Economic and Social Council

 Distr. GENERAL
8 January 1997
ORIGINAL: ENGLISH

COMMISSION ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
Ad Hoc Intergovernmental Panel on Forests
Fourth session
10-21 February 1997


             Programme element V.1:  International organizations,
                   multilateral institutions and instruments

                        Report of the Secretary-General


                                   CONTENTS

                                                              Paragraphs Page

INTRODUCTION ...............................................     1 - 2     2

 I.   CONTEXT ..............................................     3 - 7     2

II.   ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON CURRENT PROGRAMMES AND
      ACTIVITIES ...........................................     8 - 23    6

III.  CONCLUSIONS AND FUTURE OPPORTUNITIES FOR COOPERATIVE
      ACTION ...............................................    24 - 45   11


                                 INTRODUCTION


1.   During the third session of the Ad Hoc Intergovernmental Panel on
Forests, the Panel felt that further information and study of the
international organizations, multilateral institutions and legal
instruments relevant to forests and of their mandates, as well as
their progress in and capacity for implementing the forest-related
outcomes of the United Nations Conference on Environment and
Development, would be needed in order to achieve a more accurate
diagnosis and to formulate proposals for action.  It was also stated
that final conclusions and proposals for action under that programme
element would need to take into account conclusions and proposals for
action under programme element V.2 (Contribution to consensus-building
towards the further implementation of the Forest Principles), which
was to be considered at the fourth session of the Panel, since many of
the issues of the two programme elements were closely interrelated. 
More specific conclusions and proposals for action would be elaborated
during the fourth session of the Panel, after, inter alia, the
consideration of relevant proposals to be prepared by the informal
high-level Inter-agency Task Force on Forests, and the results of
other relevant initiatives.

2.   The present report, which has been prepared in response to the
above-mentioned request, provides additional information to complement
earlier reports of the Secretary-General on programme element V.1 that
were prepared for the second and third sessions of the Panel.  It
summarizes the background information received from different sources,
and describes the context in which potential future action could be
taken by the informal high-level Inter-agency Task Force on Forests,
either collectively or by individual members.  The report also
includes a short description of the work accomplished under each
programme element by the members of the Task Force.  Finally, the
report provides a set of conclusions and opportunities for future
cooperative action.


                                  I.  CONTEXT

3.   The Swiss-Peruvian Initiative on Forests, held in support of Panel
work on programme element V.1, compiled a set of profiles of some 25
organizations and instruments during its preparations for its
independent expert group meetings.  The report of the Secretary-
General on programme element V.1 (E/CN.17/IPF/1996/23) drew some broad
conclusions based on the results of the Swiss-Peruvian Initiative and
information from other sources.  The report concluded that the
activities of international organizations were in need of high-level
policy guidance, in particular activities that involved support to
national forest programmes and plans; research; and strategic data
collection and analysis.

4.   In response to a request made by the Panel at its third session to
the Task Force, the Assistant Director-General for the Forestry
Department of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United
Nations (FAO) as the Chairman of the Task Force, convened a meeting on
17 and 18 October 1996 at FAO headquarters.  The Task Force paid
particular attention to the requests and proposed recommendations that
were directed to international organizations, and reviewed the
proposals for action under each programme element of the Panel's
programme of work, as contained in the report of the Panel on its
third session.

5.   The present report is based on the Task Force discussion and on
tabular information provided in conference room paper 1.  The
conference room paper mainly contains information on organizations
that are now participating in the Task Force, in the light of the
proposals for action that emerged during the third session of the
Panel; the paper covers only ongoing activities for which resources
are allocated during the current budget cycle.  It should be noted
that budget cycles of the different Task Force members vary
considerably.  For example, at present the activities of the
secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity are guided by
the Conference of Parties of the Convention in one-year cycles, while
others have two year cycles.  Other sources utilized for the
preparation of the present report includes the compilation entitled
"Recent current and planned activities related to the work programme
of the Intergovernmental Panel on Forests" (E/CN.17/IPF/1995/2,
annex), and the World Wide Web home pages of the organizations
concerned.

