| United Nations | E/CN.17/IPF/1997/3 |
Economic and Social Council
Distr. GENERAL
3 January 1997
ORIGINAL: ENGLISH
COMMISSION ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
Ad Hoc Intergovernmental Panel on Forests
Fifth session
11-21 February 1997
ELEMENTS OF A DRAFT REPORT
Note by the Secretariat
Note by the Co-Chairmen of the Ad Hoc
Intergovernmental Panel on Forests
CONTENTS
Page
ACRONYMS .............................................................. 4
INTRODUCTION .......................................................... 6
I. IMPLEMENTATION OF FOREST-RELATED DECISIONS OF THE UNITED NATIONS
CONFERENCE ON ENVIRONMENT AND DEVELOPMENT AT THE NATIONAL AND
INTERNATIONAL LEVELS, INCLUDING AN EXAMINATION OF SECTORAL AND
CROSS-SECTORAL LINKAGES ......................................... 6
Progress through national forest and land-use programmes ........ 6
Underlying causes of deforestation and forest degradation ....... 9
Traditional forest-related knowledge ............................ 12
Fragile ecosystems affected by desertification and drought ...... 16
Impact of air pollution on forests .............................. 18
Needs and requirements of countries with low forest cover ....... 19
II. INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION ON FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE AND TECHNOLOGY
TRANSFER ........................................................ 22
Financial assistance ............................................ 22
Technology transfer and capacity-building and information ....... 26
III. SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH, FOREST ASSESSMENT AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF
CRITERIA AND INDICATORS FOR SUSTAINABLE FOREST MANAGEMENT ....... 29
Assessment of the multiple benefits of all types of forests ..... 29
Forest research ................................................. 31
Methodologies for the proper valuation of the multiple benefits
of forests ...................................................... 33
Criteria and indicators for sustainable forest management ....... 35
IV. TRADE AND ENVIRONMENT IN RELATION TO FOREST PRODUCTS AND SERVICES 38
V. INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS AND MULTILATERAL INSTITUTIONS AND
INSTRUMENTS, INCLUDING APPROPRIATE LEGAL MECHANISMS ............. 44
International organizations and multilateral institutions and
instruments ..................................................... 44
Contribution to consensus-building towards the further
implementation of the forest principles, including appropriate
legal instruments and mechanisms covering all types of forests .. 46
ACRONYMS
CIFOR Center for International Forestry Research
CITES Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild
Fauna and Flora
ECE Economic Commission for Europe
EIA Environmental impact assessment
FAO Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
FMU Forest management unit
FRA Forest Resources Assessment
GEF Global Environment Facility
IBFRA International Boreal Forest Research Association
ICRAF International Centre for Research in Agroforestry
IPF Ad Hoc Intergovernmental Panel on Forests
ITFF Interagency Task Force on Forests
ITTO International Tropical Timber Organization
IUFRO International Union of Forest Research Organizations
MBI Market-based instruments
NFPs National forest programmes
NGO Non-governmental organization
ODA Official development assistance
TBT Technical barriers to trade
TFRK Traditional forest-related knowledge
UNCED United Nations Conference on Environment and Development
UNCTAD United Nations Conference on Trade and Development
UNDP United Nations Development Programme
UNEP United Nations Environment Programme
UNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
WCMC World Conservation Monitoring Centre
WIPO World Intellectual Property Organization
WTO World Trade Organization
INTRODUCTION
In accordance with paragraph 3 (c) of the report of the Ad Hoc
Intergovernmental Panel on Forests on its third session (E/CN.17/IPF/1997/2),
the present note has been prepared by the Co-Chairmen, in consultation with
other members of the Bureau, to facilitate the negotiations of the Panel at
its fourth session.
I. IMPLEMENTATION OF FOREST-RELATED DECISIONS OF THE UNITED
NATIONS CONFERENCE ON ENVIRONMENT AND DEVELOPMENT AT THE
NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL LEVELS, INCLUDING AN EXAMINATION
OF SECTORAL AND CROSS-SECTORAL LINKAGES
Progress through national forest and land-use programmes
Conclusions
1. The Panel recognized that the term "national forest programmes" (NFPs)
was used as a generic expression for a wide range of approaches to the
management, conservation and sustainable development of all types of forests
within different countries, and noted that the conservation of biological
diversity and the protection of soil, water and fragile ecosystems were
important goals of such programmes. It recognized the significance of the
concept in many countries, while accepting that other policy frameworks are
appropriate elsewhere. It emphasized that NFPs or other comparable policy
frameworks demand a broad intersectoral approach at all stages, including the
formulation of policies, strategies and plans of action, as well as their
implementation, monitoring and evaluation. The programmes should be
implemented in the context of each country's socio-economic, cultural,
political and environmental situation, and be integrated into wider programmes
for sustainable land use in accordance with chapters 10 to 15 of Agenda 21.
The activities of other sectors, such as agriculture, energy and industrial
development, should be taken into account.
2. The Panel emphasized a number of specific elements needing consideration
when developing and implementing NFPs or other policy frameworks, notably the
need for appropriate participatory mechanisms to involve all interested
parties; decentralization where applicable and empowerment of regional and
local government structures; recognition and respect for customary and
traditional rights of special groups such as indigenous peoples, local
communities and other forest dwellers, forest owners and workers; secure land
tenure arrangements; and the establishment of effective coordination
mechanisms and conflict-resolution schemes.
3. Regardless of the approach adopted by individual countries, NFPs or other
relevant policy frameworks, as long-term iterative processes, should recognize
the following as key elements: national sovereignty and country leadership;
consistency with national policies and international commitments; integration
with the country's sustainable development strategies; partnership and
participation; and holistic and intersectoral approaches. The Panel
acknowledged the usefulness of testing and demonstrating the concept of NFPs
on an operational scale.
4. The Panel recognized the need for NFPs to be based on a sound economic
valuation of forest resources, including environmental services and non-timber
products. It noted that NFPs can provide an effective link between strategic
and operational planning. They should be specifically designed to increase
effectiveness and efficiency at the country level, with a view to attracting
increased domestic and external resources.
5. The Panel recognized the importance of new and innovative sources of
funding for sustainable forest management, including the development and
implementation of NFPs, but stressed that public funds in many countries,
particularly in developing countries with low forest cover, will continue to
be the most important source of finance.
6. The Panel also recognized the need for an external economic and
commercial environment which is supportive of NFPs. Their implementation will
be affected by market forces, including international trade. They need to be
supported by a market context that enhances the economic values of forest
resources and a price mechanism that ensures an adequate and remunerative
return for the sustainable use of forest resources.
7. The Panel stressed that funding, and particularly the provision of
external resources, including private foreign investment and ODA, is greatly
facilitated by clear recipient government commitment to the implementation of
national policies and programmes that promote sustainable forest management in
the forest and related sectors. More efficient investment policies are needed
for the successful implementation of NFPs.
8. Because of the intersectoral nature of NFPs, the Panel stressed the need
for national authorities to look into the institutional capacity of forest-
related sectors to ensure the successful implementation of such programmes.
It emphasized the importance of assessing and, where necessary, enhancing
national capabilities at all levels to develop, implement, monitor and
evaluate the management, conservation and sustainable development of all types
of forests.
9. The Panel acknowledged that coordination among all interested parties at
the national and international levels is crucial for the management,
conservation, and sustainable development of all types of forests. The Panel
noted and welcomed further input from the Conference of the Parties to the
Convention on Biological Diversity with respect to biological diversity and
forests.
10. Finally, the Panel noted the importance of improving regional and
international cooperation for the exchange of information, technology and
know-how through the establishment of appropriate networks, in support of
national programmes for sustainable forest management.
Proposals for action
11. The Panel:
(a) Urged countries to develop, implement and monitor NFPs, or other
appropriate policy frameworks, within wider intersectoral policies and
land-use plans, as an effective means of promoting the management,
conservation and sustainable development of all types of forests at national
and local levels, thus increasing their capacity to meet the increasingly high
and conflicting demands for forest goods and services;
(b) Called for improved cooperation in support of forest management,
conservation and sustainable development of forests around the world and urged
all countries to use NFPs, or comparable policy frameworks, as the basis for
international cooperation in the forest sector;
(c) Stressed the need for international cooperation in the provision of
new and additional financial resources, including ODA, for the effective
implementation of national policies and programmes in the forest and related
sectors;
(d) Urged countries to integrate criteria and indicators for sustainable
forest management as appropriate into the overall process of the formulation,
implementation and monitoring of NFPs or other relevant policy frameworks;
(e) Urged countries to develop planning systems that identify and
involve a broad representation of indigenous peoples, forest dwellers and
local communities in meaningful decision-making regarding protection and
management goals and operations affecting state forest lands in their
proximity. Community forest management systems should be an integral part of
national forest programmes. International agreements and donor programmes
should reflect the importance of integrating communities into the planning
process;
(f) Urged Governments, particularly in developing countries and
countries with economies in transition, to include capacity building as an
objective of NFPs, paying particular attention to training, extension services
and technology transfer and taking into account local, traditional forest
related knowledge;
(g) Encouraged national authorities to consider the need to enhance
capacities in all relevant sectors, including the public and private sectors,
indigenous peoples, local communities and non-governmental organizations,
taking into account the role played by each of the interested parties in the
management, conservation and sustainable development of all types of forests,
in order to achieve a country-led design and implementation of NFPs;
(h) Encouraged governments to establish sound national coordination
mechanisms among all interested parties, based on consensus building
principles, to ensure the smooth implementation of NFPs;
(i) Called for the further development of the concept of forest
partnership agreements, in the context of NFPs, as a potential instrument for
improved coordination and cooperation between all national and international
partners.
Underlying causes of deforestation and forest degradation
Conclusions
12. The Panel noted the critical need to understand the underlying causes of
deforestation and forest degradation, which are often country-specific. A
focused approach that concentrates on reversing the most damaging processes
and promoting the most effective and beneficial measures is needed. It is
also important to recognize local initiatives which can counter current trends
in deforestation and forest degradation, especially among indigenous and local
communities.
13. Sustainable economic development can play a key role in reducing pressure
on forests and replacing the processes leading to deforestation and forest
degradation. Each country, whether developing or developed, will have its own
particular set of circumstances and opportunities for action. It is important
to consider historical dimensions and to learn from experience. Many of the
factors causing deforestation or forest degradation interact and some are
synergistic. Most causes are social and economic in character. Although some
courses of action, such as unsustainable timber extraction, are linked to the
forest sector itself, inappropriate policy choices and approaches in other
sectors can also influence deforestation and forest degradation.
14. Poverty, production and consumption patterns, land tenure patterns, land
speculation and land markets have a major influence on access to, and use of,
forest products goods and services and on deforestation. Illegal logging,
land occupation and crops, as well as grazing pressures, unsustainable
agriculture, and the demand for fuelwood and charcoal to meet basic energy
needs, in addition to refugee-related problems, as well as natural climatic
events and forest fires, are among other important factors in many regions.
