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Seventh Session of the United Nations Forum on Forests
United Nations Headquarters, New York | 16-27 April 2007
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Seventh Session of UN Forum on Forests in New York
On Monday, 16 April, the Seventh Session of the United Nations Forum on
Forests (UNFF7) convened at UN Headquarters in New York to discuss the
non-legally binding instrument (NLBI) on all types of forests, and the
Multi-Year Programme of Work (MYPOW) for the period 2008-2015. In a
morning plenary session, delegates heard opening statements and
addressed organizational matters. In the afternoon, the UNFF Secretariat
introduced the agenda items on the NLBI, the MYPOW and enhanced
cooperation and policy and programme coordination.
Above: Hans Hoogeveen (Netherlands) was elected as Chair.
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Monday, 16 April
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Opening of the Session
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Left: UNFF7 Chairman Hans Hoogeveen called for delegates to overcome
differences, and said national and global interests were complementary
rather than mutually exclsuive.
Right: Pekka Patosaari, Director, UNFF Secretariat, said the Forum has
increasingly become an integral part of the broader development agenda.
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Country Statements
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Speaking for the EU, Matthias Schwoerer, Germany, called for the NLBI
text to be shortened, and its political appeal and authority enhanced.
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Pakistan emphasized the NLBI's role in supporting local initiatives,
integrating SFM and poverty reduction strategies, and promoting
financial incentives and the use of non-timber forest products.
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Gabon, speaking for the African Group, reported on a successful regional
preparatory meeting, which allowed for the identification of regional
priorities and a common African position.
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Pembe Didace Bokiaga, Democratic Republic of the Congo, noted the need for
adequate financial means and capacity building, and supported the
establishment of a global forest fund.
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Oleg Shamanov, Russian Federation, said the MYPOW should include
intergovernmental meetings organized by regional UN commissions to
improve UNFF's effectiveness and strengthen interaction with
regional and subregional components.
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Tony Bartlett, Australia, said the NLBI should further commitment on
action towards achieving the Global Objectives on Forests.
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Colombia, on behalf of the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization,
opposed the establishment of quantifiable goals.
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India opposed international peer review of SFM implementation, and
suggested having regional meetings every two years.
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Luis Ernesto Barrera Garavito, Guatemala, underlined the need for
transparent and fair markets, and said the NLBI should consider new
trends in forestry such as bioenergy.
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Yukihiro Takeya, Japan, prioritized periodic monitoring and reporting in
each country and region, and said the international arrangement on
forests (IAF) should address illegal logging.
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Modesto Fernández, Cuba, stressed the importance of means of
implementation for developing countries, and new and additional
financing.
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Qu Guilin, China, said negotiations at UNFF7 should, inter alia,
adhere to the Forest Principles, Rio Declaration and Johannesburg
Declaration.
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Arne Ivar Sletnes, Norway, said UNFF sessions should focus on in-session
workshops and seminars, rather than negotiations, and questioned the need
for intergovernmental preparatory meetings.
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Sibylle Vermont, Switzerland, called for more participation from CPF
members and Major Groups, and offered Swiss chocolate to reward parties
who develop a short and concise NLBI.
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Mara Angélica Murillo Correa, Mexico, said the NLBI should
include benchmarks or indicators to measure implementation, while
respecting national sovereignty.
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Stephanie Caswell, US, said the NLBI should provide added value, reflecting
both national and international commitments.
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Jan Heino, Chairman, Collaborative Partnership on Forests, stressed the
group's need for adequate resources to fulfill its potential.
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Speaking for Major Groups, Kanchan Lama, WOCAN, noted that weakness in
policy implementation has had the unintended consequences of marginalizing
vulnerable groups.
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Left: Fiji emphasized international support for SFM implementation in
Small Island Developing States, particularly ODA and capacity building.
Right: The Ministerial Conference on the Protection of Forests in
Europe called for collaboration between policy bodies at all levels and
integration with other sectors.
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Afternoon Session
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M.S. Kaban, Minister of Forestry, Indonesia, reported on the Country-led
Initiative on the MYPOW, held in Indonesia in February 2007.
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Jorge Illueca, UNFF Secretariat, introduced the revised composite draft
text for developing an NLBI.
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Mahendra Joshi, UNFF Secretariat, introduced the Report of the
Secretary-General on the MYPOW and the suggested draft text for the MYPOW.
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Left: Antonio Carlos do Prado, UNFF Secretariat, introduced its note on
enhanced cooperation and policy and programme coordination.
Right: Ghazal Badiozamani, UNFF Secretariat, presented the CPF Framework 2007.
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Around the Forum
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EU delegates conferred before the morning session.
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Related Links
United Nations Forum on Forests
UNFF 7
UNFF-7
Provisional Agenda
Related IISD Coverage of Forest Meetings
18th Session of the FAO Committee on
Forestry, 13-16 March 2007, Rome
CLI in Support of the UNFF:
Multi-Year Programme of Work, 13-16 February 2007, Bali
UNFF Ad hoc
Expert Group Meeting, 11-15 December 2006, New York
Sixth Session of the
UN Forum on Forests (UNFF-6), 13-24 February 2006, New York
CLI in Support of the UNFF:
Scoping a Future Agreement on Forests, 16-18 November 2005, Berlin
Fifth Session of the
UN Forum on Forests (UNFF-5), 16-27 May 2005, New York
CLI in Support of the UNFF:
Future International Arrangement on Forests, 25-28 January 2005,
Guadalajara
UNFF
Ad Hoc Expert Group Meeting (AHEG-PARAM)
7-10 September 2004, New York
Fourth Session of the
UN Forum on Forests (UNFF-4), 3-14 May 2004, Geneva
IISD
Linkages - Forest, Desertification, Land
A
Brief Introduction to Global Forest Policy
Linkages Update
MEA-L - Multilateral
Environmental Agreements Listserve
Africa Regional Coverage
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