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IN THE CORRIDORS

Some delegates thought the text that emerged from the Ministerial Group on forests was very weak, given its ambiguity regarding when, or even if, an INC might be initiated. Others, both delegates and NGOs, emphasized that a legally binding instrument was not the only measure of “strength” of a proposal, and that 1999 might, in fact, be too soon to accomplish all that the intergovernmental forum was being asked to do. Also, the suggestion during the course of deliberations that financing for forests might be contingent on agreement to an INC was resented by some, who noted that their position was about more than money.