15. The assessment of whether changes in forest cover are or are not
beneficial can only be done against a background represented by national
policy frameworks for sustainable land-use and for the management,
conservation and sustainable development of all types of forests that
encompass and harmonize elements pertaining to social and economic development
programmes, environment plans, land-use plans, and national biodiversity
strategies and action plans. All these national instruments, jointly and
consistently, should enable countries to secure the quantity and quality of
forest required to provide the full range of benefits, goods and services
needed now and in the future. The increasing pressure from demands for wood
and other forest goods and services, as well as for land for other uses,
suggests a priority need to strengthen intersectoral decision-making affecting
land use. Increasingly effective institutions for resource management, land
use, research, education, and extension will be an important part of
sustainable forest management.
16. There are rational justifications for many changes in forest structure
and cover. Different countries have different requirements, and these
requirements alter over time and affect both the area and the nature of their
forests. Both sustainably managed natural forests and forest plantations, as
components of integrated land-use management that takes account of
environmental and socio-economic concerns, fulfil a valuable role in meeting
the need for forest products, goods and services as well as helping to
conserve biological diversity and providing a reservoir for carbon. The
benefits and disbenefits of different types of forest management, including
forest plantations, need to be appraised under different social, cultural,
economic and ecological conditions. The role of forest plantations as an
important element of sustainable forest management schemes, particularly by
taking pressure off natural forests, should be recognized, enhanced and
promoted.
17. The Panel recognized the importance of long-term changes in consumption
and production patterns in different parts of the world and their positive and
negative effects on the sustainable management and use of forests. The long-
term outlook is for steadily rising demand for wood and for the services of
forests, and a declining area of forest for their production. The
implications should be reviewed in the context of the work being done by the
Commission on Sustainable Development and other relevant initiatives concerned
with the long-term supply of and demand for forest products, goods and
services.
18. Among the various international underlying causes of deforestation and
forest degradation, international trade and investment, as well as long-range
transboundary air pollution, are important. Factors such as discriminatory
international trade practices, structural adjustment programmes and external
debt could indirectly influence deforestation. Market forces and relative
prices, including those of agricultural commodities, as well as
under-valuation of wood and non-wood forest products, have a direct bearing on
the management, conservation and sustainable development of all types of
forests.
19. In many countries there is a need for further analysis of the sequence of
causes contributing to changes in the quantity and quality of forests,
focusing attention on the action that might be most effective in halting
damage and promoting beneficial change. This analysis would be facilitated by
the use of a comprehensive diagnostic framework, elements of which have been
elaborated in the Secretary-General's reports provided to the Panel. This
diagnostic framework not only would serve as a useful tool in both developing
and developed countries to analyze deforestation and forest degradation but
also, in adapted forms, could be invaluable in setting the objectives of
national forest policies, in introducing a historical perspective into the
analysis of the causes, in exploring the effects of policies in other sectors
on deforestation and forest degradation, for the use and refinement of
criteria and indicators and methods of valuation, in relation to national
action plans for other international agreements and conventions, and generally
as a powerful management tool in furthering the implementation of the
management, conservation and sustainable development of all types of forests.
20. The diagnostic framework should be employed in a constructive, corrective
and forward-looking manner. It would complement and strengthen other existing
planning exercises and should also be used, together with criteria and
indicators (see chap. III), as a tool for the periodic assessment of progress.
As a management tool, it should be developed voluntarily and not used as a
basis for conditionality in ODA. The development of the framework must not,
however, delay action, and it may not be needed in countries where major
direct or indirect causes have been identified, well understood and documented
or where deforestation is not viewed as a problem at the national level.
Proposals for action
21. The Panel urged countries:
(a) With the support of international organizations and the
participation of major groups where relevant, to prepare in-depth studies of
the underlying causes at the national and international levels of
deforestation and forest degradation, including the implications of current
national and international consumption and production patterns for forests and
forest goods and services, both with market and non-market values, in
developing and developed countries. Such studies should pay particular
attention to terms of trade, discriminatory trade practices and unsustainable
policies related to sectors such as agriculture and energy, and place special
emphasis on their positive and negative effects on the sustainable management
and use of forests. They should also analyse comprehensively the historical
perspective of the causes of deforestation and forest degradation in the
world, and other international underlying causes of deforestation and forest
degradation, including transboundary economic forces, as well as provide new
factual information on the significance of transboundary pollution;
(b) To consider actions to ensure the sustainability of wood supply and
demand, with a special emphasis on investment in sustainable forest management
and the strengthening of institutions for forest resource management;
(c) To convene and finance as soon as possible a global workshop on
international underlying causes of deforestation and forest degradation.
22. The Panel also urged donor countries and international organizations,
including regional development banks, to assist and finance research,
technology transfer, case-studies and capacity-building activities in
developing countries to allow an integrated approach towards:
(a) The strategic analysis of policies that have contributed to forest
degradation and deforestation as well as of those that have had a positive
effect;
(b) The formulation and implementation of national strategies, through
an open and participatory process, for addressing the underlying causes of
deforestation and defining policy goals for national forest cover, as inputs
to the implementation of the national forest programmes or other relevant
policy frameworks;
(c) The development of mechanisms, including environmental impact
assessment (EIA), through an open and participatory process, to improve policy
formulation and coordination, as well as the planning, management and
implementation of relevant national programmes for achieving the management,
conservation, and sustainable development of all types of forests;
(d) The formulation of a policy of securing land tenure for local
communities and indigenous peoples and of mechanisms aimed at the equitable
sharing of the benefits of the forests.
23. The Panel also:
(a) Recommended the provision of timely, reliable and accurate
information on the underlying causes of deforestation and forest degradation,
as well as on the multiple roles of forests, as an essential foundation for
public understanding and informed decision-making;
(b) Requested donor countries and international organizations to assist
developing countries in financing research, technology transfer, case-studies
and capacity-building activities to allow an integrated approach towards the
formulation and application of national policy frameworks and in conducting
strategic analyses of relevant political, legal and institutional policies
that have contributed to forest degradation and deforestation as well as of
those that have had a positive effect;
(c) Encouraged developed countries and multilateral and international
organizations, including regional development banks, to assist developing
countries and countries with economies in transition to undertake case studies
using the "diagnostic framework" described above in order to:
(i) Develop and test its usefulness as an analytical tool in assessing
options for utilization of forest and forest lands;
(ii) Refine it, disseminate the results and apply it more widely.
Traditional forest-related knowledge
Conclusions
24. Traditional forest-related knowledge (TFRK) constitutes an important body
of knowledge and experience relevant to many aspects of the Panel's mandate.
TFRK should be broadly defined to include not only knowledge of forest
resources themselves but also institutional, authority and governance
structures, cultural belief and value systems, customary law, indigenous legal
systems and traditions and property rights, land and resource use systems and
conflict resolution and mediation processes, all of which are an integral part
of sustainable forest management.
25. The Panel noted with concern that communities with sustainable lifestyles
based on TFRK have been undermined and destroyed by accelerated loss of
forests resulting from the introduction of new technologies and economic
pressures, in the absence of adequate measures for conservation and
sustainable management. It agreed that indigenous people, forest dwellers,
forest owners and local communities should play a key role in developing
participatory approaches to forest and land management. Such approaches
should involve all relevant parties from both public and private sectors, and
focus on community forest management, land-use systems, research, training and
extension, the formulation of criteria and indicators, and conflict
resolution.
26. TFRK can provide a strong basis for sustainable forest management, and
its potential to support actions should be reflected in national forest
programmes. The Panel, however, recognized that the international and national
communities are still in an early stage of identifying ways and means for the
effective protection and use of TFRK and of exploring the relationships
between TFRK and sustainable forest management. This complex cross cutting
relationship involves natural and social sciences, culture, tradition and the
environment.
27. The effective protection of TFRK requires the fair and equitable sharing
of benefits among all interested parties including indigenous populations,
forest dwellers, forest owners and local communities. Certain conditions will
need to be met in national legislation if indigenous people, other local
communities and forest dwellers are to participate fully in partnership
agreements and to offer their TFRK for the benefit of other interested
parties. Holders of TFRK will need to be represented by their own
representatives; to feel secure in their land tenure arrangements; to be
reassured that they have been accorded status equal to that of the other
members of the partnerships; and to be convinced of a common purpose
compatible with their cultural and ecological values.
28. TFRK is useful in locating valuable new products, and accessing these on
fair and equitable terms can only benefit each country in its efforts to
achieve sustainable development. Governments and others who wish to use TFRK
should acknowledge, however, that it cannot be taken from people, especially
indigenous peoples, forest dwellers and local communities, without their
informed consent. Ways and means to ensure effective protection of indigenous
rights [and payment of royalty on intellectual property rights] should be
identified in the context of national and international legislation, customary
law and indigenous legal systems. International cooperation on TFRK and
rights related to it must be consistent with obligations under the Convention
on Biological Diversity, and other relevant instruments.
29. The Panel noted the need to establish international mechanisms for the
exchange of national experiences and mechanisms, including financial
investment, to stimulate the application of TFRK in sustainable forest
management and the development of products derived from it. These matters are
considered in chapter II.
30. There are difficulties surrounding the acquisition, storage, retrieval
and dissemination of TFRK outside its place of origin. These arise from a
lack of effective measures to protect and manage TFRK, and from the nature of
TFRK, which is largely site- and culture-specific and not amenable to being
digitized, stored in databases or accessed through clearing-house mechanisms.
The Panel recommended further exploration of the feasibility and modalities of
exchanges in this area.
31. The Panel recognized that the Convention on Biological Diversity contains
several provisions, including articles 8 (j) and 10 (c), relevant to TFRK
which is a subset of the knowledge, innovations and practices referred to in
article 8 (j) of the Convention while the genetic resources of forest
ecosystems are a subset of the genetic resources referred to in article 15.
It noted the statement annexed to decision II/9 of the Conference of the
Parties to that Convention and accepted that the conservation and sustainable
use of biodiversity, and the fair and equitable sharing of benefits from the
commercial utilization of biological resources fell, inter alia, within the
purview of the Convention. It also recognized the need to avoid duplication
or overlap with other relevant intergovernmental processes. These matters are
considered further in chapter V.
