| United Nations |
E/CN.17/IFF/1998/5 |
Economic and Social Council
Distr. GENERAL
19 June 1998
ORIGINAL: ENGLISH
COMMISSION ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
Intergovernmental Forum on Forests
Second session
Geneva, 24 August-4 September 1998
Programme element II.e (i)
Matters left pending and other issues arising from the programme
elements of the IPF process
Forest-related work of international and regional organizations
Report of the Secretary-General
SUMMARY
During the former Intergovernmental Panel on Forests (IPF) process,
Governments reviewed the work of existing institutions and instruments,
including their role and mandates vis-a-vis programme elements I-IV of its
work programme, institutional linkages, gaps, and areas requiring enhancement,
under its programme element V.1, "International organizations and multilateral
institutions and instruments, including appropriate legal mechanisms". The
Intergovernmental Forum on Forests is considering this matter in two parts,
under its programme element II.e (i), "Forest-related work of international
and regional organizations", which is covered in the present report; and
programme element II.e (ii), "Forest-related work under existing instruments",
which is covered in a separate report (E/CN.17/IFF/1998/11).
Chapter I of the present report provides an overview of the conclusions
and proposals for action adopted by the former IPF on the issues related to
its programme element V.1. Chapter II provides updated information on the
forest-related work being carried out by international and regional
organizations, highlighting the work of the members of the informal high-level
Inter-Agency Task Force on Forests; by other organizations in the United
Nations system, the regional commissions and relevant regional intergovernmental
bodies; and other international organizations and processes.
Chapter III presents preliminary conclusions and proposals for action to
further strengthen cooperation and synergies on the forest-related work
being carried out by international and regional organizations.
CONTENTS
Paragraphs
INTRODUCTION ............................................... 1 - 2
I. OVERVIEW OF THE CONCLUSIONS AND PROPOSALS FOR ACTION
OF THE FORMER INTERGOVERNMENTAL PANEL ON FORESTS ON
ITS PROGRAMME ELEMENT V.1 ............................ 3 - 6
II. FOREST-RELATED WORK BEING CARRIED OUT BY INTERNATIONAL
AND REGIONAL ORGANIZATIONS ........................... 7 - 24
A. Informal high-level Inter-Agency Task Force on
Forests .......................................... 8 - 14
B. Potential institutional synergies to support the
Intergovernmental Forum on Forests process ....... 15 - 24
III. PRELIMINARY CONCLUSIONS AND PROPOSALS FOR ACTION ..... 25 - 37
A. Preliminary conclusions.......................... 25 - 33
B. Preliminary proposals for action ................. 34 - 37
Annex. List of forest-related international and regional
organizations and instruments
Tables
1. Inter-Agency Partnership on Forests
2. Potential institutional synergies to support the
Intergovernmental Forum on Forests process
*******************************************
INTRODUCTION
1. The Intergovernmental Forum on Forests (IFF), in the programme of work
adopted at its first session, under category II, "Considering matters left
pending and other issues arising from the programme elements of the IPF
process", defined programme element II.e as "Consider forest-related work
of international and regional organizations", with the following mandate:
"Further examine the forest-related work being carried out by international and
regional organizations and under existing instruments in order to identify gaps
and overlaps" (see E/CN.17/IFF/1997/4, para. 7).
2. The present report on programme element II.e (i), "Forest-related work
of international and regional organizations", is complementary to the report
of the Secretary-General on programme element II.e (ii), "Forest-related work
under existing instruments" (E/CN.17/IFF/1998/11). It provides a summary of the
most relevant and generic background information that IFF may wish to consider
when examining further the forest-related work carried out by international and
regional organizations. More specific information on the forest-related
work of institutions is presented in the report of the Secretary-General on
programme element I.a, "Promoting and facilitating the implementation of the
proposals for action of the Intergovernmental Panel on Forests"
(E/CN.17/IFF/1998/2).
