montreal, Canada, in late September, 1993 to develop scientifically based criteria and indicators for the sustainable management of boreal and temperate forests. While substantial progress was made as a result of that meeting, more work needs to be done. Efforts are currently underway to continue the development of criteria and indicators for sustainable forest management based on the results achieved in Montreal, both under the aegis of the follow-up to the Ministerial Conference on the Protection of Forests in Europe and amongst a coalition of other largely non- European temperate and boreal forest countries. There are excellent preliminary indications that these two processes will be closely coordinated.
Keystone and Centre for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) Dialogue
The Keystone Center, in collaboration with the CIFOR will be convening a five-day dialogue meeting in November 1994 to exchange experiences on sustainable forest management; identify information needed by forest managers to employ a sustainable approach to managing forest ecosystems; and consider effective ways to involve the affected public in forest decisions. CIFOR will host the dialogue in Indonesia. The Keystone Center will serve a convening and facilitative role.
The meeting will focus on:
a review of experiences to date in implementing sustainable forestry practices and procedures, including approaches to effectively involve local communities and other forest dependent people;
types and potential sources of information (scientific, sociological, economic) that will be necessary to implement sustainable forest management on the ground; and
clarification of research priorities based on experience to date and information needs.
The intent of the dialogue meeting is to foster communication, understanding and new partnerships; to clarify technical and management problems and points of disagreement; and to build consensus regarding information and research directions, priorities and initiatives.
International Union of Forestry Research Organizations (IUFRO) World Congress
The next IUFRO World Congress will be held in August 1995, in Finland. Some 3,000 experts from forestry and other related fields are convening to discuss forest research matters. By promoting global discussion on biodiversity, sustainability, climate change and other environmentally related items, the IUFRO meeting will significantly contribute to UNCED follow-up. While the agenda will concentrate on socio-economic and ecological aspects of forests, the main focus will be on promoting sustainability principles in the field of forestry.
FAO/COFO Ministerial Meeting
The last two days of the Committee on Forestry meeting have been reserved for ministers responsible for forestry to consider the outcomes of the various country driven forest initiatives; deliberate outstanding key issues; and decide on how best to use the UNCSD for further advancing the international forest agenda. It will be the culmination of almost three years of high level discussions on forest issues, following the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED). The agenda will focus exclusively on the international forest community's preparing for the sector review by the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development (UNCSD) in early April.