Proposals for action
32. The Panel:
(a) Invited countries to identify traditional knowledge, innovations and
practices that are relevant for the conservation and sustainable use of
biological diversity;
(b) Invited countries to explore further at the national and
international levels different options for policy, institutional and legal
frameworks required to support the application of intellectual property rights
and protection regimes to TFRK, the equitable sharing of its benefits, and the
possible development of formal agreements by which TFRK can be accessed;
(c) Urged countries, in implementing their forest programmes, to take
measures to protect TFRK taking account of the outcome of the third meeting of
the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, held
in Buenos Aires from 4 to 15 November 1996;
(d) Urged countries in the context of their national legal systems to
promote and provide opportunities for the participation of indigenous people,
forest dwellers, forest owners and local communities in the planning,
development and implementation of national forest policies and programmes
consistent with principles 2(d) and 5(a) of the Forest Principles;
(e) Urged Governments, with the support of international organizations,
to work with all interested parties in the preparation of technical guidelines
on TFRK application, bringing together knowledge and experience of the
approaches that work in practice;
(f) Urged Governments, with the assistance of international
organizations where appropriate, to support national, regional and
international efforts that will enhance the capacity of indigenous people,
forest dwellers and local communities to participate in partnership agreements
that apply TFRK for sustainable forest management, and to promote partnerships
among all interested parties;
(g) Encouraged Governments to recognize and support traditional
resources use systems incorporating TFRK through the development of new
instruments and mechanisms that enhance the security of forest-dependent
groups;
(h) Urged Governments to work with communities and build on their
knowledge to establish stronger linkages between traditional and emerging
national sustainable forest management systems;
(i) Encouraged countries to identify ways to inventory, store, catalogue
and retrieve TFRK and to support its effective protection and application,
including developing local capacity, and to examine opportunities to apply
TFRK relating to the management of particular types of forests to other
similar forest ecosystems;
(j) Urged Governments and international organizations to support
research on TFRK in regional and national institutions, with the full
involvement of the holders of that knowledge, to maintain or enhance the
capacity of such institutions, and to promote the wide understanding and use
of the knowledge gained;
(k) Urged Governments, national institutions and academic centres to
incorporate TFRK in forest management training as a way to sensitize forest
managers to the importance of respect for and protection of TFRK when
accessing it; to the need to observe the principle of fair and equitable
sharing of benefits; and to the advantages of using it and the disadvantages
of ignoring it. They should also emphasize the importance of recognizing TFRK
in developing national criteria and indicators (chap. III) within the context
of national forest programmes (chap. I), and sustainable forest management and
in defining certification schemes (chap. IV);
(l) Encouraged Governments with the support of donors and international
organizations to assist financially and otherwise existing networks promoting
the sharing of TFRK on mutually agreed terms, as well as of technology and
profits arising from the use of such knowledge among concerned groups and
institutions in collaboration with involved forest dwellers, indigenous people
and local communities;
(m) Urged Governments to promote digital mapping (using geographic
information systems and geographic position systems) combined with social
mapping for establishing forest holdings, assisting planning and management
partnerships; and assisting in the location and storage of cultural and
geographical information required to support the management, protection and
use of TFRK;
(n) Invited WIPO together with UNCTAD to undertake a study aimed at
advancing international understanding on the relationship between intellectual
property and TFRK, and to propose possible ways and means to ensure effective
protection of TFRK and the equitable sharing of benefits arising from such
knowledge;
(o) Requested the Secretariat to produce a compilation of international
instruments and national legislation, including draft legislation, pertaining
to the protection and use of TFRK, and the equitable sharing of benefits
arising from such knowledge, and encouraged countries to exchange information
on national experiences in this field.
Fragile ecosystems affected by desertification and drought
33. Desertification and the effects of drought are widespread phenomena,
affecting forests and other wooded land in arid, semi-arid and dry sub-humid
regions. These problems are of global dimensions in that they affect most
regions of the world and require collective action by the international
community.
34. Forest-related action aimed at combating desertification and mitigating
the effects of drought should address the causes of these phenomena in an
integrated manner, and consider the role of poverty along with land use
policies, food security, the provision of fodder and fuelwood, the effects of
non-sustainable production and consumption patterns, the impact of trade and
trade relations, migration, refugees and many other economic, social and
cultural factors. The Panel noted that forest fires continue to have a
devastating impact on some forest ecosystems, in particular in countries south
of the Sahara and in countries with dry forests in Mediterranean zones,
although in other areas they may have positive effects on the vitality and
renewal of forest ecosystems.
35. The Panel noted that in some countries forest cover had been or was
expanding as a result of popular movements backed by Government support. In
many areas, plantations of fast-growing trees have had good and cost-effective
results in terms of soil protection. While recognizing that forest land
rehabilitation would be required in many areas, and that this would need
international assistance, including financial resources and technology
transfer to support local and national efforts, the Panel emphasized the need
for prevention, rather than mitigation and restoration, wherever practicable,
with emphasis on improved and sustainable management of existing natural
forest and other vegetation. The restoration of arid, semi-arid and dry
sub-humid zones should not focus narrowly on afforestation, but also deal with
broader aspects of forest ecosystem management, including social and economic
issues. The Panel identified the need to strengthen research, including
support to regional research networks, related to the identification of
appropriate species for arid, semi-arid and dry sub-humid land restoration,
the rehabilitation of existing vegetation types, and the potential of
non-timber forest products. Education, training and extension systems can
play an important role.
36. The Panel emphasized the need for an integrated approach to national
forest and land-use programmes and national plans to combat desertification.
It urged countries to promote coordinated, cross-sectoral action at the
political and policy-making level to improve legislation and to accelerate
implementation within the context of national sustainable development
strategies. Recognizing the merits of bottom-up approaches involving all
major groups concerned with the issues, along with top-down approaches, the
Panel emphasized the need for national action programmes to draw more
extensively on local and traditional knowledge and evaluate traditional
agro-sylvo-pastoral systems in accordance with the principles outlined in
programme element I.3. Close collaboration was needed between forest and
agricultural institutions, and support should be provided to farmers and
herders. Protected areas need to be established and supported where
appropriate in fragile and endangered ecosystems affected by drought and
desertification, as part of in-situ conservation strategies. The approaches
should be supported by an enabling legislative and institutional framework
which secures rights and access to land. Countries in regions affected by
desertification and the effects of drought should propose initiatives and
priorities for action, working in accordance with article 5 of the Convention
to Combat Desertification in those countries experiencing serious drought
and/or desertification, particularly in Africa.
37. The Panel considered that this whole programme element must be carried
forward in close relationship with existing international Conventions, and
especially the Convention on Biological Diversity, the United Nations
Framework Convention on Climate Change and, in particular, the Convention to
Combat Desertification. It emphasized the need for donors, international
agencies and recipient countries to engage in adequate consultations in order
to develop efficient and coordinated programmes of international cooperation
that are consistent with these Conventions, the Forest Principles and Agenda
21. The work carried out under these Conventions and the work of the Panel
should complement and enhance one another.
Proposals for action
38. The Panel:
(a) Urged countries and international organizations to undertake
national and international action to address the complex issues related to
dry-land forest ecosystems in countries affected by desertification and
drought, inter alia, by considering such systems in national forest
programmes and other forest policies and by coordinating action, where
appropriate, at the regional level;
(b) Called on countries to continue to analyse past experiences and to
monitor trends in forests and related ecosystems affected by desertification
and drought, including biophysical, ecological, economic, social, land tenure
and institutional factors;
(c) Urged countries to establish protected areas to safeguard forest and
related ecosystems, their water supplies and historical and traditional uses
in appropriate localities in arid and semi-arid regions;
(d) Called on countries, donors and international organizations to
support education, training and participatory research involving indigenous
peoples, forest dwellers and local communities in order to develop resource
management approaches that will reduce the pressure on forests in fragile
ecosystems affected by desertification and drought;
(e) Urged countries and international organizations to strengthen and
further develop partnerships and collaboration between local communities,
governments, non-governmental organizations and other major groups in order to
enhance action on forest-related aspects of desertification and drought;
(f) Urged donors, international agencies and recipient Governments to
develop efficient and coordinated programmes of international cooperation and
action on forests and related ecosystems affected by desertification and
drought, within the context of the Convention to Combat Desertification and
the broader mandate of the Panel, the Forest Principles and Agenda 21;
(g) Invited the Committee on Science and Technology of the Conference of
the Parties to the Convention to Combat Desertification to support research on
appropriate tree species for use in arid, semi-arid and dry sub-humid land
restoration, on rehabilitation of existing vegetation and on the potential for
supplying non-timber forest products.
Impact of air pollution on forests
39. The Panel noted that air pollution is affecting forest health in many
parts of the world in addition to Europe. A preventative approach is needed,
taking account of economic factors including production and consumption
patterns. The Panel emphasized the importance of the Convention on Long-Range
Transboundary Air Pollution and welcomed the widespread and general
application of the critical loads approach adopted under that Convention. It
commended the approach for consideration by those countries whose forests are,
or may be, affected by air pollution. The potential impact on forest health
from inputs of nutrients and airborne pollutants, acting in combination with
other processes such as natural weathering and leaching, should be taken into
account in forest planning and management.
40. The Panel emphasized the need to continue monitoring and evaluating the
impact of air pollution on forest health wherever it has been demonstrated in
the world, and for information on how the countries concerned have addressed
such problems. A synthesis of knowledge of the impact of airborne pollution
on forests, particularly in Central and Eastern Europe, and an assessment of
ongoing remedial activities and proposals for possible future action should be
prepared and evaluated. The Panel also stressed the need for continuing
action to reduce air pollution, including the transfer and supply of the best
available as well as future technologies. The problem has to be solved by
action outside the forests.
41. The Panel stressed the need for international cooperation including:
information exchange; research and field data collection; evaluation of the
socioeconomic and environmental impact of air-borne pollution on forests;
studies of ecosystem function where pollutant deposition threatens
sustainability; the development of methods for assessing and monitoring
national level criteria and indicators that relate air-borne pollution to
sustainable forest management; the dissemination of information to the public;
the provision of access to existing data by potential users including managers
and policy makers; and technical assistance in order to help build capacity
for research.
Proposals for action
42. The Panel:
(a) Encouraged countries to adopt a preventative approach to the
reduction of damaging air pollution, including long-range transboundary air
pollution, in national strategies for sustainable development;
(b) Encouraged countries to cooperate in activities related to the
impact of air pollution on forest health, including the provision of access to
existing data by potential users including managers and policy makers, and
technical assistance in order to help build capacity for research and the
dissemination of information to the public;
(c) Recommended that existing regional programmes monitoring the impact
of air-borne pollution on forest health in affected countries should continue
and be extended to other regions where necessary;
(d) Encouraged the development of methods for the assessment and
monitoring of national level criteria and indicators for air-borne pollutants
in the context of sustainable forest management;
(e) Urged countries outside the ECE region to enter into binding
agreements as appropriate on the reduction of long-range transboundary air
pollution.
Needs and requirements of countries with low forest cover
43. Many of the issues arising under this heading also arise elsewhere in
this chapter and in chapter III. The Panel emphasized that actions in this
section need to be coordinated with actions, inter alia, under the Convention
on Biological Diversity, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate
Change, and the Convention to Combat Desertification and Drought.
44. The Panel recognized that there are both developed and developing
countries with low forest cover. Low forest cover can arise as a result of
natural ecological conditions as well as of human activities, and the
situation is constantly changing. Some countries are actively expanding their
forest cover, while others are approaching qualification for entry into the
low forest cover category.