I. OVERVIEW OF THE CONCLUSIONS AND PROPOSALS FOR ACTION
OF THE FORMER INTERGOVERNMENTAL PANEL ON FORESTS ON
ITS PROGRAMME ELEMENT V.1
3. In its conclusions on this topic, the former Intergovernmental Panel on
Forests (IPF) recognized the need to strengthen coordination among
international organizations and multilateral institutions in order to provide a
holistic and balanced approach to all types of forests. It also acknowledged
that no single multilateral body, organization or instrument has either a mandate
or the capacity to address, in a balanced, holistic and mutually reinforcing way,
all issues that are currently on the international agenda with respect to all
types of forests. The Panel also noted that existing forest-related legally
binding instruments do not deal comprehensively with all issues relating to
forests, including sustainable forest management. The Panel also agreed that in
order to achieve the management, conservation and sustainable development of all
types of forests it is necessary to deal coherently with all the related social,
cultural, economic, trade, environment, development, production, financial
and technology issues that have a concrete impact on these objectives. The
benefits of regional approaches should also be explored.
4. A number of interlinked forest-related areas needing enhanced
international efforts that were recognized include improved mechanisms for
focusing, coordinating and monitoring the activities of agencies and activities
carried out under instruments on international forest-related issues; improved
participation of major groups in forest forums and processes to promote
sustainable forest management; strategic data collection and analysis; and
more focused and effective funding for and coordination of research and
development in priority areas concerned with sustainable forest management.
5. In its negotiated proposals for action, the Panel called on
organizations to continue their work in the informal high-level Inter-Agency Task
Force on Forests (ITFF), focusing on the proposals for action negotiated by IPF,
in accordance with their respective mandates and comparative advantage, and
proposed that ITFF should undertake further coordination and explore means
for collaboration and coherent action at the international, regional and
country levels.
6. The Panel also called on countries to support work on forest-related
issues done by international and regional organizations and agencies and work
done under relevant instruments; to clarify the mandates of the relevant
international institutions and organizations related to forest issues,
inter alia, through their respective governing bodies in order to improve
the integration and coordination of their efforts, and to guide the activities
of each organization to areas in which they can be most effective; through the
respective governing bodies, to work to eliminate waste and duplication,
thereby using available resources in an efficient manner; to guide relevant
international and regional institutions and those administering
instruments, through their governing bodies, to accelerate incorporation into
their relevant work programmes of the forest-related results of the United
Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), of further progress
achieved since then and proposals for action adopted by IPF.
II. FOREST-RELATED WORK BEING CARRIED OUT BY INTERNATIONAL
AND REGIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
7. The present chapter updates information on forest-related work carried
out by international and regional organizations. It does not attempt an
assessment of forest activities of selected organizations. The information
compiled is based on a questionnaire sent to all members of ITFF, a wide spectrum
of institutions of the United Nations system, regional organizations,
including economic commissions, regional development banks and other
intergovernmental bodies, as well as several non-governmental organizations of
recognized experience in forest-related activities. A list of the 42
international and regional organizations to which the questionnaire was sent is
contained in the annex. Detailed responses were received from 29 institutions.
Due to limitation of space, it is not possible to provide all the available
information in the present report.
A. Informal high-level Inter-Agency Task Force on Forests
8. IPF gave unanimous support for the continuation of the ITFF and the
continuation of the IPF secretariat based on staff secondments, which was
clearly seen as a very innovative and successful mechanism.1 The main
objective of ITFF is to secure and coordinate support from its members for
IPF/IFF in a manner that builds on the agencies' respective strengths, minimizes
duplication and overlap, makes most efficient use of existing resources, and
fosters partnership and collaboration. ITFF addresses forest issues at the
global and regional levels but also assists many countries in national-level
implementation of the IPF proposals for action.
9. ITFF has met on several occasions during the IPF and IFF processes mostly in
connection with preparation for the meetings of the Panel and Forum and the FAO
Committee on Forestry. At the first session of IFF, in October 1997, ITFF met
with the non-governmental organization community, where it was agreed to have
regular consultations between ITFF and non-governmental organizations at future
IFF meetings. To further facilitate this process of mutual consultations, the
non-governmental organizations agreed to nominate a focal point. The next
meeting of ITFF will take place at the margins of the second session of IFF.
ITFF is Chaired by FAO.
