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Fourth Session of the United Nations Forum on Forests 
Geneva, Switzerland, 3- 14 May 2004
 Earth Negotiations Bulletin - ENB
 Language English   French
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SUMMARY 

 

 

 

 

UNFF-4 HIGHLIGHTS
Wednesday, 12 May

This morning, delegates convened in parallel working groups to continue negotiating Vice-Chair's draft texts on traditional forest-related knowledge (TFRK) and on enhanced cooperation. In the afternoon, the working groups negotiated text on monitoring, assessment and reporting (MAR) and criteria and indicators (C&I) and on the social and cultural aspects of forests (SCAF).

 




View from the Palais des Nations, UNFF-4 location.
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Kangas Kari, UNFF Secretariat.

 

WORKING GROUPS:
 

Working Group 1: Traditional Forest-Related Knowledge (TFRK).

Chair Xolisa Mabhongo (South Africa) opened discussion on the draft decision on Traditional Forest-Related Knowledge. Delegates began by considering preambular paragraphs, then considered the operative paragraphs.


Working Group 1 Chair Xolisa Mabhongo.


Jorge Illueca, UNFF Secretariat.


Mitzi Valente da Costa, Brazil (above, left), and Faisal Abdullah Al-Athba, Qatar (above, center), on behalf of the G77/China.


Tony Bartlett, Australia.


Jan McAlpine and John Parrotta, US.


Nicole Schuabus, ENB

 


Dairmuid McAree (Ireland) on behalf of the EU


Faisal Abdullah Al-Athba (Qatar) on behalf of the G77/China.


Jorge Trevin, Argentina.


Canadian Delegates Bill Singleton, Anne Castle and Boris Romueger.
         
            


Mahouna Tchiwanou, Benin.



Charlotte Cudby, New Zealand.

 

Social and Cultural Aspects of Forests:

On the role of the private sector, the G-77/CHINA opposed by New Zealand and the US asked to delete the paragraph, and move it to the draft text on Finance and Transfer of Environmentally Sound Technologies (FINTEST). The EU proposed to directly encourage the private sector to take into account social and cultural aspects. New Zealand opposed this, but agreed to delete references to the regulatory environment.

On all stakeholders' involvement in decision-making, delegates debated the US' amendment, opposed by the G-77/CHINA, on stakeholders' participation in the development of legislation. They inserted a reference to women and youth. The G-77/CHINA also objected to the text on fire management as only one aspect of SFM, while the US calling for retaining it as a way to incorporate practical recommendation into the resolution.


Linda Mossop-Rousseau (South Africa) speaking on behalf of the G77/China.


Mauricio Limon Aguirre, Mexico.





AM Working Group 2 Delegates of the G77/China.

 

Working Group 2: Enhanced Cooperation.

Working Group II considered a revised Vice-Chair's draft text on enhanced cooperation (EC) and policy and program coordination.
All agreed to a proposal by SWITZERLAND to focus on achieving SFM. NORWAY, the US, SWITZERLAND, and NEW ZEALAND called for retaining reference to the private sector.


AM Working Group 2 Chair Ngurah Swajaya.



(Above, center) Michael Prendergast, Ireland, on behalf of the EU.


Tienko Jean, Burkina Faso.



Edwin Brown, US.

 


Knut Øistad, Norway.


Sandra Limacher, Switzerland.



José Antonio Doig, Peru (above, center), spoke on behalf of the G77/China.


João Maurício Cabral de Mello, Brazil.



PM Working Group 2 Chair Stephanie Caswell.

 

Monitoring, Assessment and Reporting (MAR), Criteria & Indicators (C&I), and Ad-Hoc Expert Group (AHEG) MAR.

Working Group II continued discussions on a Vice-Chair's draft text on MAR, C&I and AHEG MAR.
On making information from national reports accessible to international fora, the EU, with NEW ZEALAND, the US and CANADA, and opposed by the G-77/CHINA, supported keeping reference to the seven thematic elements of SFM. The reference remains in brackets.



David Rhodes, New Zealand.


Carlos Noton, Chile.

 


Robert Hendricks, US.


Gregoire Nkeoua, Congo.

On harmonizing definitions, the US proposed inviting countries as well as CPF members, and suggested doing so by also convening expert consultations. Delegates agreed, upon request by CHILE and CONGO, to make explicit reference to FAO in addition to CPF members and countries.



AROUND THE PALAIS

Are you familiar with these conference participants?


Bill Mankin, Greenpeace.

 


Above photo, left to right: Brazilian delegates Fernanda Rodrigues; Teresa Moreira; and Mitzi Valente da Costa.


Ralph Roberts and Boris Romueger of Canada.


Swiss delegates Yves Kazemi, Christian Küchli and Jürgen Blaser.


Tamilla Gaynutdinova, ENB, and Edwin Brown, US.


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