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Fourth Session
of the United Nations Forum on Forests
Geneva,
Switzerland, 3- 14 May 2004
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| Earth
Negotiations Bulletin
- ENB |
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UNFF-4 HIGHLIGHTS
Monday, 10 May
Today,
delegates met in parallel working groups to begin negotiating the
vice-chair's texts. In the morning, social and cultural aspects
of forests and enhanced cooperation were worked on. In the afternoon,
vice-chair's text was negotiated for forest-related scientific knowledge
and monitoring, assessment and reporting and criteria and indicators
(MAR/C&I).
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Statue at Building E, Palais des Nations, location of the
UNFF-4. |
AM
Working Group 1: Social and Cultural Aspects of Forests (SCAF)
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Jan McAlpine, US, proposed, and delegates agreed, to retain
poverty eradication instead of poverty reduction in the vice-chair's
draft text.
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Dairmuid McAree (Ireland) on behalf of the EU, proposed replacing
poverty eradication with poverty reduction in the text.
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Working Group 1 Chair Xolisa Mabhongo invited general comments on
the vice-chair's draft text on the social and cultural aspects of
forests.
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Charlotte Cudby, New Zealand, recommended distinguishing between
access to genetic resources and benefits from forests goods and
services.
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Regarding social impact assessments, canadian Delegates Ralph Roberts,
Anne
Castle, and Bill Singleton (above photo, left to right) expressed
concerns about the Akwé:Kon guidelines' methodology.
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Faisal Abdullah Al-Athba (Qatar) and Linda Mossop-Rousseau (South
Africa) on behalf of the G77/China, proposed synthesizing all preambular
paragraphs into a single preambular paragraph.
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Tony Bartlett, Australia, suggested adopting the language of the
draft decision negotiated at UNFF-2, which highlights lessons learned
from country experiences.
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The
US proposed adding a reference to the work of IUFRO's Special Programme
for Developing countries.
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PM Working
Group 1: Forest Related Scientific Knowledge (FRSK)
Delegates discussed
the vice-chair's draft text on Forest Related Scientific Knowledge.
After extensive discussions, Chair Xolisa
Mabhongo suggested that delegates discuss the resolution
informally tomorrow afternoon or on Wednesday morning.
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Bill Singleton, Canada, recommended that support for forest-related
research and for capacity-building be provided when developing countries
have themselves identified forest-related research as a priority.
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The
Russian Federation warned that the draft text could narrow down
the scope of research as compared to the broader definition of
the IPF/IFF proposals for action.
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Participants
considering draft decision amendments in the PM Working Group 2
session. |
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Mike
Macnamara, Australia, proposed adding language in several paragraphs
stressing progress already achieved in enhancing cooperation.
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AM
Working Group 2: Enhanced Cooperation:
Delegates
to Working Group 2 discussed the vice chair's draft text on enhanced
cooperation and policy and program coordination.
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Working Group 2 panel members Susan Braatz (UNFF Secretariat)
and Chair Ngurah Swajaya. |
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Dyebo
Mancarthy, Nigeria, proposed listing particular regional bodies.
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Ireland, on behalf of the EU, proposed adding to the preamble a
reference to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) decision,
which emphasizes SFM as a means of implementing the ecosystem approach.
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Working
Group 2 participant Sandra Limacher, Switzerland, suggested using
a preambular paragraph used at previous UNFF sessions.
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Above
photo, left to right: Tasso Azevedo (Brazil) with Peruvian delegates
José Antonio Doig and colleague participating in the AM Working
Group 2 Session.
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Denyse
Rousseau and Mark Fullerton, Canada, proposed inviting the Rio convention
Secretariats to inform UNFF-5 of planned forest-related joint activities.
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PM Working
Group 2: Monitoring, Assessment and Reporting (MAR); Criteria and Indicators
(C&I) & Ad Hoc Expert Group.
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Delegates
at work during the afternoon Working Group 2 session.
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Working
Group 2 Chair Stephanie Caswell reading out revised draft decision
text.
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G77/China
proposed deleting preambular paragraphs in the draft decision recognizing
the connection between MAR and C&I and welcomed CPF work on
streamlining reporting. On including forests in poverty reduction
strategies, it suggested taking note of the seven thematic elements
instead of endorsing them.
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Norway
suggested highlighting the GEF's Operational Program #15 on Sustainable
Land Management within a general section on enhanced cooperation.
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Rado
Dimitrov (ENB) and Paolo Vincentini (Italy).
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Delegates
from Portugal.
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Stewart
Wilson, NGO Representative, and Robert Hendricks, US discussing
the draft decision before the meeting.
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Delegates
waiting for the G77/China to complete their internal coordination
meeting in order to start the session. |
AROUND
THE PALAIS:
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Statue in front of the Palais' "E Building", location
of the UNFF-4.
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The
clouds lifted this morning after a week of rainy weather, revealing
this view from the Palais' Serpent Café.
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Sunshine illuminating one of the Palais Peacock's plumes.
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Links
to more information:
- United Nations
Forum on Forests (includes UNFF4 documents and information on
previous Sessions):
http://www.un.org/esa/forests/
- ENB
coverage of the Third Session of the United Nations Forum on Forest
(UNFF-3), 26 May - 6 June 2003, Geneva, Switzerland:
http://enb.iisd.org/forestry/unff/unff3/
- SD coverage
of the Interlaken Workshop on Forestry, Switzerland, 27-10 April
2004:
http://enb.iisd.org/crs/forest/sdlak
- ENB coverage
of thePreparatory Committee for the Negotiation of a Successor
Agreement to the International Tropical Timber Agreement (ITTA),
1994 (PREPCOM II), 10-12 November 2003, Yokohama, Japan: http://enb.iisd.org/forestry/itto/prepcom2/
- ENB coverage
of the 35th Meeting of the ITTC, 3-8 November 2003, Yokohama,
Japan: http://enb.iisd.org/forestry/itto/ittc35/
- SD coverage
of the World Forestry Congress 21-28 Sept. 2003, Quebec City,
Canada: http://enb.iisd.org/crs/wfc12/
- Linkages'
Portal on Forests, Deserts and Land:
http://enb.iisd.org/process/forest_desertification_land.htm#forest%20enb
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