1. The Inter-Agency Partnership on Forests: a plan to
implement the proposals for action of the former
Intergovernmental Panel on Forests
10. This plan was prepared collectively by the members of ITFF to support
the implementation of the IPF proposals for action, mainly as a response to
paragraph 145 of the report of IPF on its fourth session (E/CN.17/1997/12),
in which the Panel called upon the appropriate international institutions and
organizations to continue their work in the informal high-level
Inter-Agency Task Force on Forests, under the chairmanship of FAO as task manager
for chapter 11 of Agenda 21, focusing on the proposals for action recommended
by the Panel, in accordance with their respective mandates and comparative
advantage.
11. The objective of the plan is to support the efforts of countries to
implement the IPF proposals for action through well executed and
coordinated activities by ITFF members, in association with other international
organizations, multilateral institutions and instruments, addressing needs
at the national, regional and international levels. In particular, the plan
identifies: (a) areas where concrete and coordinated action by ITFF member
organizations is feasible and practical; (b) means by which existing
resources can be used more effectively and efficiently; and (c) opportunities for
participation by other potential partners, such as non-governmental
organizations, private industry and other international organizations, for
a more effective response to assisting Governments in the implementation of
IPF's proposals for action.
12. The IFF secretariat has continued to promote the full implementation of
the plan among all interested parties. It is recognized that the plan
constitutes an important tool for ITFF to contribute in a collaborative and
coordinated manner to the implementation of IPF proposals for action. The
institutional arrangements established among ITFF members for supporting the
implementation of IPF proposals for action are summarized in table 2.
13. The total annual cost of implementation of the plan, as tentatively
estimated by ITFF, is approximately US$ 50 million, increasing slightly
from US$ 45 million in phase I (present-2000) and US$ 50 million in phase II
(2001-2005) to US$ 55 million in phase III (2006-2010). It should be noted
that this is just a rough estimate made by ITFF to show the level of resources
required to initiate a collective response for the implementation of the
IPF proposals for action that are addressed to international organizations and
agencies. Although these figures include some funds already available in
regular programme budgets and trust funds of members of ITFF, they are
primarily indicative figures of the level of additional funds yet to be sought
from external sources.
2. Support for the secretariat of the Intergovernmental
Forum on Forests
14. The IFF secretariat continues with basically the same level of
staffing, composed of senior officers on loan to the Department of Economic and
Social Affairs. Only the Coordinator and Head of the secretariat and two support
staff are hired directly by the United Nations. FAO, the Department of Economic
and Social Affairs, ITTO, UNDP and UNEP have each provided a senior staff
member to the IFF secretariat. This arrangement has demonstrated several
advantages, including relatively rapid deployment of experienced staff on an ad
hoc basis, in accordance with the nature and mandate of IFF; a de facto
inter-agency coordination function within the secretariat; and the ability of the
IFF secretariat to draw on the full institutional capacity of ITFF members.
B. Potential institutional synergies to support the
Intergovernmental Forum on Forests process
1. International organizations: United Nations system
15. In addition to the work being carried out by ITFF members, very significant
supporting work in the field of forests is being carried out by several
organizations of the United Nations system (for list, see annex). The work being
supported by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) through its technical and
financial assistance to developing countries in the field of biodiversity
strategies and action plans can have a positive impact in strengthening national
forest programmes and vice versa. The work of the United Nations University and
the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization in
supporting forest-related research, conservation ecology, interrelationships
between forests, society and the environment, and traditional knowledge are
also relevant to supporting implementation of the IFF mandate. Similarly, the
substantive contributions that organizations such as the World Intellectual
Property Organization and the World Trade Organization could make to the
Forum in dealing with issues related to traditional knowledge, trade and
environment, and valuation of forest goods and services must be taken into
account at the moment of "forging institutional synergies" with respect to
specific programme elements.
2. Regional organizations
16. Regional commissions. The forest-related work being carried out by the
regional commissions and other regional intergovernmental organizations is
relevant for most of the IFF programme elements. Examples are the work of
the regional commissions, such as the Economic Commission for Europe and the
Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific in data collection,
research and information relating to national forest programmes, polluted
areas, supply and demand, forest conservation, criteria and indicators, valuation
and economic instruments, the work of the Economic Commission for Latin America
and the Caribbean on the role of fiscal and other incentives in planted
forests, paper industry, watershed management; and the work of the Economic
Commission for Africa on soil erosion and the underlying causes of deforestation
and destruction of land resources.