45. The Panel felt that there was a need for more precise identification of
countries categorized as countries with low forest cover. The definition of
forest used by the Panel following the FAO global Forest Resource Assessment,
is that it includes vegetation with 20 per cent and 10 per cent minimum tree
crown cover for developed and developing countries respectively. This does
not have a strong scientific foundation, nor does it allow for comparability
of data on a world-wide basis. Furthermore, there is no consistent way of
classifying countries by the extent of forest, however defined, into those
with low and those with high forest cover.
46. In some countries, economic development has been historically associated
with the significant loss of forests, leading to disturbing consequences today
in terms of land degradation and social, cultural and economic hardship. The
restricted area of forests in countries with low forest cover results in
reduced capacity for the production of timber and for the provision of goods
and services, including the protection of watersheds, the supply of fuelwood,
the maintenance of biological diversity and endemic species and recreation and
amenity. Moreover, many of the forest types in these countries are
distinctive or even rare, and require national as well as international
protective measures, while the proportion included in nationally designated
protected areas is often below average.
47. The Panel recognized the seriousness of problems faced by both developing
and developed countries with low forest cover in satisfying their needs for
forest goods and services. It also recognized that, owing to economic factors
and circumstances, the impact of the problem in developing countries is much
more severe than in developed countries. The needs of low and middle income
countries with low forest cover are likely to differ from those of high income
countries, and consequently, different sets of actions to address these needs
will apply.
48. The Panel noted that NFPs or other participatory and cross-sectoral
national forest plans and strategies, may provide a good vehicle for
addressing some at least of the needs and requirements of countries with low
forest cover. They can provide a framework for analysing and considering
alternative ways of satisfying diverse demands for forest goods and services
within and outside the forest sector. While additional information may be
necessary as a basis for NFPs in countries with low forest cover, this should
not prevent the preparation of interim plans based on information already
available.
49. The Panel emphasized the importance of international cooperation to
address the management, conservation and sustainable development of forests
in low-income countries with low forest cover, particularly through financial
assistance and the transfer of technology as well as through the establishment
of appropriate research and information networks. In this connection, the
Panel noted that the increasing focus of private investments in countries with
abundant forest resources has made forest ecosystems in developing countries
with low forest cover particularly vulnerable. In these countries official
development assistance is and will continue to be the most important source of
funding. National forest programmes should be considered the main vehicle to
channel and secure the effectiveness of the required financial and technical
assistance.
Proposals for action
50. The Panel:
(a) Called upon FAO, in consultation with relevant organizations and
countries, as appropriate, to develop a precise definition of low forest
cover, applicable to all countries, and suitable for use in the Forest
Resources Assessment (FRA), 2000;
(b) Urged countries with low forest cover
(i) To seek long-term security of forest goods and services through the
development of national forest programmes for the sustainable
management of all types of forests, in accordance with the guiding
principles set out in the first section of this chapter, defining as
far as possible in those programmes their national requirements for
a permanent forest estate (PFE), in those countries that may have a
need to define a PFE as a policy goal;
(ii) If intending to enlarge their forest estate by plantations, to plan
and manage these to enhance production and provision of goods and
services, while paying due attention to all relevant social,
cultural, economic and environmental considerations in the selection
of species, areas and silviculture systems, preferring native
species where practicable, and taking special care to avoid
replacing natural ecosystems of high ecological and cultural values
with forest plantations, particularly monocultures;
(iii) To promote the natural regeneration of degraded forest areas by
involving communities and indigenous people in their protection and
management;
(iv) When considering non-wood substitutes or imports of forest products,
to fully analyse and take into account the related social, economic
and environmental implications and costs of such measures;
(v) To establish or expand networks of protected areas, buffer zones and
ecological corridors in order to conserve biodiversity, particularly
in unique types of forests, working in close liaison with the
Convention on Biological Diversity;
(vi) Particularly developing countries and countries with economies in
transition, to embark on capacity-building programmes based on
institutions at all levels to ensure efficiency and effective
participation in decision making throughout the planning and
implementation processes, and taking full advantage of the wealth of
traditional knowledge available in the country;
(vii) To develop adequate research and information systems, based on
reliable evaluations and periodic assessments, including the use of
national level criteria and indicators, and establishing sectoral
and cross-sectoral mechanisms for information exchange, in order to
allow for timely decisions related to national forest policies and
programmes;
(c) Urged developed countries endowed with suitable land and climate
conditions to take a firm lead in efforts towards the greening of the world in
accordance with principle 8 (a) of the Forest Principles, while urging
developed countries with low forest cover, but with limited land and
unsuitable climatic conditions, to assist developing countries through
adequate and appropriate transfer of technology and financial resources;
(d) Urged Governments and international organizations to develop
efficient procedures for international cooperation to support the management,
conservation and sustainable development of forests in countries with low
forest cover, especially developing countries and countries with economies in
transition, particularly through the exchange of experience and information,
financial assistance and the transfer of technology;
(e) Urged donor countries and multilateral and international
organizations to assist developing countries in data gathering and analysis so
as to monitor their forest resources;
(f) Urged Governments in need of development assistance and donor
organizations to develop further and to test the concept of forest partnership
agreements as a means to secure long-term commitments at national and
international levels.
II. INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION ON FINANCIAL
ASSISTANCE AND TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER
Financial assistance
Conclusions
51. The Panel emphasized that the issues of financial assistance and transfer
of technology are cross-cutting, interlinked and essential for the management,
conservation and sustainable development of all types of forests, particularly
in developing countries and countries with economies in transition. The Panel
reiterated that these cross-cutting issues are critical to progress in all the
other programme elements within its terms of reference.
52. In proposing measures to address these issues, the Panel emphasized the
need to take into account the Forest Principles and relevant chapters of
Agenda 21. The Panel recognized that existing resources are insufficient to
achieve the management, conservation and sustainable development of all types
of forests and that the gaps will need to be clarified.
53. The Panel recognized that in developing countries, domestic resources for
financing the management, conservation and sustainable development of all
types of forest are scarce and international financial sources remain vital.
It reiterated the need for the provision of new and additional financial
resources and emphasized the need to mobilize new, innovative and additional
forms of finance at public, private, international, domestic and local levels.
However, while recognizing the important potential in innovative financial
packages and new types of public-private partnerships, the Panel emphasized
the continuing importance of international public finance and of existing
commitments to it and the need to ensure the predictability and continuity of
flow of financial resources. The catalytic and leveraging roles of
international public funding remain essential for developing countries. The
Panel also noted the need to improve the capacity of some recipient countries
to use the financial resources that may be made available to them. It
recognized that more effective use of available finance is conducive to
attracting additional resources.
54. The financing needs for sustainable forest management at the global and
national levels must be met mainly by the revenue generated by the forest
sector itself, be it the public or private sector. Some countries, with
valuable forest estates and stronger economies, have much greater potential
for generating private sector and domestic public investment than others.
National forest programmes and similar policy instruments (chap. I) can be an
important policy tool and serve as a means of promoting, prioritizing, and
coordinating both public and private financial investments. Community
financing is also an important element in enhancing the sustained productivity
of forest resources. Experience suggests that despite their low income level
many forest-dependent communities can mobilize substantial labour, material,
and capital resources for forest development, and appropriate policy changes
can enhance this potential.
55. The Panel noted that, in general, private capital flows are growing and
are increasingly greater than public funding, but are distributed unevenly
among developing countries. This trend is also visible in the case of private
investment in forests. The Panel recognized, therefore, that it is critical
for countries to take the necessary measures to introduce appropriate policies
and create an enabling environment to attract such private sector investment.
Policies that address long-term land tenure rights and encourage local
community investment in sustainable forest management could mobilize
significant financing. Investment may be encouraged by voluntary codes of
conduct for sustainable forest management, stronger national regulations and
enforcement, full cost internalization in the pricing of renewable resources,
and various incentives for better forest management practices. Policies and
regulations should be carefully evaluated before implementation to avoid
negative social and environmental impacts and market distortions, which would
create disincentives.
56. The Panel underscored the need to fulfil the financial commitments of
Agenda 21, and especially chapter 33 of Agenda 21, with the aim of achieving
the management, conservation and sustainable development of all types of
forest, including the protection of representative forest ecosystems. Efforts
in developing countries aimed at securing additional financial resources and
technology at the domestic level need to be strengthened and should be
supplemented from international sources. ODA remains a main source of
external public funding, and has a principal aim of alleviating the poverty
which is a main cause of deforestation. It will continue to play an important
role in supporting forest related activities in developing countries
especially where it is difficult to attract financing from other sources. The
Panel expressed its concern that funding levels, including ODA, are
insufficient and declining, and that sustainable forest management is not
given sufficient priority in ODA. While there is a continuing challenge to
ensure that ODA funds for the forest sector are used as efficiently as
possible, this is independent from the issue of trends in international public
sector financing. Forest-related projects which have global environmental
benefits should also be supported through GEF programmes, under the guidance
provided by the Conference of Parties of the relevant international
instruments.
57. The Panel emphasized the need to examine ways to enhance international
cooperation. It stressed the need for the developed countries to find durable
solutions to the debt problems of low and middle income developing countries
in order to provide them with the needed means for management, conservation
and sustainable development of all types of forests. Other forms of
innovative financing should also be explored. Market-based instruments (MBIs)
such as taxes, levies, user fees, and domestic public investments could
generate additional financial resources to support activities for sustainable
forest management and conservation. A whole range of options relevant to
specific national conditions warrants further examination. Adequately valuing
forest resources, and creating markets which reward sustainable forest
management will promote the management, conservation and sustainable
development of all types of forests and generate needed public resources.
58. The Panel emphasized that in-country coordination and cooperation among
donors is crucial in view of the need to make best use of limited financial
resources. National forest programmes provide a good basis in many countries
for national and international cooperation, including setting priorities for
financial assistance and technology transfer between recipient countries and
donors.
Proposals for action to strengthen financial assistance
59. The Panel:
(a) Urged donor countries to increase the proportion of their ODA
contribution supporting programmes for management, conservation and
sustainable development of all types of forests, especially in developing
countries where private investment has remained low, and also urged recipient
countries to give greater priority to forests and forest-related national
resources development strategies when programming the ODA available to them;
(b) Requested the relevant United Nations organizations to clarify the
gap between existing resources, including ODA, available to developing
countries and those necessary to achieve management, conservation and
sustainable development of all types of forests;
(c) Urged bilateral and multilateral organizations to use NFPs as a
framework for the support and coordination of forest related activities,
including national level forest assessments;
(d) Urged countries, through appropriate channels, to support increased
and improved programmes supporting forest and forest-related activities in
multilateral organizations, including the multilateral development banks,
whose programmes should include concessional loans;
(e) Invited UNDP and the Bretton Woods institutions, together with other
relevant international organizations, to further explore innovative ways to
use existing financial mechanisms more effectively and possibilities for
generating additional forest-specific public and private financial resources
at both the domestic and the international level.
