ENB:13:03
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A BRIEF ANALYSIS OF THE IPF
At the first session of the CSD Intergovernmental Panel on Forests, delegates elected officers, attempted to set the dates and venues for the upcoming meetings and adopted the elements for the programme of work. Tremendous strides made in the dialogue on sustainable forest management over the past three years and notable advances in the degree of trust between developed and developing countries laid the groundwork for the formation of the Panel at the third session of the CSD. Nonetheless, many of the problems that have plagued intergovernmental dialogues on forests in the past resurfaced during this session and serve to foreshadow the conflicts that the Panel will likely encounter as it moves into substantive discussion of the issues.
Several of the issues that have typically divided Northern and Southern countries again proved difficult. Members of the G-77 were resistant to any proposal that could foreseeably lead to a loss of national control over forests and forest products. Some developing country delegates voiced strong opinions on the subject of criteria and indicators, noting that most indicators had been developed by Northern countries and that indicators should vary according to regional, national and even micro-level factors. Developing countries also opposed suggestions that the proposed intersessional workshops should constitute an official part of the Panel process, arguing they could only be corollary and insisting that all meetings be open-ended. Some observers characterize these reactions as well-founded skepticism in light of past workshops, where developing countries were notably absent and their priority issues were not addressed.
Northern countries also demonstrated that they still have a number of serious concerns about the work of the Panel, despite their initiation of workshops and provision of funds for developing country participation. Several developed countries hesitated at extending the length of the second and third sessions of the Panel, requested specific references to the agencies for Panel consultations and inputs, and insisted that any mentions of the CSD mandate include the entire terms of reference.
The element of the work programme devoted to trade and environment issues related to forest products proved particularly contentious. Developing countries appeared more willing to expound upon the mandate regarding financial assistance and technology transfer. A proposed discussion paper on trade in forest products provoked strong opinions against unilateral bans and restrictive measures, and supportive statements for facilitating free trade. Most statements, particularly on certification and labeling, reveal that recent reports on the death of national sovereignty have been greatly exaggerated.
The eleventh hour charge to redraft the report of the meeting provides the most powerful evidence that many strongly held opinions are still lurking beneath the surface. During the seemingly endless Friday night session, some delegates began voicing new opinions, rather than reviewing the statements they had made during the previous four days. Both developed and developing countries remarked that opposing proposals exceeded or altered the Panel's mandate and, as a result, many delegates selectively reinterpreted proposals and appeared more interested in ensuring that the report strictly conformed with the specific mandate of the CSD rather than making room to consider anything new.
The Panel appears to be making some successful strides in uncharted territory, such as active NGO involvement. Other innovations, such as increased intersessional activity and inter-agency involvement, seem to have reawakened the longstanding distrust between Northern and Southern countries. This first session required the Panel to chart its future course, however, based on the disparity of views displayed and the disagreement on several key issues, including the direction the Panel will take, it appears as though the Panel faces a rocky road ahead in producing its policy recommendations for the CSD.