Intersessional Activities, Ad-Hoc Expert Groups
Finance and Transfer of Environmentally Sound Technologies

Ad hoc expert group on finance and transfer of environmentally sound technologies

Scope and work programme
Tasks
Composition and participation
Travel assistance
Officers
Duration of work
Meeting
Proposals and recommendations for consideration by the Forum
Reports
Secretariat

Scope and work programme

The ad hoc expert group shall provide scientific and technical advice to the Forum for its work on finance and transfer of environmentally sound technologies. The work of the ad hoc expert group should be undertaken within the context of Economic and Social Council resolution 2000/35 and relevant resolutions adopted by the Forum at its sessions, and should also consider, inter alia, related IPF/IFF proposals for action and outcomes of Forum sessions, including its reports.

Tasks

The ad hoc expert group will undertake the following specific tasks on finance:

• Consider previous initiatives on finance, including recommendations from the Croydon, Oslo and Pretoria workshops, as well as the relevant IPF/IFF proposals for action, background papers and strategy documents of Collaborative Partnership on Forests members;



• Assess the role and status of official development assistance (ODA) directed towards sustainable forest management and consider ways for enhancing its availability and effectiveness; in this regard, identify possible means to enhance developed countries’ efforts to fulfil their commitments on ODA;



• Review the effectiveness of existing international financing for sustainable forest management, including methods and mechanisms, analyse opportunities, country-level gaps, limitations and donor and recipient priorities, as well as the contribution of the Collaborative Partnership on Forests towards financing sustainable forest management; propose measures to improve the effectiveness of that financing for enhancing the enabling environment at both the national and international levels and to attract increased financing from all sources;



• Explore the potential of new and innovative approaches to attract increased financing for sustainable forest management; discuss and make suggestions for expanded use of those approaches to address the need for financial resources for financing sustainable forest management, including through national forest programmes or equivalent processes;



• Assess country experiences in the mobilization of financial resources to support sustainable forest management; in this regard, identify gaps in, and the potential and limitations of current financing sources and financial mechanisms in implementing sustainable forest management; further, propose approaches to enhance and more effectively use and mobilize national and international financial resources;



• Assess and consider the role of the private sector in financing sustainable forest management; in this regard, recommend measures to improve the enabling environment for private investment in sustainable forest management, at both the national and international levels, and encourage increased private resource flows to the forest sector, in particular in developing countries and countries with economies in transition;

The ad hoc expert group will undertake the following specific tasks on the transfer of environmentally sound technologies:

The ad hoc expert group will undertake the following specific tasks on the transfer of environmentally sound technologies:

• Review and assess existing initiatives on the transfer of environmentally sound technologies and knowledge diffusion for the promotion of sustainable forest management among countries and sectors and stakeholders, including through North-South, North-North and South-South cooperation and programmes of Collaborative Partnership on Forests members. This should include an analysis of incentives that promote and obstacles that inhibit the transfer of forest-related environmentally sound technologies between and/or within countries, in particular to developing countries and countries with economies in transition, in both the private and public sectors;



• Recommend approaches to improve transfer of forest-related environmentally sound technologies. The recommendation may include the role of various policy instruments, such as concessional and preferential terms, public/private partnerships and research cooperation, as well as capacity-building in the use and application of current and emerging environmentally sound technologies, including remote sensing.

Composition and participation

The ad hoc expert group shall consist of 30 experts, in accordance with the decision to which this annex is attached, six from each of the five United Nations regional groups.

The experts shall have well-recognized scientific and technical expertise in finance and transfer of environmentally sound technologies and knowledge of the intergovernmental forest policy deliberations of IPF, IFF and the Forum.

Representatives of the United Nations Forum on Forests member States shall be allowed to participate in the first two days of the meetings of the ad hoc expert group and remain as observers for the last three days of the meeting.

The Collaborative Partnership on Forests shall be invited to make scientific and technical contributions to the work of the ad hoc expert group to support the work of the ad hoc expert group in a resource capacity.

Intergovernmental organizations and representatives of major groups, with relevant expertise, may participate in the meeting, in accordance with the rules of procedure of the functional commissions of the Economic and Social Council, as well as practices established by the Commission on Sustainable Development, IPF and IFF. They may be invited to make scientific and technical contributions.


Travel assistance

Travel support and a daily subsistence allowance at established United Nations rates will be provided to each of the experts, if the budget allows, with priority to developing countries, particularly least developed countries, as well as countries with economies in transition.

Officers

The chairman of the ad hoc expert group shall be elected from among the experts at its meeting.

Duration of work

The ad hoc expert group shall initiate its work after the third session of the Forum and complete its work at least three months in advance of the fourth session of the Forum.

Meeting

The ad hoc expert group will hold one meeting for up to five days before the end of 2003. It will also use electronic means of communication to the greatest extent possible. The ad hoc expert group meeting will be organized at a United Nations venue where meeting facilities are available, preferably in New York, taking into account cost-effectiveness. To the extent possible, the ad hoc expert group will hold its meeting back to back with the meeting of the ad hoc expert group on approaches and mechanisms for monitoring, assessment and reporting.

Proposals and recommendations for consideration by the Forum

The proposals and recommendations of the ad hoc expert group should be provided by consensus. In the absence of consensus, the reports of the ad hoc expert group shall fully reflect the diversity of views expressed.

Reports

The ad hoc expert group shall prepare its report, taking into consideration the views of all participants and contributions received, and shall submit its report to the Forum at its fourth session for consideration. The report shall specify major outcomes of the ad hoc expert group’s work, including proposals and recommendations for further consideration by the Forum.

Secretariat

The Forum secretariat shall serve as the secretariat for the ad hoc expert group, supported by the Collaborative Partnership on Forests.