6.   The Panel's request for coordinated action by the United Nations
system must be examined in the context of global international
activities and assistance in the area of forests.  In the final
analysis, it will be crucial to view the activities of international
organizations and their coordination not only in the light of their
specific role and advantages among themselves but also within the
overall context of multilateral, bilateral, non-governmental and
private-sector activities.  From that perspective, especially in
financial terms, it becomes clear that the members of the Task Force
are not principal actors.  Only a small share of forest-sector
official development assistance (ODA) is channelled through Task Force
members, or even through the United Nations system as a whole, with
the possible exception of the World Bank (see table 1).  Furthermore,
when one takes into account private-sector investments, the share of
Task Force members and the United Nations system becomes even less
significant.  However, this does not detract from the fact that Task
Force members perform important catalytic, supportive and leveraging
roles in many countries and also undertake critical normative
functions in terms of data collection, research, analysis, strategic
study, policy formulation and the servicing of intergovernmental
processes, which have significant impact and due to their comparative
advantage are best executed at the international level.  Moreover, the
activities of international organizations, together with bilateral
assistance to support conservation and sustainable forest management
and development, are and will continue to be crucial to some
countries, particularly those that cannot attract other investments to
their forest sector.  In addition to multilateral assistance,
coordination and well planned disbursement of the largest share
possible if forest sector international assistance may be the only way
to achieve the desired impact on forests.

7.   To illustrate that the forest sector in the United Nations system
is not very large, the number of professional staff in Task Force
members and their funding for forest programme and projects is
presented in table 2.  The differences in staffing and available
resources are partly explained by the fact that the mandate and focus
of Task Force members are quite different from each other, especially
operationally, if not in the areas they cover.  That fact makes the
opportunity for overlap quite minimal, as indicated in the report of
the Secretary-General on programme element V.1 (E/CN.17/IPF/1996/23). 
Some overlap is not necessarily a disadvantage:  overlap in terms of
analytical and intellectual capacity, as well as in terms of
organizations approaching forest issues from different angles and
points of view, can only be enriching.  However, overlap can be
detrimental in such areas as data collection, publishing and certain
field activities in view of the limited resources available to Task
Force members.


         Table 1.  Official development assistance for forestry, 1993

                      (Millions of United States dollars)

---------------------------------------------------------------------
Category of donors             Grant       Loan            Total
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Bilateral                      885.3       30.4            915.7

Development banks
 (including the World Bank a/
 and the regional banks)         5.0      415.3            420.3

United Nations (total)         208.5        -              208.5

  World Food Programme         121.0        -

  United Nations bodies other
  than WFP                      87.5        -

     Total                   1 098.8      445.7          1 544.5
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Source:  Report of the Secretary-General on programme element II
(E/CN.17/IPF/1996/5).


Note:  A hyphen (-) indicates that the item is not applicable.

a/  In 1993, the World Bank provided US$ 5.96 million in grants through
the Global Environment Facility for forest biodiversity, and lent US$
220.4 million.


          Table 2.  Inter-agency Task Force on Forests:  professional
                    staff and project funding                        

----------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                  Funding for forest
                          Number of professional programmes & projects
Agency                            staff          (Millions of dollars)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
FAO                               75                  65 a/

UNDP                               5                   2.8 b/ (+35 c/)

ITTO                              14                  20 d/

UNEP                               3 e/                0.8 f/

World Bank                        20                 356.7 g/

Convention on Biological
 Diversity                         1 h/
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Note:  A hyphen (-) indicates that the item is not applicable.

a/  $15 million for annual programmes (1996/1997) plus $50 million for
field programmes ($2 million from FAO Technical Programme, $20 million
from UNDP country programmes, and $28 million from trust funds, in
1996).

b/  Forest capacity programme.

c/  UNDP country programmes (annual average), about US$ 20 million
included in FAO field programmes.

d/  In 1995.

e/  In addition to the three posts on forests, UNEP has 24 staff working
on forest-related activities.

f/  UNEP Forest Programme 1996/1997; UNEP also has forest-related
programmes/projects (trade and environment, biodiversity,
desertification control, environmental assessment, environmental
economics etc.), with a budget of US$ 21.7 million in 1996/1997.

g/  Average annual approvals of Bank lending for forest projects for the
5-year period of 1992-1996; in addition, there is $23 million in
annual grant approvals from the Global Environment Facility for
biodiversity projects in forest ecosystems.

h/  One post on forest ecology; 31 posts for other biodiversity-oriented
work.