Proposals for action to enhance private sector investment
60. The Panel:
(a) Urged all countries to attract private sector investment and favour
sustainable forest management by formulating and adopting, in cooperation with
the private sector and other major groups including indigenous peoples and
local communities, policies, regulations and incentives including the full
pricing of renewable resources and [voluntary] codes that will guide
investments, concessions and sustainable forest management;
(b) Urged developing countries to adjust their policies and regulations
to create a favourable environment to attract domestic and foreign private
sector, as well as local community investment for sustainable forest
management, environmentally sound forest-based industries, reforestation,
non-wood forest product industries, and conservation and protection of
forests;
(c) Urged developed countries to formulate and create incentives,
including tax breaks and loan and investment guarantees, to encourage their
private sector to act consistently with and invest in the sustainable
management and utilization of forests in developing countries as well as in
countries with economies in transition.
Proposals for action to enhance national capacity and national
coordination
61. The Panel:
(a) Urged countries to reflect their national priorities on forest
related issues adequately in their negotiations and agreements on
international cooperation, and to establish country-driven NFPs that include
priority needs and that serve as an overall framework for forest related
policies and actions including coordination of financing and international
cooperation, and urged donor agencies to finance national initiatives aimed at
creating such programmes in developing countries;
(b) Encouraged countries in a position to do so to continue to develop
and employ appropriate market-based instruments and incentives such as user
fees, increased rent capture, and levies, as tools to mobilize domestic
financial resources in support of sustainable forest management, as well as to
reduce social costs and negative environmental impacts due to unsustainable
forest and land management practices;
(c) Encouraged countries to emphasize community financing as a
fundamental strategy to enhance forest productivity and the sustainable use of
forest resources, and to this end to establish policy and programmatic
mechanisms and instruments that facilitate local investments, in cash or kind,
in forest development;
(d) Encouraged countries to decentralize the planning and implementation
of development activities, wherever possible, to the district or other
appropriate sub-national levels, and to give incentives to the private sector,
non-governmental organizations and community based organizations at the levels
selected;
(e) Encouraged all concerned national bodies, including finance
ministries, the private sector, national and commercial banks, environmental
and forestry funds, grass-roots lending associations, forest industries,
forest owners, sectoral authorities at national and sub-national levels and
external funding organizations, to be involved in planning, implementation and
monitoring processes through appropriate institutional and legal frameworks;
(f) Encouraged the pooling of national resources, including funds,
technologies and scientific and human resources, where appropriate and
applicable, as a means of improving efficiency and effectiveness;
(g) Called upon countries to give priority to sustainable forest
management in programming the ODA available to them and to formulate policies
and incentives and create an enabling environment that encourages the
development and use of environmentally sound technologies;
(h) Suggested that countries identify a national authority responsible
for in-country coordination in the deployment of financial resources,
including ODA, and in requests for external assistance, and invited countries
also to select an external agency to assist Governments with in-country donor
coordination.
Proposals for action to enhance international cooperation
62. The Panel:
(a) Called for enhanced coordination, collaboration and complementarity
of activities among bilateral and multilateral donors and between
international instruments related to forests, notably the Convention on
Biological Diversity and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate
Change;
(b) Called for the provision of a better flow, to both the policy and
operational levels, of synthesized information on programme progress, policy
development, best practices and lending strategies, including through the
establishment of specialized databases;
(c) Urged the exploration, as a priority activity, of appropriate
indicators for monitoring and evaluating the adequacy and effectiveness of
programmes and projects supported by international cooperation in financial
assistance and technology transfer;
(d) Encouraged countries to explore the feasibility of innovative
financial packages such as voluntary partnerships for sustainable forest
management and other forest-related activities based on pooled resources and
supporting comprehensive national forest programmes;
(e) Called for the establishment of mandatory coordination, both
in-country and at the international level, among intergovernmental
organizations within the United Nations system.
Technology transfer and capacity-building and information
63. There is an unprecedented accumulation of technological capability in the
world today, including for forestry. However, much of it remains largely
unrecognized, underutilized and inadequately shared. Nevertheless,
technological innovations are critical. The Panel emphasized that the
transfer of environmentally sound technology in the forest sector, in
accordance with principle 11 of the Forest Principles, is an important part of
strategies for enabling countries to manage, conserve and sustainably develop
their forests. The potential of particular technologies for transfer needs to
be assessed in consultation with all interested parties such as governments,
non-governmental organizations, the private sector, scientists, and local
communities.
64. The Panel noted that as technology mainly resides in the North, and in
particular in the private domain, there is a considerable potential for
North-South cooperation in technology transfer, under favourable conditions,
including on concessional and preferential terms for developing countries.
However, owing to similarities of forest types, institutions and culture,
there is also a considerable potential for South-South cooperation in
conjunction with, and as a complement to North-South cooperation.
65. The Panel noted that developed countries bear a special responsibility
for facilitating the creation of conditions for the conservation and
sustainable use of forest biological diversity, inter alia, through
constructive approaches to the transfer and equitable sharing of technologies
and financial resources to strengthen the capabilities of indigenous peoples,
forest dwellers and local communities for sustainable forest management.
66. The Panel agreed that priority in technology transfer and
capacity-building should be established and continuously reviewed and could
include information dissemination to improve forest and land-use planning and
improvement of forest yields; technology and methods that reduce environmental
damages due to current forestry practices; conservation and protection; native
species research, including biotechnology, for tree improvement,
rehabilitation, reforestation and nursery development; technology and methods
for retaining forest values, including biological diversity; incorporation of
indigenous knowledge in forest management, utilization, rehabilitation and
regeneration; new and renewable sources of energy, in particular fuelwood and
its appropriate substitutes; environmentally sound forest harvesting
technologies; enhancement of technologies regarding wood processing and the
development of new non-wood and wood forest products, to promote techniques
and design in order to add more aggregate value for forest products; and
development and implementation of national forest strategies.
67. The Panel emphasized the need to review and improve information systems.
Attention should be given to worldwide access to information systems that
would encourage effective implementation of national forest programmes,
increased private sector investment, efficient development and transfer of
appropriate technologies, and improved cooperation. Internet-based
information systems should allow easy access and information-sharing among
multilateral agencies, countries' institutions, non-governmental organizations
and other interested parties.
Proposals for action to enhance technology transfer and capacity-building
68. The Panel:
(a) Encouraged countries to assess and explicitly identify their
national technological requirements in order to achieve the sustainable
management, conservation and sustainable development of their forests. The
assessment and identification of specific technology needs should be
consistent with recognized priorities within national forest programmes, and
other national policy frameworks;
(b) Called upon countries to formulate policies and incentives that
encourage all concerned to develop and use environmentally sound technologies;
(c) Called for the promotion of North-South, South-South as well as
trilateral North-South-South cooperation in forest related technology transfer
through public and private sector investment, joint ventures, exchange of
information and greater networking among forest related institutions, taking
due note of related work being conducted in other international forums,
notably the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological
Diversity;
(d) Called for greater emphasis on national capacity-building in the
development of national forest programmes and in international cooperation
programmes;
(e) Urged donor countries and multilateral organizations to support
capacity-building in data-gathering as part of national forest programmes and
forest resource assessments and to strengthen national institutions for forest
assessment.
Proposals for action to improve information systems
69. The Panel:
(a) Invited relevant multilateral forest agencies and international
organizations to review and initiate the development of improved information
systems that support activities for the management, conservation and
sustainable development of all types of forests, particularly so as to
encourage effective implementation of national forest programmes, the
provision of new and additional financial resources, increased private sector
investment, and improved cooperation, efficient development and transfer of
appropriate technologies, and improved coordination and data sharing among
interested parties;
(b) Urged developed countries and appropriate international
organizations to establish mechanisms to assist the interpretation and
dissemination of information relevant to sustainable forest management to
those countries and interested parties who have difficulties in accessing
internationally available information, including dissemination through
electronic means.
III. SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH, FOREST ASSESSMENT AND THE
DEVELOPMENT OF CRITERIA AND INDICATORS FOR
SUSTAINABLE FOREST MANAGEMENT
Assessment of the multiple benefits of all types of forests
Conclusions
70. The Panel emphasized that national inventories are an important basis for
effective national forest programmes. Assessment of the actual and potential
conditions of all types of forests is central to sustainable forest
management, and to a wide range of other considerations related to forests and
forest ecosystems at the local, national, regional and global level.
Inadequate recognition of the contribution of forests to national economies
has in many cases led to deforestation, forest degradation and under-
investment in forest management.
71. The database regarding forest types in both developed and developing
countries is uneven. Much attention is still given to timber and forest
cover, whereas other goods and services provided by forests such as fuelwood,
the sustainable use, conservation and equitable sharing of benefits of
biological diversity, soil and water protection functions, carbon
sequestration and other social, cultural and economic aspects are rarely
covered.
72. Forest assessments at the national level should adopt an integrated and
holistic multidisciplinary approach and be user-oriented and demand-driven.
Such assessment programmes should be transparent and accessible to all
interested parties. Further study would be needed to define the levels of
precision required and the specific needs of different users including forest
managers. Assessment programmes should fully utilize the data already
collected and analyses already carried out by local, national, regional and
international institutions. Efforts should be made to harmonize approaches to
data collection and analysis in order to enhance comparability.
73. The Panel emphasized that assessment data already in the public domain,
including remote sensing information, should be disseminated effectively. The
use of existing FAO data, in combination with other data sets, offers a rich
potential to address urgent questions in a cost-effective manner. The Panel
also recognized that data interpretation in response to user needs is
necessary. Consequently, a study of uses and categories of users of forest
resources and related information at the international, regional, national and
local levels is required. This would be particularly important when
discussing new types of information to be included in the Global Forest
Resources Assessment.
74. International and national forest assessments should take full account of
appropriate internationally agreed criteria and indicators for sustainable
forest management. The need to include qualitative as well as quantitative
information on forest goods and services was stressed. The Panel agreed on
the need to include new parameters as well as the need to develop techniques
to accomplish this. However, priority should be given to the provision of
reliable and high-quality core data.
75. The Panel further noted that capacity-building at the national and local
levels was crucial, and should involve all interested parties, including
forest owners, local communities, indigenous peoples, and other major groups.
Forest assessments should be multidisciplinary and involve data collection and
analysis by local, national and, possibly, regional as well as international
institutions. Enhanced national capacity was considered essential for high-
quality national inputs to the global Forest Resources Assessment (FRA) 2000
being organized by FAO.