17. Regional development banks. The regional development banks focus their
loans and technical assistance grants on a wide array of activities,
including capacity-building, policy analysis, training, and research and
information, covering almost all IPF and IFF programme elements. All of them
assist countries in their national forest programmes, forest conservation,
biodiversity, underlying causes of deforestation, economic instruments,
valuation, environmentally sound technologies and forest investments. For
example, the Inter-American Development Bank focuses its activities on
polluted areas, national forestry development, forest conservation, and
investments on industrial plantations and commercial forest management. The
African Development Bank focuses on national programmes, low forest cover,
conservation, underlying causes of deforestation, supply and demand of forest
products and services, and forest products industry. It is important to note
that all regional development banks have financial and technical assistance
activities, including capacity-building and policy analysis on legal aspects of
forests.
18. Regional research cooperation institutions. At the regional level, the
European Forest Institute (EFI) has programmes in four priority areas
closely related to the IFF programme: forest ecology and management; forest
products, markets and socio economics; forest policy analysis; and forest
resources and information. At the subregional level, the Central American
Council of Forests and Protected Areas (CCAB-AP) constitutes another type of
mechanism to influence sustainable forest management. CCAB-AP is primarily a
subregional technical body for implementing the policies for sustainable use of
forest resources in the subregion. Its main objectives are to negotiate funding
from international donors; promote sustainable forestry and biological
conservation policies; consolidate proposed protected areas; implement timber
concessions policies and guidelines; and design and foster analytical forestry
legislation. The working liaison of EFI and CCAB-AP with ITFF and other
international organizations could notably strengthen the promotion and
implementation of the IPF proposals for action in their regions. Possible areas
of cooperation include protected areas, traditional knowledge, criteria and
indicators, valuation, environmentally sound technologies, forest investments and
legal regimes.
3. Other international organizations and processes
19. The information on this group includes the work of six forest-specific
organizations and arrangements (International Center for Research in
Agroforestry, International Union of Forestry Research Organizations, the
Forest Stewardship Council, the criteria and indicators processes, International
Wood Products Association) and the Ministerial Conference on the Protection of
Forest in Europe, as well as seven forest-related international organizations
(International Institute for Environment and Development, Organisation for
Economic Cooperation and Development, the World Conservation Union, World
Conservation Monitoring Centre, World Resources Institute, World Wide Fund
for Nature, World Business Council for Sustainable Development). Each of these
organizations and processes are outside ITFF and the United Nations System.
They collectively represent major institutional efforts to establish
partnerships with a wide spectrum of national and regional non-governmental
organizations, indigenous peoples organizations, the private sector and
other major groups. They promote and implement the international forest agenda
at the local, national, regional and global levels. Due to space limitations,
it was not possible to refer to all non-governmental organizations and their
networks in the present report. It is recognized, however, that they have a
major role to play in the implementation of IFF-related activities and IPF
proposals for action. Collectively, their national and international activities
cover a large part of the IPF and IFF programme elements. Many of them are
working in partnerships with the members of ITFF.
20. Several established international initiatives to develop criteria and
indicators for sustainable forest management (e.g., the Montreal Process,
the Helsinki Process, the International Tropical Timber Organization Process)
are now reaching an implementation stage. Meanwhile, new initiatives that have
been started include the Tarapoto Process, the Dry Zone of Africa initiative,
and the initiative in the Near East region. All these initiatives are
considering criteria and indicators at the national level, and some countries
have already implemented these criteria and indicators for monitoring the
sustainability of their forest management and development. At the local level,
some progress has been achieved in a limited number of countries. Forest
management unit-level criteria and indicators have been tested with the
participation of one of the ITFF members, the Centre for International Forestry
Research (CIFOR) in a few temperate and tropical countries. Some countries have
established forest management pilot projects, which include the testing and
implementation of forest management unit-level criteria and indicators.
Countries with a long historical tradition in forest management, particularly in
Europe, have introduced new criteria of sustainability in their forest management
unit-level practices.