       II.  ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON CURRENT PROGRAMMES AND ACTIVITIES

8.  The assessment presented in the present section is based, inter
alia, on the discussion during the meeting of the Inter-agency Task
Force on Forests in Rome on 17 and 18 October 1996.  It provides a
short review of the work undertaken by the Task Force members under
each programme element of the work programme of the Panel.  Many
individual programmes and activities contribute to a number of the
Panel's programme elements.  For example, much work conducted under
programme element I.1 is also highly relevant to most other programme
elements; there is seldom a distinct category to which the different
programmes and activities can be assigned.  Task Force organizations,
with their limited resources, fund projects that provide a fundamental
base for all other forest-related activities conducted at the country
level, focusing mainly on policy analysis, as well as planning and
programming exercises, as the most effective catalytic support.

Programme element I.1, (National forest programmes and plans)

9.  Almost all the Task Force organizations have been involved in
developing and providing support to national forest programmes and
strategies.  The activities of FAO, the United Nations Development
Programme (UNDP), and the International Tropical Timber Organization
(ITTO) have been aimed directly at forests at the national, regional
and global levels, whereas the national-level activities of the United
Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) have been directed towards
supporting the development of national biodiversity strategies and
action plans, as well as implementation of national programmes to
minimize land degradation and to combat desertification, with specific
support to forests being provided mainly at the regional and global
levels.  The support provided by UNDP and FAO for national forest
programmes is carried out in coordination and collaboration with
bilateral aid agencies and recipient countries.  The World Bank, with
the support of the FAO Investment Centre, is active through forest
sector reviews and the formulation of investment programmes.  In
addition, the World Bank has supported the preparation of national
environmental action plans.  ITTO, through the International Tropical
Timber Agreement objective 2000, is involved in the preparation of
national strategies for forest management and/or reforestation, as
well as for timber production and utilization.  The activities of the
secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity focus on
biodiversity aspects of national plans, strategies and reporting
requirements under the Convention.  Generally, financing institutions
tend to favour funding activities within the framework of a forest
sector programme.

Programme element I.2, (Underlying causes of deforestation)

10. A broad range of analytical work has been undertaken by most of
the Task Force members over the years in researching the underlying
causes of deforestation and forest degradation, the implications of
consumption and production patterns, economic linkages associated with
forest products, and the impacts of forest policies in various
countries.  The World Bank has environmental impact assessment
procedures applicable to lending in all sectors.  Work undertaken by
Task Force members in other sectors, such as agriculture and energy,
might actually have a greater impact on the underlying causes of
deforestation than their activities aimed specifically at the forest
sector:  the work by UNEP on environmental impact assessment and on
the causes of environmental degradation is useful in that regard. 
Work undertaken by UNDP, the World Bank and others to alleviate
poverty may also have considerable impact on the underlying causes of
deforestation.  Forest resource assessment, monitoring and data
collection by FAO, as well as work conducted on national forest
resource accounting that takes into account the full value of forests,
provide an important basis for developing a clearer understanding of
the actual problems associated with deforestation worldwide.