76. The Panel expressed strong support for FRA 2000 and the arrangements
being made following the recommendations of the FAO Expert Consultation on
Global Forest Assessment in Finland in June 1996 (Kotka III) and urged FAO in
consultation with countries and interested organizations, to prepare a
strategic plan for assessing global forest resources and a detailed plan for
the implementation of Global FRA 2000, including detailed cost and funding
options and target dates. The Panel noted the importance of ecofloristic zone
and vegetation maps as tools for the FRA 2000 process, together with
appropriate qualitative parameters and criteria and indicators defined through
the Helsinki and Montreal Processes, the Dry Zone of Africa initiative, the
Tarapoto Proposal and the ITTO Guidelines.
77. The Panel took note of the recommendation of Kotka III to maintain the
current 10-year interval between global forest resources assessments.
However, the possibility of rolling assessments by region could also be
considered together with the possibility of updating of data at regular
intervals, taking into account the financial and resource implications for
FAO, as well as for developing and developed countries of meeting such
requirements. FRA 2000 should be a partnership exercise facilitated by FAO
but also involving United Nations organizations, national institutions and
other interested parties, including relevant major groups. Cooperation at the
national level should involve all interested parties, both within and outside
the forest sector.
78. While recognizing the value of remote sensing techniques and geographical
information systems for forest assessments, the Panel noted the need for
ground confirmation of some parameters. Assessments impose a significant
financial and technical burden on developing countries, and should therefore
be carried out in the most cost-effective manner and be assisted by developed
countries and international organizations. Coordination was needed between
forest and other related information systems, and demanded both North-South
and South-South cooperation.
79. Resources available for FRA 2000 in FAO's regular budget and at the
national level are severely limited. The Panel stressed the urgency of
identifying existing or additional financial resources which would ensure an
effective process. Consideration should be given to establishing methods by
which users would provide resources for data collection.
Proposals for action
80. The Panel:
(a) Encouraged Governments and FAO to integrate national level criteria
and indicators for sustainable forest management in forest assessments where
appropriate. This should be done in a way which is cost-effective and
scientifically sound, while recognizing differences in national economies and
cultures. While some indicators are quantitative, those for some other
important goods, services and cultural values are qualitative but should still
be included;
(b) Urged Governments, universities and relevant organizations and major
groups to strengthen research on forest inventory and monitoring techniques
with a view to expanding the scope and improving the quality of forest
assessments in a cost-effective manner;
(c) Requested FAO, in consultation with Governments and relevant
organizations, to prepare and distribute a detailed plan for the
implementation of FRA 2000. This should provide for the inclusion of a broad
range of forest values, including non-timber values, and include detailed cost
and funding options associated with potential new parameters, actions, targets
and responsibilities for carrying out the assessment in accordance with the
recommendations of the Kotka III meeting and with due regard to the
requirements arising from internationally agreed criteria and indicators for
sustainable forest management;
(d) Requested FAO to take the lead in the formulation of an
internationally acceptable and agreed set of definitions of key terms used in
the assessment of all types of forests and their resources;
(e) Urged FAO, in partnership with other international organizations,
the Intersecretariat Working Group on Forest Statistics, national institutions
and NGOs, to address the need for better coordination and avoidance of overlap
between forest and other related information systems and to update and
prioritize data requirements to avoid collection of non-priority information.
Forest research
Conclusions
81. The Panel recognized the need to strengthen research, which was relevant
to all the programme elements of its programme of work. There was need for a
more comprehensive and focused approach, including support to regional
research networks. Enhanced international efforts for more focused and
effective funding and coordination of forest-related research and development
were also required.
82. The Panel also took note of the recommendations on priorities for
scientific research on biological diversity and forests made by the second
meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological
Advice of the Convention on Biological Diversity. The Panel also recognized
the important role of the Committee on Science and Technology of the
Convention to Combat Desertification in addressing many of the forest related
scientific issues and research needs as regards arid zones.
83. The Panel recognized that institutional needs include the strengthening
of existing national research institutions; subregional and regional networks;
joint research ventures; approaches to enhancing and strengthening of existing
international, regional, subregional and national forest research
institutions' participation in an international network dedicated to
conservation and sustainable development, management and utilization of
forests and forest policy research; and the creation of appropriate mechanisms
that enable research findings to reach policy and field levels more
effectively and to support concrete action.
84. The Panel recognized the importance in developing and identifying
research priorities at all levels: national, with the involvement of local
communities and other interested parties; regional; and international. The
Panel noted that some of the research priorities relevant to further the
understanding and implementation of chapter 11 of Agenda 21 and the Forest
Principles and that are in need of comprehensive intergovernmental examination
include the development of criteria and indicators for sustainable forest
management, including their testing at field level in pilot studies;
integrated site-specific socio-economic and biophysical studies to explore the
relationship between human development and forests; periodic forest
assessment; valuation of forests and forest resources; the use of forest
valuation in national resource accounts; community participation, including
the adoption of participatory rural appraisal and other participatory
techniques to determine research and technology development agendas; TFRK;
forest conservation, including human impact on protected forest areas;
consideration of the long-term impacts of pervasive external stresses such as
climate change, ozone depletion and air pollution on forest health,
productivity and biodiversity; examination of trends in supply of, and demand
for, forest products; forest policy at national, regional and global levels;
and environmentally sound technologies for forest-based industries, including
cost-effective processing techniques.
Proposals for action
85. The Panel:
(a) Requested the Centre for International Forestry Research (CIFOR),
the International Centre for Research in Agroforestry (ICRAF), the
International Union of Forestry Research Organizations (IUFRO), FAO, UNESCO,
ITTO and the International Boreal Forest Research Association (IBFRA), in
consultation with a group of internationally recognized experts and in
conjunction with national, regional, intergovernmental and non-governmental
bodies, to propose measures to focus and improve coordination of forest
research and development, possibly through the development of a strategic
framework for a global forest research network, making full use of existing
organizations and providing for improvement to the system of commissioning,
providing and implementing research on priority areas. In this context,
mechanisms should be proposed for enhancing the flow of information and
research results to those engaged in policy formulation and implementation;
(b) Called on the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and
Technological Advice of the Convention on Biological Diversity and the
Committee on Science and Technology of the Convention to Combat
Desertification to ensure that research and analysis undertaken by these
Conventions addresses gaps in existing knowledge identified by the Panel as
effectively as possible.
Methodologies for the proper valuation of the multiple
benefits of forests
Conclusions
86. The Panel stressed that forests provide a wide range of benefits, not all
of which are easy to quantify. The costs associated with deforestation,
forest degradation and changes in forest quality, in terms of losses of
biological diversity, impaired biological functions, and reduced social values
are not adequately covered by present methodologies. However, this
shortcoming is due as much to the inability to assess the nature and
significance of biophysical ecological and social impacts resulting from
forest loss as to uncertainty about how to assess their costs.
87. The Panel recognized the importance of the services provided by forests,
including those relating to global biological diversity and climate
regulation, and the potential for developing mechanisms to translate these
values into monetary terms to encourage forest owners, forest dwellers,
indigenous populations and local communities to conserve forests and manage
them sustainably. Further discussion on these issues should take place in the
context of the Convention on Biological Diversity and the United Nations
Framework Convention on Climate Change. The Panel took note of the input
received from the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological
Diversity with respect to the need to develop methodologies for valuing forest
biodiversity.
88. Undervaluation of forest goods and services and of other forest
attributes, including non-market benefits, contributes to unsustainable forest
management. The Panel recognized the difference between value and price, and
noted that market mechanisms were not always appropriate or available to give
monetary expression to key forest values, leading to the misconception that
sustainable forest management is expensive and not cost-effective.
89. The Panel emphasized that the economic value of forests depends on the
characteristics of particular forest areas and their locational relationships
with people and markets. These characteristics vary both spatially and in
time and, as a result, forest valuation estimates are usually site- and time-
specific. Nevertheless, there is considerable benefit in different countries
sharing experiences with the application of particular valuation techniques
and instruments designed to capture a higher share of benefits for forest
owners and forest dwelling people.
90. A variety of methodologies has been developed to aid in the valuation of
forest benefits that were previously considered intangible and not amenable to
measurement. They can be used in all types of forests to improve the
description of a wide range of social, cultural and environmental benefits,
including those associated with hydrological functions, soil conservation,
biological diversity and amenity. While these methodologies have many
limitations, they could help improve decision-making by more clearly defining
the costs and benefits associated with different patterns of forest use, and
by indicating the scope for applying various measures to internalize
environmental and social costs. The results of this valuation, when applied
as a neutral tool, are an important potential source of information to all
interested parties, and for increasing public awareness, particularly about
currently non-marketable forest goods and services.
91. Although the Panel recognized the potential usefulness of forest
valuation methodologies, it felt that their complexity and the costs involved
may limit their widespread application. The Panel emphasized that innovative
and simple scientific valuation methods were needed especially those related
to criteria and indicators and national forest programmes. Expensive
valuation exercises should not be performed at the expense of more pressing
basic needs, such as the development and application of reliable data systems,
and the development of strategies and mechanisms to achieve sustainable forest
management. Economic valuation is only one of many considerations for
decision-making on forests, and cannot become a substitute for the process of
political decision, which includes consideration of wide-ranging
environmental, socio-economic, ethical, cultural and religious concerns.
92. New forest valuation methodologies should take into account the following
criteria: neutrality and scientific validity, practical applicability,
simplicity and clarity, multidisciplinarity, cost-effectiveness, orientation
towards currently non-marketable goods and difficult to quantify services and
sensitivity to the values of forest dwellers, indigenous people, forest owners
and local communities.
93. The Panel noted the need for international cooperation in the development
of methodologies for the valuation of forest goods and services and their
inclusion in national accounts. This could include training for staff as well
as decision makers and work on ways and means to promote public awareness.
The need to exchange experience and to establish pilot studies and schemes was
emphasized.
94. The Panel expressed support for national forest resource accounting as a
means of providing strategic information for forest policy and management at
the national and sub-national level and creating awareness of the value of
forest goods and services.
Proposals for action
95. The Panel:
(a) Encouraged countries and international agencies to make use of
available methodologies to provide improved estimates of the value of all
forest goods and services and allow for more informed decision-making about
the implications of alternative proposals for forest programmes and land-use
plans;
(b) Encouraged countries to develop and apply methodologies and
mechanisms appropriate to their legal and economic circumstances, such as the
setting of area fees, royalties and taxation to ensure that an appropriate
proportion of the economic rent is available after deduction of the costs of
production and an appropriate level of profit. The net economic rent could be
used to improve the sustainable management of forests in a step-by-step
process involving training, capacity-building, industrial reconversion, and to
provide benefits to people living in or dependent on forests;
(c) Requested that a matrix be prepared matching the available forest
valuation methods and data-sets required for the evaluation of goods and
services, in particular those that are not traded in the market place, at the
local, national, regional and international levels;
(d) Encouraged countries and relevant international agencies and
institutions to promote research to further develop forest valuation
methodologies, in particular those related to degradation, deforestation,
criteria and indicators. These should fully recognize the ecological, social,
cultural and spiritual values of forests, and should support collective
decision-making that involves interested parties, such as indigenous peoples,
forest dwellers, forest owners and local communities.
