The UN Forum on Forests held the second meeting of the ad hoc expert group on forest financing (AHEG2) on 14-18 January in Vienna, Austria
More than 150 experts from 75 countries and 23 regional and international organizations and processes, as well as major groups and independent experts attended the event.
Experts heard several presentations on the findings of the 2012 Advisory Group on Finance study on forest financing, the Organization-Led Initiative Co-Chairs Summary, the Facilitative Process meetings on forest financing, the study on the impacts of the price of carbon on forest financing, and private sector financing for forests as well as other relevant input including the background studies on forests and economic development. Two key note speakers also provided their views on the feasible and realistic strategies on forest financing.
These presentations and related interactive discussions led to identification of some actions and measures that should be taken to mobilize financing for forests at all levels and from all sources.
AHEG2 participants highlighted the fact that new global trends such as increased urbanization, as well as ongoing deliberations on the post 2015 UN development agenda and the sustainable development goals have affected the discussion on forest financing. They also discussed data, geographic and thematic gaps in regard to financing forests, as well as the means to address these gaps. Regarding data, participants highlighted the need to broaden the basis for data collection from multiple sources, as well as ensuring systematic efforts at all levels to generate accurate, consistent and reliable data.
Actions necessary to improve an enabling environment, capacity development activities, involvement of various stakeholders in mobilizing financing for forests were also discussed, as well as measures to increase financing for forests at all levels. Moreover, various options and measures for mobilizing forest financing at the national, regional and international levels were addressed.
The role of national forest programmes, as an effective policy tool for such purpose, as well as other options such as development of national forest financing strategies, and establishment of national forest funds were highlighted.
The pros and cons of establishing a voluntary global fund to finance sustainable forest management were also deliberated. A number of additional ideas were suggested such as “identifying brokering intermediary institutions” to mobilize funding for forests or having an umbrella structure to coordinate the existing multilateral funds related to forests.
The Co-Chairs prepared a summary of the meeting in which they also provided a set of proposals and options on forest financing. Experts attending AHEG2 adopted the report of the meeting and took note of the Co-Chairs Summary which is annexed to the AHEG2 report.
For more information:
Second Meeting of the Ad Hoc Expert Group on Forest Financing (AHEG2)