Programme element I.3, (Traditional forest-related knowledge)

11. Traditional forest-related knowledge does not seem to be
specifically covered by any of the Task Force members.  However, FAO
has addressed the issue as it relates to local communities in its
Forest, Trees and People Programme.  It should be noted that the topic
is also covered to some extent by the United Nations Educational,
Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the United Nations
University (UNU).  Biodiversity country studies have been undertaken
with the active involvement of UNEP, containing information on the use
of biodiversity by indigenous people and local communities.  UNEP will
publish Human Values of Biodiversity:  Perspectives from Indigenous
and Traditional Peoples in 1997.  The World Health Organization is
cataloguing medicinal plants.  The World Bank, FAO and UNDP are
planning to hold consultations on digital mapping combined with social
mapping.  There is an increasing general trend in encouraging broad
local participation and consultations in lending and project design
for field-level activities.  Activities in the areas of participatory
planning, conflict resolution and support for enhanced negotiation
capacity are actually becoming standard practice on the part of Task
Force members.  The secretariat of the Convention on Biological
Diversity is also involved in a normative manner as part of its work
in implementing article 8 (j) of the Convention.

Programme element I.4, (Arid zone forests and forest affected by air
pollution) 

12. FAO, UNDP/Office to combat Desertification and Drought, the World
Bank and UNEP have activities directly related to desertification and
mitigation of the effects of drought.  The Convention on Biological
Diversity and UNEP have several activities related to arid zones and
biodiversity.  All the Task Force members have undertaken programmes,
especially at the field level, that are geared towards land
rehabilitation through tree planting.  The preparation of guidelines
for tree plantations in arid zones, support for national action plans,
the development of indicators for monitoring, especially in Africa,
and support for the implementation of the United Nations Convention to
Combat Desertification in those Countries Experiencing Drought and/or
Desertification, particularly in Africa, are also under way in all the
above-mentioned bodies, which have felt a significant increase in the
country demand for forest-related projects in arid zones, as
illustrated by world Bank investment support of US$ 1,278 million for
forest-related activities in arid zones provided since 1990.  The Bank
provides support to about 27 major projects, largely in Africa and
South Asia.

13. FAO, UNEP and the World Bank are the only Task Force members that
are directly involved in programmes on forests affected by pollution. 
Although their activities are mostly concerned with data collection,
assessment and monitoring, a significant proportion of World Bank
forest lending in Eastern Europe has been directed to the
rehabilitation of forests damaged by pollution.  ITTO has several
field projects on the protection and rehabilitation of forests after
fires.  The Economic Commission for Europe (ECE) (not covered in
detail in the present report) is the United Nations body most heavily
involved in data collection in this area.  Because of the existing
European convention on transboudary pollution, the programmes
involving forests affected by air pollution in the United Nations
system have a European focus.

Programme element I.5, (Countries with low forest cover)

14. Some of the concerns in programme element I.5 are related to those
of general rural development, poverty alleviation, and the general
effects of environmental degradation in areas of low forest cover.  In
a broader sense, those issues are also addressed by programmes in
other areas in which Task Force members are active.  Other concerns,
such as ways to protect existing forested areas or other wooded lands
while allowing access to local populations for subsistence, are
addressed mostly by FAO, as well as through field projects financed by
UNDP, ITTO and the World Bank, and to a large extent by the donor
community.  The activities relevant to that programme element are
usually included in those geared towards national forest plans and
programmes (NFPs).

Programme element II, (Financing, technology transfer, capacity-
building and international cooperation)

15. FAO, UNDP, the World Bank and ITTO are all involved in field
operations and financing of forest and forest-related projects
involving capacity-building and technology transfer, with the World
Bank spending the largest amount.  Funding for forest programmes by
the different Task Force members is recorded in tables 1 and 2.  FAO,
UNDP and ITTO have funding for forest projects originating from
different sources, both multilateral and bilateral.  Forest-sector ODA
in the form of grants through multilateral arrangements to the United
Nations system except the World Food Programme amounts to less than
US$ 100 million, or less than 10 per cent of the total ODA for forest
programmes.

16. Experience shows that the coordination and effectiveness of
activities of international institutions carried out at the national
level is greatly enhanced and facilitated in countries that themselves
coordinate their domestic policies and international cooperation
relevant to forests.  However, the coordination of multilateral and
bilateral policy approaches and financing would be the best tactic to
optimize the use of available funds for international assistance to
the forest sector most effectively, and should be explored.  This
could be accomplished in conjunction with collaboration efforts in
support of national forest programmes.  Forest partnership agreements
between donors and recipient countries should be seen as a tool for
facilitating the implementation of NFPs.  Analysis of that topic has
been undertaken by the Panel, but further work appears necessary to
reach more definite and concrete conclusions.