Criteria and indicators for sustainable forest management
Conclusions
96. The Panel noted the widespread international interest in and support for
the development and implementation of criteria and indicators for sustainable
forest management at the national level. It emphasized the dynamic nature of
this process, and that the present momentum of action must be sustained.
97. The Panel recognized that criteria and indicators provide a conceptual
framework for policy formulation and should be considered as useful tools for
assessing trends in forest conditions, for reporting on the state of forests
and for achieving sustainable forest management, especially at the forest
management unit level. Criteria define the essential elements of sustainable
forest management, while indicators provide a basis for assessing progress
towards it. Criteria and indicators can therefore play an important role in
defining the goals of national forest programmes and policies and evaluating
the effectiveness with which they are implemented. Because they reflect
components of sustainable forest management, they collectively contribute to
its development as a concept.
98. There is need for a broad spectrum of quantitative, qualitative and
descriptive indicators covering social, cultural, economic, ecological,
institutional, legal and policy elements, including land tenure. Aspects of
forests and woodlands that are essential in meeting the subsistence needs of
indigenous people, forest dwellers and other local communities including
forest owners require special attention in some countries. Not all essential
attributes of forests can be defined in quantitative terms, but this does not
diminish the importance of qualitative characterizations. In many national,
regional and international initiatives, both quantitative, qualitative and
descriptive indicators have already been established.
99. While recognizing that national-level criteria and indicators may play an
important role in clarifying issues related to forest certification and the
labelling of forest products, the Panel emphasized that the development of
criteria and indicators is primarily intended for promoting and monitoring
sustainable forest management, and not for imposing certification schemes.
Criteria and indicators are not performance standards for certifying
management at the forest management unit level and should not be made a basis
for restriction of trade. The Panel also emphasized that criteria and
indicators for sustainable forest management should not be used as grounds for
conditionality in the provision of ODA.
100. The Panel stressed the need for further efforts to reach internationally
acceptable and agreed definitions of key concepts and terms relating to
criteria and indicators for sustainable forest management, and methodologies
for data collection. These terminologies and approaches must be compatible
with those used in other related fields, such as inventory, assessment and
valuation, environmental assessment, NFPs, land-use plans and trade-related
forest issues.
101. The Panel stressed that criteria and indicators should be used at the
national and at the forest management unit or equivalent level. It welcomed
the efforts made to clarify the links between the criteria and indicators
appropriate at the national level and those applicable to the sub-national and
forest management unit level, and emphasized that these must be compatible.
It recognized, however, that these links will vary from country to country and
may require further examination. Criteria and indicators for use at the
national and sub-national levels should be formulated through a transparent
process involving all interested parties, including forest dwellers,
indigenous people and local communities, as well as forest owners and major
groups, where applicable. Criteria and indicators for application at the
national level should be practical, scientifically based and cost-effective
and reflect, inter alia, economic, social and ecological circumstances.
102. The Panel noted that a number of countries are participating actively in
international and regional initiatives aimed at defining and implementing
national-level criteria and indicators for sustainable forest management.
This cooperation has enabled countries to benefit from the experience of
others and at the same time to bring new dimensions and ideas into the
international processes. While recognizing that the countries currently
involved are at different stages in the process, the Panel stressed the need
for further progress towards consensus. The Panel also urged continuing
efforts to involve those countries and regions which are not yet participating
in these initiatives. The Panel supported the promotion of ways and means to
maximize the exchange of information, experience and technical knowledge at
the global level, and in particular between the continuing regional and
international initiatives.
103. The Panel placed particular emphasis on the need to involve regions and
subregions with distinctive ecological and geographical characteristics, and
countries with low forest cover. It also agreed that the development of
appropriate criteria and indicators for application at regional levels, in
particular for forests in similar ecological zones, should be considered. The
Panel also emphasized the need for efforts to enhance comparability,
compatibility and eventual convergence between various international and
regional processes on the development and implementation of criteria and
indicators, and stressed the importance of mutual recognition of ongoing and
planned initiatives.
104. The Panel [recognized]/[had divergent views on] the merits of a core set
of criteria and indicators for use at the global level, while noting that
there needed to be consistency in the methodology employed in global forest
assessments. [Nonetheless, it was convinced of the value of a set of criteria
and indicators wide enough to be used at the global level, rather than a
reduced core set that might prevent the mutual recognition of regional and
national initiatives, the exchange of information, and the further elaboration
on the issues of best forest practices and voluntary codes.]
Proposals for action
105. The Panel:
(a) Encouraged countries to proceed to prepare national-level criteria
and indicators for sustainable forest management and, where appropriate, to
implement them even though they may still be imperfect and incomplete, while
recognizing that further scientific and technical examination, including field
testing, will itself provide valuable experience and assist in further
development;
(b) Urged Governments to promote the use of regionally and nationally
agreed criteria and indicators and to consider their use in promoting best
available forest practices and to facilitate certifying forest management; to
ensure that criteria and indicators are formulated and implemented on a cross-
sectoral basis; to include them in national forest programmes, land-use plans
or other relevant policy frameworks and in connection with voluntary codes as
appropriate; to establish clear links between criteria and indicators employed
at the national level and at the sub-national or management unit level; and to
ensure that they are compatible with criteria and indicators developed at the
international level;
(c) Encouraged countries not yet participating in any of the ongoing
international and regional initiatives on criteria and indicators to become
involved as soon as possible, thereby gaining benefit from the experience of
the existing processes as well as contributing new insights; and urged donor
countries, and multilateral and international organizations to provide
technical and financial assistance to developing countries and economies in
transition to enable them to be involved and to participate in the further
development, field testing and implementation of criteria and indicators at
the national, sub-national and forest management unit levels;
(d) Requested FAO, other international agencies and participants in
international and regional initiatives to explore possibilities for
international agreement on concepts, essential terms and definitions concerned
with criteria and indicators for sustainable forest management; on indicators
for forests in similar ecological zones; on the mutual recognition of and
convergence between sets of criteria and indicators for application at the
national level defined in different international and regional initiatives;
and on transparent methods for measurement of indicators and for the
collection, assembly, storage and dissemination of data;
(e) Recommended that FAO and participants in regional and international
initiatives draw on commonalities between criteria and indicators developed in
the latter and on the Forest Principles [to develop global reference criteria
which would represent the common denominator of all regional and international
sets of criteria], and recommended that criteria and indicators be used by FAO
and other relevant organizations in order to improve consistency on reporting
on forest assessment and sustainable forest management;
(f) Requested that the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on
Biological Diversity take note of existing criteria and indicators frameworks
with a view to ensuring that the work done by the Convention on Biological
Diversity on developing and implementing biodiversity indicators would be
consistent with and complementary to them.
IV. TRADE AND ENVIRONMENT IN RELATION TO FOREST
PRODUCTS AND SERVICES
Conclusions
106. The Panel agreed that trade in forest products and services, which are
derived from renewable and environmentally friendly resources, should be
promoted as an important means of contributing to sustainable development. It
recognized the importance of promoting sustainable forest management through
mutually supportive trade and environmental policies, and ensuring that trade
policies do not have an adverse impact on the management, conservation and
sustainable development of forests. However, it also recognized the wide
range and complexity of the issues associated with this topic. A continuing
process of consensus-building is needed, including the exploration of the
possible need for an agreement on trade in forest products and voluntary codes
of conduct to facilitate and improve trade in forest products in specific
areas. In view of the complexity of these issues, better coordination of work
carried out by relevant international agencies is essential.
107. The Panel emphasized that the issues of trade and environment relating
to forest products and services should be addressed in a holistic manner,
taking into account chapter 11 of Agenda 21 and the Forest Principles. It
recognized, however, that there was inadequate information on both domestic
and international trade in non-wood products and forest services. Further
studies and data gathering are needed to overcome these gaps in future. The
analyses and measures taken must accord with World Trade Organization rules.
[In special circumstances, trade measures may be necessary to achieve
environmental objectives, but these should be instituted only through
established national and international legal mechanisms and as a last resort
when all other options have been exhausted.]
108. The Panel's conclusions regarding market access, the relative
competitiveness of forest products, the promotion of lesser-used species,
certification and labelling, full-cost internalization and market transparency
are noted in the following paragraphs.
109. The Uruguay Round of multilateral trade negotiations made significant
progress in improving market access for forest products, especially in terms
of reducing tariffs for all types of forest products. Yet barriers to
international trade in forest products, particularly non-tariff barriers,
could still impede access of forest products to the international market.
Trade-related measures should be consistent with the Forest Principles, and
multilaterally agreed trade laws and practices, and be effective in advancing
their stated purpose.
110. Forest products obtained from sustainably managed forests may be
considered to be environmentally friendly. Competition between different
products from different regions, and between wood and non-wood alternatives is
inevitable. It need not constrain national or global efforts to achieve
sustainable forest management, but could have serious implications for markets
for specific forest products in the future. Further economic and market
studies, therefore, should be carried out to determine how best to use markets
and economic instruments to promote sustainable forest management.
111. For the majority of developing countries, exports of processed products
represent a small proportion of their total roundwood production. Additional
efforts, therefore, should be geared towards promoting more environmentally
sound downstream processing industries and exports of processed products,
consistent with sustainable forest management, in order to increase their
contribution to sustainable economic development and to increase export
earnings.
112. The Panel noted that producer countries and international institutions
have undertaken many efforts and initiatives to promote lesser used species in
the international market. Progress is still very limited, but the efforts
should continue and be extended to temperate and boreal species.
113. International attention to the issues of certification of forest
management and labelling of forest products should be put into perspective.
To date, only a small proportion of the global trade in forest products and a
small area of the world's forests are influenced by these practices. Because
of inadequate information and relatively few real world experiences, it is
still too early to assess objectively their full potential in promoting
sustainable forest management. More studies and information are required to
clarify various uncertainties including: the impacts of certification on
forest enterprises and markets; the competitiveness of forest products; the
economic and non-economic costs and benefits; the demand for certified
products; [the feasibility of country certification]; the use of criteria and
indicators; the governance and credibility of certification schemes in the
context of consistency with international agreements; and the role of
Government as a regulator and in some countries also as resource owner.
114. The Panel recognized that voluntary certification and labelling schemes
are among many potentially useful tools that can be employed to promote the
sustainable management of forests. Certification is primarily related to the
implementation of sustainable forest management, while labelling is applied to
products and is primarily a means for marketing. In view of potential
proliferation of schemes, there is ongoing debate about the need for common
understanding, equivalent or comparable standards and mutual recognition.
