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Highlights for Thursday, 9 September 2004
The
Ad Hoc
Expert Group on Consideration with a View to Recommending the
Parameters of a Mandate for Developing a Legal Framework on All
Types of Forests (AHEG-PARAM) met for its third day on Thursday
at UN headquarters in New York.
In the morning, participants continued discussions on options
for a new international arrangement on forests (IAF),
underlining the need to, inter alia, improve access to
financing, increase monitoring and reporting functions,
focus on sustainable forest management (SFM), and
improve implementation.
In the afternoon, experts reviewed draft text prepared by
Co-Chairs Rollinson and Alban Duran for the report to be
forwarded to UNFF-5.
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From left to right: Pekka Patosaari, Co-ordinator and Head,
Secretariat of the UNFF; Co-Chair Tim Rollinson; Co-Chair Andrea Alban Durán; and Peter Csoka from the UNFF
Secretariat. |
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Yuji Imaizumi,
Ministry of Agriculture, Foresty and Fisheries of
Japan, said that any arrangement with excessive
financial burden is less likely to be accepted. |
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Ramiro Riobó, Ministry of Foreign Affairs
of Chile, explained that the critical point is to
reach out to the communities that live in or from
forests. |
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Hossein Moeini Meybodi, Permanent Mission of the I.R. of Iran to the United Nations
noted that a stand-alone convention would not solve
all problems. |
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Don Wijewardana, Ministry of Agriculture and
Forestry of New Zealand, suggested helping countries
to identify their own performance criteria. |
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David Humphreys, United Kingdom Delegation
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Guyana Forestry Commission, said a new IAF should
aim to reduce poverty and improve local-community
livelihoods. |
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Fred Manuel Batlle Río,
National Forests Agency (INAB), favored an LBI,
noting that it would bolster, strengthen and enrich
national legislation. |
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Ingwald Gschwandtl, Federal Ministry of
Agriculture, Forestry, Environment and Water
Management of Austria
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Bill Mankin, World Wildlife Fund (WWF),
explained that an LBI is not a viable political
option; the IAF will continue; and it needs to be
radically overhauled. |
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In spite of
outstanding work to be carried over from Thursday’s discussion,
many experts felt that there is no reason to think that the
group’s report cannot be completed by Friday at 6:00 pm.
Although some expressed disappointment with the negotiating spin
that the review of the Co-Chairs’ draft was taking, several
participants noted that the tone of discussions remained, for
the most part, focused.
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In the afternoon,
Co-Chair Alban Duran (Colombia) introduced a
Co-Chairs’ draft text summarizing the meeting’s
discussions. |
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Claudio Gutiérrez (Argentina) requested that the
importance of financing be better reflected
throughout the report. |
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Hans P. Hoogeveen, Ministry of Agriculture,
Nature and Food Quality, Netherlands, stressed the
need to agree on an intersessional process until
UNFF-5. |
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John Bazill, European Community, said a new
IAF must facilitate communication, and promote
inter-sectoral initiatives among international
institutions and processes. |
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Fady Raymond
Asmar,
Lebanon, said cooperation under a new IAF should be
strengthened, noting the importance of cooperation
with FAO and UN Convention to Combat
Desertification. |
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Tony Bartlett,
Australia, proposed the inclusion of the
establishment of protected areas as a goal. |
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Participants discussing the documents during the
afternoon session |
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Jan McAlpine (US), requested including possible
elements of the future IAF.
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Tasso Rezende de Azevedo, Brazil |
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Experts from Canada and the US trying to find a
common ground |
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Miscellaneous Photos:
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Claudio Gutiérrez (Argentina) talks to
Co-Chair
Andrea Alban Durán (Colombia) before the
afternoon session |
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Co-Chair Tim
Rollinson,
and Peter Csoka
from the UNFF
Secretariat |
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Gerald (Jerry) A. Rose, Forest Sustainability
Consultant, reading today's Earth Negotiations
Bulletin |
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Modesto Fernandez suggested that the views of
experts should be separated from those presented by
governments and major groups. |
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Mauricio Limón Aguirre, Chief of Legal
Division, Ministry of Environment and Natural
Resources of Mexico; and Francisco García,
Secretariat of Environment and Natural Resources of
Mexico |
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