Programme element III.1 (a), (Forest resources assessment)

17. FAO has by far the strongest programme in the area of forest
resource assessment.  However, other organizations, such as UNEP,
which has an environmental information and assessment programme, and
the secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity which was
given a mandate for involvement in criteria and indicator processes
related to sustainable forest management at the third session of the
Conference of Parties to the Convention, will eventually build
capacity in areas that would be of value to a broader forest
assessment.  ITTO collects information on permanent forest estates in
tropical countries.  An ongoing activity by the UNEP/World
Conservation Monitoring Centre on biodiversity data management and
global assessment, under which data will be tabulated and
computerized, should also be useful for forest assessment.  Many field
projects of different organizations support national-level assessment,
for example, those of FAO, UNDP and the World Bank, as well as other
donors.  FAO is currently developing a forest resources assessment
strategic plan.

Programme element III.1 (b), (Forest resources valuation)

18. Normative work undertaken in the area includes GEF work on
incremental cost, which entails, inter alia, forest resource
valuation, in which UNDP, UNEP and the World Bank are involved.  UNEP
has been active in work on methodologies to value environmental and
natural resources in general, and is currently involved in the
preparations of case studies.  The secretariat of the Convention on
Biological Diversity is also looking into experience with incentives. 
FAO, UNEP and the World Bank have jointly produced guidelines on
valuing forests.  FAO has produced a manual on forestry in national
income accounts, and has developed reference documentation on valuing
forests.  ITTO has also produced studies on the economic linkages
between international trade and sustainable forest management.  The
World Bank uses valuation as an integral component of its lending
activities.  There is an increasing trend to undertake more analytical
work on forest accounting systems and to include the full value of
forests in natural resource accounts as one of the measures to prevent
deforestation.  Indirectly, Task Force members influence the actual
value of forests through the focus of their financing and technical
assistance projects.  There is ongoing academic work on that topic, in
which FAO and ITTO are involved to a limited extent, as well as the
private finance sector and non-governmental organizations.

Programme element III.2, (Criteria and indicators)

19. FAO and ITTO are the Task Force members most actively engaged in
developing criteria and indicators for sustainable forest management. 
FAO has a regular programme on criteria and indicators, and
contributes with technical inputs to the established regional
initiatives, such as the Helsinki and Montreal processes.  A few
meetings on criteria and indicators in regions that have not yet
started their own processes have already taken place, mostly for
information and to provide catalytic support; they were organized
under the auspices of FAO and UNEP.  ITTO has also developed criteria
and indicators for sustainable tropical forest management, and has
several field projects directed towards their implementation.  ITTO
has plans to review and update its programme and approach in the light
of recent international developments in the area.  In addition, UNEP
has conducted an overview of environmental indicators.

Programme element IV, (Trade and the environment)

20. FAO, ITTO and UNEP are the most active Task Force members in the
area of forest-related trade.  FAO and ITTO are engaged in work
directly related to forest product processing, marketing and trade;
UNEP is engaged in a more general sense and has a regular programme on
trade and the environment.  FAO and UNEP have produced publications on
tariffs and non-tariff barriers to trade in forest products as well as
on certification and labelling.  ITTO holds annual policy discussions
on those topics as they relate to tropical forests.  ITTO and FAO are
also involved in assistance to downstream processing, marketing and
analysis of macroeconomic trends in the supply of and demand for
timber and forest products.

21. It should be noted that the United Nations Conference on Trade and
Development (UNCTAD) is also actively involved in the area, as is the
World Trade Organization (WTO), but more as a rule-making body.  UNDP
and UNCTAD have held expert meetings and conducted case studies on
trade and the environment, as have the World Bank/WTO/UNEP/the
Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.  Data on trade
in forest products is collected by FAO, UNCTAD and ITTO, as well as by
ECE.