115. The Panel accepted that Governments have a critical role in promoting
effective sustainable forest management systems. However, because
certification has thus far been developed as a voluntary private initiative,
different views expressed on the roles of Governments and intergovernmental
institutions in the development or regulation of certification systems require
further clarification. In considering possible roles for governments, bearing
in mind the fact that certification is a market driven process, distinctions
should be made between the roles of Governments as regulators, as promoters of
public policy and, in some countries, as forest owners. [The Panel did not
endorse the concept of country certification and emphasized that voluntary
certification should apply at the forest management unit level.] [The role of
Governments should be recognized, however, in ensuring transparency, full
participation of interested parties, non-discrimination, and open access to
certification schemes.] [Certification should observe sovereignty, and be
transparent and rational.]
116. [The Panel recognized that as certification and labelling programmes
develop, some eco-labelling programmes are likely to use certification as one
of the factors in granting an eco-label for particular forest products.]
International efforts should focus on ensuring that existing and new
certification and labelling schemes are open and avoid arbitrary or
unjustified discrimination in respect of types of forests or forest products,
forest owners, managers and operators, are not used as a form of disguised
protectionism, and are not in conflict with World Trade Organization rules.
117. Full-cost internalization may contribute significantly to sustainable
forest management in the long term. Without it, socioeconomic and
environmental costs may not be fully reflected in and addressed by the market,
with the result that unsustainable practices appear more attractive than
sustainable forest management. Only limited consensus exists on concepts,
definitions, measurements, techniques and data requirements to introduce
environmental costs into pricing mechanisms. Exchange of information on
various research findings and experiences in relation to costs and policy
mechanisms are encouraged to facilitate discussion and policy development.
118. Greater market transparency has the potential to promote the mutually
supportive roles of trade and environment in the forest sector. Improved
market transparency would also help to address issues such as illegal
international trade in forest products, transfer pricing and market
distortions. Despite some ongoing efforts by relevant agencies, there has
been little progress in improving market transparency for trade in forest
products, and the Panel agreed that further efforts should be encouraged.
Proposals for action on market access
119. The Panel:
(a) Urged countries and relevant international organizations to study
the expected and actual environmental and social effects of trade measures
affecting forest products;
(b) Requested each member country of the World Trade Organization to
undertake measures for improving market access for forest products, goods and
services, including further reduction of tariff and non-tariff barriers to
trade, to ensure that trade in sustainably produced forest products and
environment are mutually supportive, and to avoid conflict between measures
which affect trade in forest products and the Organization's rules;
(c) Urged countries to explore the possible need for voluntary codes of
conduct for forest owners, forest developers, and international investors in
forestry aimed at improving trade in forest products, and to ensure that
external trade policies are not at the expense of community rights over State
forest lands and products;
(d) Recommended that Governments and appropriate international
organizations explore the possible need for an agreement on trade in forest
products from all types of forests;
(e) Urged countries to remove all unilateral bans and boycotts
inconsistent with the rules of the international trade system, including those
imposed by local governments.
Proposals for action on the relative competitiveness of forest products
120. The Panel:
(a) Called upon relevant agencies to support efforts to gather more
information and conduct more independent market and economic studies of
potential competition between different forest products, products from
different regions of origin, and wood and non-wood substitutes, analysing the
costs and benefits including any substitution and the overall impact on
sustainable forest management of all types of forests;
(b) Urged developed countries and relevant international organizations
to support efforts by developing countries, within the context of wider
policies and programmes for sustainable forest management to increase their
productivity and efficiency in downstream processing activities and to promote
community-based processing and marketing of wood and non-timber forest
products.
Proposals for action on lesser used species
121. The Panel:
(a) Called upon relevant agencies to intensify efforts to promote
sustainably produced forest products of lesser used species from all types of
forests, in the international market;
(b) Urged producer countries to implement policies which are compatible
and consistent with sustainable forest management for the exploitation of
lesser used species;
(c) Urged international agencies and research institutions to support
national and community level efforts to develop technologies, including
traditional forest related knowledge, to increase utilization of lesser used
species.
Proposals for action on certification and labelling
122. The Panel:
(a) Urged countries and international organizations, including the World
Trade Organization, to recognize the potential positive relationship between
sustainable forest management, trade, and certification and labelling schemes,
to ensure that such schemes are not used as a form of disguised protectionism,
and to ensure that they do not conflict with international trade rules,
including the WTO Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade;
(b) Urged member countries of the World Trade Organization to highlight
the principal concepts of the Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade that
may be relevant to proposals for certification and labelling and to support
the application to certification schemes of the principles of:
(i) Open access and non-discrimination in respect of all types of
forests, forest owners, managers and operators' credibility;
(ii) Non-deceptiveness;
(iii) Cost-effectiveness;
(iv) Participation that seeks to involve all interested parties,
including local communities;
(v) Practicability and direct relationship to sustainable forest
management;
(vi) Encouragement for the acceptance of "equivalent" standards and
"mutual recognition";
(c) Urged relevant international organizations to carry out further
studies on various aspects of certification, including:
(i) Efficiency in promoting sustainable forest management;
(ii) The need to take account of criteria and indicator frameworks;
(iii) The potential role of governments in relation to the development,
implementation, promotion and mutual recognition of voluntary
certification and labelling schemes;
(iv) The special needs of the owners of small forests;
(v) The need to monitor practical experience with certification;
(vi) Accreditation and the development of consistent terminology;
(d) Urged countries to consider the work undertaken by the CIFOR project
on certification schemes, which might provide tools to improve credibility,
effectiveness and comparability and thus facilitate mutual recognition of
criteria and indicator frameworks;
(e) Called upon countries and relevant agencies dealing with trade in
forest products, including ITTO, UNCTAD and the Convention on International
Trade in endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, to bring the current
emphasis on certification into perspective, and promote international
harmonization and mutual recognition of standards among various certification
and labelling schemes, in an effort to facilitate and promote trade in forest
products, with the ultimate objective of sustainable forest management;
(f) Called upon relevant agencies to make arrangements for a continuous
exchange of information and experience on certification and labelling schemes
in appropriate forums to ensure transparency.
Proposal for action on full-cost internalization
123. The Panel:
(a) Called upon countries and relevant international agencies concerned
with forestry and trade to examine mechanisms for full cost internalization
and undertake market and economic analyses of their implications for forest
management and development costs and for sustainable forest management. Such
analyses should also examine the potential benefits of improved efficiency and
sustainability at all levels of the forest industry;
(b) Drawing upon the work being carried out by countries and relevant
international agencies, encouraged the sharing of information on research
findings and experiences of the implementation of full cost internalization
and its application to sustainable forest management, and relevant policy
mechanisms.
Proposal for action on market transparency
124. The Panel:
(a) Called upon relevant international agencies and national
institutions to expand their work on market transparency for trade in forest
products and to include the possible development of a global database;
(b) Called for an assessment by an independent body or bodies of the
nature and extent of illegal trade in forest products.
V. INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS AND MULTILATERAL INSTITUTIONS
AND INSTRUMENTS, INCLUDING APPROPRIATE LEGAL MECHANISMS
International organizations and multilateral institutions
and instruments
125. The Panel agreed that forest-related international, regional and
bilateral agencies and organizations, existing legal instruments, financial
and trade institutions and treaty bodies should mobilize their comparative
strengths and advantages in implementing the proposals for action in the
Panel's report and should further promote policy dialogue, consensus-building
and cooperation.
126. The Panel recognized that numerous important activities and programmes
related to forests are being undertaken by international organizations,
multilateral and regional institutions, conventions and other multilateral
environmental agreements and by groups of countries. It commended the work of
the informal high-level Inter-Agency Task Force on Forests (ITFF) established
to support the Panel as an example of effective inter-institutional
collaboration.
127. The Panel recognized that since the United Nations Conference on
Environment and Development it has been increasingly appreciated that forest
policy must take account of the multiple benefits of forests and that these
issues need to be addressed through a holistic and integrated approach. There
is, however, a significant potential for further enhancement of the existing
international institutional structure to support and promote the goal of
conservation, management and sustainable development of all types of forests.
Better coordination and collaboration among organizations, institutions and
instruments as well as clarifying, focusing or redefining their forest-related
mandates, could promote greater complementarity and coherence of action,
including at the level of their governing bodies. This, in turn, will help
minimize overlap and duplication and provide opportunities to bridge gaps,
focus on jointly agreed priorities and accommodate emerging needs. Activities
should be made more transparent, effective and flexible, and should provide
for effective participation of and collaboration with all interested parties
and major groups.
128. The Panel noted the need for enhanced international efforts in a number
of interlinked forest related areas, including effective governance of
international institutions, organizations and instruments dealing with forest
issues; improved mechanisms for focusing and coordinating efforts and
monitoring the implementation of activities by agencies and instruments on
international forest-related issues; improved participation of major groups in
forest fora and processes to promote sustainable forest management; strategic
data collection and capability analysis; projects to strengthen capacity-
building, technology transfer and exchange, and human resource development, in
particular at the national and field levels; and more focused and effective
funding for, and coordination of research and development on priorities for
sustainable forest management.
Proposals for action to clarify the roles of international organizations
129. The Panel called for clarification of the mandates and tasks of United
Nations agencies on forest related issues and a strengthening of inter-agency
cooperation to fill gaps in relation to needs and new functions already
recognized.
Proposals for action to enhance cooperation and remove gaps and
duplication
130. The Panel requested international institutions to support sub-national,
national, subregional, regional and international action for the conservation,
management and sustainable development of all types of forests; consensus-
building on approaches, and improving the conditions for capacity-building and
financing the conservation, management and sustainable development of all
types of forests. International institutions should also support efforts to
strengthen the links between research, policy formulation and implementation,
as well as the links between national programmes and strategies and the
multilateral system.
131. The Panel:
(a) Called on countries to support the work of forest-related
international organizations, agencies and instruments on forest related
issues, to improve the integration and coordination of their efforts, and to
focus their activities more directly on the needs and challenges faced by
countries in the management, conservation and sustainable development of all
types of forests;
(b) Called upon countries and international organizations to promote
inter-agency and intergovernmental consultation on all matters relevant to the
management, conservation and sustainable development of all types of forests,
including national forest plans or programmes;
(c) Called upon countries to establish a high-level international policy
forum for dialogue on forests;
(d) Called upon governing bodies of relevant international and regional
institutions and instruments to accelerate incorporation of UNCED decisions on
forest related issues in their work programme, with particular attention to
those which address cross-sectoral aspects, and to realign their focus on
these priorities;
(e) Requested FAO, ITTO, UNEP, UNDP, UNCTAD, the World Conservation and
Monitoring Centre (WCMC) and other relevant agencies to coordinate and enhance
strategic data sets and analysis systems, and facilitate the timely
dissemination of user friendly data to all interested parties.
Contribution to consensus-building towards the further implementation of the
forest principles, including appropriate legal instruments and mechanisms
covering all types of forests (to be covered by a separate report of the
Secretary-General to the fourth session of the Panel).
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Date last posted: 7 December 1999 12:45:30
Comments and suggestions: DESA/DSD