21. At the G-8 meeting of Heads of State at Denver in June 1997, the seven
major industrialized countries and the Russian Federation launched the
Forest Action Programme and called for immediate implementation of the IPF
proposals for action. This commitment was reiterated in the G-8 meeting held at
Birmingham in May 1998. The Action Programme has five components:
implementation of national forest programmes; establishing networks of
protected areas; assessing the state of each (G-8) nation's forests, using agreed
criteria and indicators; promoting private-sector management of forests; and
eliminating illegal logging. The International Wood Products Association is
advancing programmes for responsible forest management and international trade
in wood products. The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development
(OECD) is currently working in forestry within its activities on OECD
environmental performance, statistics and indicators; official development
assistance flows to the forestry sector; a scheme for the control of forest
reproductive material moving in international trade; genetically engineered crop
plants and tree species; and on the linkages between agriculture and forestry.
22. The World Bank is the convener of a "CEOs process", in association with
the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), the World Resources Institute (WRI),
Conservation International, the World Conservation Union and a number of
private-sector companies involved in forest products manufacturing
(Apkindo, Aracruz Cellulose, Collins Pine Danzer etc.) related to forest reserves
and sustainable forest management. In 1997, the World Bank also formed an
alliance with WWF aimed at collaboration around two sets of quantitative targets:
(a) to promote the establishment of an ecologically representative network of
protected areas, covering at least 10 per cent of each of the world's major
forest types by the year 2000 (the Bank has adopted a specific target of
establishing 50 million hectares of new forest protected areas in its client
countries by 2005); and (b) to cooperate to achieve independent certification of
200 million hectares of well managed production forests by 2005, 100 million in
temperate and boreal forest regions and 100 million in tropical forest regions.
23. WRI has recently launched the Global Forest Watch as an independent
mechanism to monitor the status and trends related to the world's remaining
frontier forests, including monitoring the direct and underlying causes of
deforestation in these areas. WWF is undertaking a series of case studies
on the socioeconomic causes of biodiversity loss. Case studies will be
carried out in a variety of locations with a diversity of social and economic
conditions. This activity is being developed by the Macroeconomics for
Sustainable Development Programme. The World Conservation Union is implementing
programmes on conservation, valuation, biodiversity and protected areas,
including information and policy work in partnership with WWF. The International
Institute for Environment and Development is focusing its activities on
forest policy and national policy processes, the sustainability of the pulp and
paper industry, development of assessment tools and systems that provide
information to policy makers and planners, and incentives for sustainable
forestry and land use.
24. There are many opportunities for the Forum to link up with the efforts
of all these partnerships and alliances, and to invite them to support and to
collaborate with ITFF in the implementation of the IPF proposals for
action. The potential institutional synergies to support the IPF/IFF processes
are identified in table 2, which was prepared on the basis of the information
compiled in the survey on the forest-related work carried out by
international and regional organizations. Most of the activities being
implemented by other international organizations and processes and regional
organizations are complementary to ITFF efforts and the IFF programme of work,
and offer an excellent opportunity for the Forum to forge institutional synergies
for the benefit of the management, conservation and sustainable development of
all types of forests.
III. PRELIMINARY CONCLUSIONS AND PROPOSALS FOR ACTION
A. Preliminary conclusions
1. Strengthening the Inter-Agency Task Force on Forests
25. As a partnership mechanism in the field of forests, ITFF has been successful
in initiating and strengthening forest-related collaboration among organizations
within and outside the United Nations. Analysis of the information compiled by
the survey undertaken by the IFF secretariat has shown that the forest-related
work-programmes of ITFF members collectively cover the totality of programme
elements in the international agenda on forests, as defined by the IPF and IFF
processes. The focus within the work programmes of ITFF members include such
areas as technical-operational (UNDP, FAO, CIFOR, World Bank); policy making
(ITTO, FAO, UNEP); coordinating (UNEP, the Department of Economic and Social
Affairs, the Convention on Biological Diversity); financial support (World Bank,
UNDP); and normative (ITTO, the Convention on Biological Diversity, UNEP). In
addition to the recognition accorded by IPF, the Commission on Sustainable
Development and the General Assembly at its nineteenth special session, ITFF has
also been noted as an innovative approach by the Inter-Agency Committee for
Sustainable Development charged with coordinating the follow-up to the United
Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) and Agenda 21 by the
United Nations system.