Research

22. International bodies most actively involved with forest research
include the Centre for International Forestry Research (CIFOR), the
International Centre for Research in Agroforestry (ICRAF), the
International Union of Forestry Research Organizations (IUFRO) and FAO
and to a limited extent UNESCO, UNU, and UNEP, as well as the European
Forest Institute and the Inter-African Bureau for Research on Tropical
Forests.  Even if none of the Task Force members are research
institutions, sensu stricto, it should be noted that FAO, UNDP, UNEP
and the World Bank are the co-sponsors of the CGIAR system, to which
CIFOR and ICRAF belong; the sponsors pool their resources and
contribute their particular capacities to the system, with the support
of donor countries.

Biological resources

23. ITTO has developed guidelines on the conservation of tropical
biodiversity.  UNDP, UNEP and the World Bank finance biodiversity
projects through GEF.  UNEP has an on-going programme on the theme
"Caring for biological resources", which has forest specific
components, and UNEP has conducted country studies on biodiversity
data management, as well as a global biodiversity assessment.  The
secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity has a strong
general normative mandate in the area.  At its third session, held in
Argentina in November 1996, the Conference of Parties to the
Convention decided on a future programme of work for terrestrial
biological diversity, and requested the Executive Secretary of the
Convention secretariat to develop, in consultation and with the
assistance of the Panel, or any successor arrangement, a focused work
programme on forest biodiversity that would place an emphasis on
research.  FAO has a forest genetic resources programme that has been
developed over the past three decades.  Such organizations as ITTO,
the World Bank, UNEP and the International Union for Conservation of
Nature and Natural Resources - World Conservation Union have prepared
guidelines for integrating the conservation and sustainable use of
biodiversity into the management of all forest lands, including
production forests.


       III.  CONCLUSIONS AND FUTURE OPPORTUNITIES FOR COOPERATIVE ACTION

                                A.  Conclusions

                        1.  National forest programmes

24. During the Task Force meeting, there was agreement among all
members that NFPs appear to be an effective and a fundamental umbrella
framework that could provide a promising opportunity for enhancing the
coordination of forest-related activities, both domestic and
international, at the country level.  Considering that various
international organizations are currently undertaking activities that
either directly support the formulation of NFPs or assist countries in
the formulation of other relevant sectoral plans or strategies (in
such areas as biodiversity and desertification), opportunities for
better coordination and greater coherence in approaches exist.  This
holds true not only for activities related to planning but also for
activities and efforts that focus on the implementation of national
forest programmes by all actors involved and not only by the
multilateral organizations.


                                  2.  Finance

25. In view of the fact that ODA channelled through international
organizations is just a small share of total forest assistance, there
would be a definite advantage to have an agreement for developing a
mechanism to promote closer communication, coordination and
collaboration among all actors involved in international assistance to
forests, at the international as well as the national levels, in order
to work in harmony with the remaining share of ODA.


                               3.  Coordination

26. There is a need to clarify United Nations system-wide coordination
responsibilities relevant to national forests programmes.  There is a
need to ensure practical approaches in the implementation of country
projects based upon a common understanding between headquarters and
field offices.  At the country level, United Nations resident
coordinators must ensure that coordination among Task Force members
takes place, and that the principle of country leadership and choice
is respected.  However, the resident coordinators themselves do not
necessarily have to be coordinators of forest-related activities. 
That role can be delegated to the organization that is best suited to
perform that function, based on the extent of its involvement and
experience in a particular country, at the request of the host
country.


                    4.  Underlying causes of deforestation

27. There is a discernable gap within the system in the undertaking of
comprehensive studies on national and international underlying causes
of deforestation and forest degradation.  The discussion of underlying
causes of deforestation by the Panel has tended to view that issue as
a cross-sectoral, highly country-specific and even local-area-specific
issue.  The diagnostic tool suggested in the report of the Secretary-
General to the Panel on this topic could be a useful instrument for
developing agencies, investment banks and national organizations
responsible for policy development, land-use planning and effective
project design and implementation.


                   5.  Traditional forest-related knowledge

28. The relatively new area of traditional forest-related knowledge
has just begun to be discussed at a policy level by the Panel, and
would be a potential area for close collaboration among Task Force
members.  This is a complex question, in which there is a definite gap
in activities of the United Nations system, in particular in the areas
of cultural value systems, customary law, legal systems and property
rights, land and resource use systems, and conflict resolution, all of
which are integral parts of sustainable forest management systems. 
While FAO has already developed some knowledge and methodologies in
the area, there is a need for increased analytical, programme
formulation and basic policy work on the topic.  Increased involvement
in Task Force work on this topic by UNESCO, CIFOR, ICRAF and UNU needs
to be explored.


                  6.  Rehabilitation of arid zone forest land

29. Activities related to the rehabilitation of arid zones is ongoing
in most of the agencies.  The Convention to Combat Desertification has
resulted in a renewed focus and attention on the particular plight of
Africa as regards the effects of desertification and drought.


                            7.  Airborne pollutants

30. Collaborative work on the effects of airborne pollutants on
forests is ongoing, and appears to work well within the framework of
the regional convention in Europe.  Outside the European region,
however, there is a gap in activities in forest areas affected by
pollution, except fires.


                      8.  Countries with low forest cover

31. Areas that will require increased attention by international
organizations will be assistance to countries with low forest cover in
the identification and removal of land tenure, taxation and resource
pricing policies that perversely inhibit local communities or private
farmers from investing in tree planting and forest management.  There
could be some benefit in defining exactly what constitutes a low
forest cover for the purposes of such activities, and in using such a
definition to assess the ecological, social and economic needs of
countries with low forest cover, and to facilitate international
assistance.


                            9.  Scientific research

32. While scientific research provides the underpinning for the
technological and ecological aspects of sustainable forest management,
there is a need for high-level consultation and guidance on forest
research priorities, as proposed in the report of the Panel on its
third session.  Better coordination and strengthening of research, as
well as the establishment of an international network of research
organizations, needs to be fostered.  There is already an indication
that some of the relevant organizations are ready to clarify some of
their research needs and identify priorities.


                           10.  Biological resources

33. Conservation and the sustainable use of biological resources are
now attracting increased attention, both in normative programmes and
in lending, as well as in field-level activities.  This is reflected
in many of the criteria and indicators developed for sustainable
forest management.  There is scope for increased coordination of the
forest genetic work of FAO, UNEP and the Convention on Biological
Diversity, both at the intergovernmental and at the secretariat
levels.


                        11.  Forest resource assessment

34. There is ample scope for collaboration in forest resource
assessment.  Contributions by organizations with useful data for a
broader forest assessment would enrich the necessary global database
associated with forest resource assessment.  In the absence of
necessary data, it would be important to identify which organizations
are best suited to collect certain data at the national level. 
Currently, there is inadequate capacity to collect the broader set of
data, as well as inadequate resources for such an effort at the
national level.


                             12.  Forest valuation

35. FAO, UNEP and the World Bank have already cooperated in the area
of forest valuation, and are planning to continue their analytical
work, monitoring developments and encouraging approaches that lead to
new perspectives on forests values.  Special emphasis should be given
to activities that involve forest resource accounting and full cost
internalization. 


                         13.  Criteria and indicators

36. There is a need to strengthen cooperation in activities directed
towards regions not yet engaged in developing criteria and indicators
for sustainable forest management.  While a few meetings, informative
and catalytic in nature, have already taken place, it might also be
necessary to monitor the results of those activities, as well as of
those initiatives already in place, especially for the promotion of
follow-up action and implementation.  Continued cooperation between
FAO, UNEP and UNDP, supported by CIFOR, should be encouraged, as well
as the increased involvement by the secretariat of the Convention on
Biological Diversity.


                         14.  Trade in forest products

37. Increased collaboration and coordination is needed between FAO and
ITTO as regards collection of trade relevant data to eliminate some
overlap.  The extent of the involvement and the role of the United
Nations system in certification and labelling schemes has yet to be
examined and clarified.


                B.  Future opportunities for cooperative action

38. Task Force members have agreed to pursue in more concrete terms a
mode of cooperation to support NFPs as the shared framework for
coordinated action at the country level.  Task Force members will also
further explore modalities for sharing information on country level
projects and the outcomes of peer reviews of such projects.

39. To facilitate progress, the following steps could be taken:

    (a)  Once the Panel, at its fourth session, agrees on its final
conclusions and proposals for action, and the Commission on
Sustainable Development has endorsed them at its fifth session, a
joint letter from the executive heads of the Task Force members,
addressed to representatives of Task Force members at the country and
regional levels, could be prepared.  The goal of such a letter would
be to ensure that all country offices of the organizations receive
coherent policy guidance for the implementation of the outcome of the
Panel, and that they be instructed to promote a common approach in
their future activities related to NFPs and forests;

    (b)  Countries from various regions could be identified for pilot
initiatives to analyse and increase the effectiveness of coordination
of forest-related work at the country level and identify ways and
means of enhancing it in the future;

    (c)  UNDP could explore the possibility of raising funds to conduct
a pilot exercise in a few countries on the application of the
diagnostic tool for identifying the underlying causes of deforestation
at the national level;

    (d)  The Task Force could also further explore modalities for
disseminating information on successful policy interventions at the
national level.

40. As to traditional forest-related knowledge, one potential course
of action could be to encourage relevant organizations, in particular
the secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity, FAO, UNEP,
UNESCO, CIFOR and UNU, to undertake a systematic study of the policy,
institutional, and legal frameworks required to support the
utilization of traditional knowledge.  The establishment of UNESCO
chairs and a UNU centre of excellence should be explored.  The World
Intellectual Property Organization, together with UNCTAD, could
undertake a study aimed at enhancing the understanding of the
relationship between intellectual property and traditional forest-
related knowledge.

41. The Task Force has contacted CIFOR and IUFRO in order to involve
them in the work of the Task Force on research.  A conference room
paper on forest research will be before the Panel at its fourth
session, in which the outcome of the third session of the Panel, and
the results of the meeting on research policy dialogue organized by
CIFOR in 1994 and of various government initiatives will be used as a
starting point.  The Conference of Parties to the Convention on
Biological Diversity transmitted an input to the Panel at its fourth
session, listing a set of research priorities that it had identified
at its third meeting, which could also provide an additional starting
point for collaborative work on research within the Task Force.  The
Task Force will also further explore modalities for the collaboration,
coordination and enhancement of research and data-collection
activities undertaken by several international organizations.

42. The Task Force agreed to present specific plans for forest
resource assessment cooperation, including the Forest Resource
Assessment programme (FRA 2000), in order to allow for concrete
commitments by Governments.  In addition, the Task Force may also make
proposals on approaches to harmonize and coordinate the range of
forest-related data and information requests made by countries in
different forums.  The Task Force will also explore the possibilities
of exchanging experiences and undertaking further systematic work on
forest resource accounting and full cost internalization.

43. The Task Force has also agreed to present specific plans for
further work on criteria and indicators, especially with regard to
those countries that are not participating in the ongoing processes,
and on monitoring progress in implementation.

44. There is scope for collaboration between ITTO, FAO and UNEP in the
area of analysis of the consequences of trade restrictions in forest
products, in terms of meeting environmental or social objectives, as
well as the impact of non-tariff barriers on forest products trade. 
ITTO and FAO will also review their plans related to future
studies/publications on timber certification with a view to avoiding
duplication.

45. The Task Force has agreed to continue the current informal
arrangement for coordination, cooperation and collaboration in order
to support the decisions on forest-related issues of the
Intergovernmental Panel on Forests at its fourth session and the
Commission on Sustainable Development at its fifth session, beyond the
completion of the activities of the Panel.


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Date last posted: 7 December 1999 12:45:30
Comments and suggestions: DESA/DSD