26. ITFF, as a new informal partnership mechanism, requires a strong
institutional back-up from each of its member's organizations and their
respective governing bodies. The strengthening of ITFF is primarily needed for
implementing the IPF proposals for action, which are recognized as the
internationally agreed priorities for forests (see E/CN.17/IFF/1998/2).
27. In the context of the implementation of the IPF proposals for action, the
issue is not to insist on identifying overlaps and areas of duplication, or gaps
in action among different members of ITFF or among other international and
regional organizations. The real challenges ahead are to strengthen further the
existing partnership among ITFF, members and to facilitate the establishment of
new modalities of cooperation between ITFF members and other partners for making
the best use of all the available forest-related institutional capabilities that
exist at the regional and international levels. These institutional capabilities
(see table 2) should be fully mobilized and utilized to support the efforts of
countries to implement the IPF proposals for action.
2. Forging synergies
28. The IPF process emphasized the notion that forest policy and sustainable
forest management must take into account the multiple benefits of forests at the
national, regional and global levels, as well as recognize the high diversity of
institutions involved in issues related to forests. In this regard, a better
understanding of the work being carried out by different international and
regional organizations will represent an important contribution towards the
strengthening of the institutional synergies and will ensure more integrated
approaches, rather than continuing with the fragmented views on forest policies,
programmes and institutions that prevails to date.
29. There is a significantly unrealized potential for further strengthening
the commitment and mobilizing the capacity of existing international and
regional organizations to support and promote the goal of the management,
conservation and sustainable development of all types of forests. This can be
achieved through the enhancement of their complementarities, and better
coordination and facilitation of the policy dialogue to ensure greater coherence
of action, including consistent policy guidance by involving their governing
bodies. This approach would help to focus collective action on jointly agreed
priorities.
30. There are numerous international activities and programmes related to forests
undertaken by international and regional organizations and other non-governmental
organizations. There is a need to encourage the forging of partnerships with all
of these international and regional organizations in selected IPF/IFF programme
elements.
31. Improved institutional partnerships will also be essential for the
monitoring, reviewing and assessing progress in the management, conservation and
sustainable development of all types of forests (see E/CN.17/IFF/1998/6).
Shared objectives on forest-related issues for promoting work among institutions
is crucial for improving efficiency and coordination. Future efforts in
international organizations, multilateral institutions and instruments should
concentrate on making monitoring and reporting activities more effective and
flexible to accommodate emerging needs. This approach should also provide for
effective participation of and collaboration with the non-governmental
organizations and the private sector.
32. The Forum may wish to consider how to fully utilize the existing
institutional capabilities of ITFF and other potential partners to support
actions needing enhanced international efforts. Priority areas include
capacity-building; technology transfer and exchange; institutional and human
resource development, in particular at the national and field levels; funding
and coordination for research and development on national priorities for
sustainable forest management; pilot projects of regional and international
significance; and strategic forest data collection and dissemination of
information.
33. The experience gained in preparing the survey of forest-related work has
shown the need to design a comprehensive directory of forest-related
international and regional organizations as a database for future reference by
the Forum in all matters related to the forest-related work. The directory could
include the available institutional information concerning missions, mandates,
organizational structures, programmes, activities and budget. It is suggested
that such a database also become accessible to all Governments and other
interested parties in electronic form, such as via the Internet. This directory
could also include detailed information about decisions by the governing bodies
of each organization, meetings, project implementation and other relevant
information. Additional information about bilateral and multilateral
forest-related activities and private-sector and research institutions could also
be included.
B. Preliminary proposals for action
1. Supporting the Intergovernmental Panel on Forests/
Intergovernmental Forum on Forests processes
34. The Forum may wish to call upon all interested parties, including the
governing bodies of relevant international and regional organizations to:
(a) Identify practical means for mobilizing their diverse strengths and
capabilities to support country-level efforts in implementing the proposals
for action adopted by IPF;
(b) Foster synergies among different international and regional
organizations and instruments, ensuring their active participation in and
contribution to forest policy dialogue within the framework of IFF, and to
the internationally agreed agenda on forests.
2. Strengthening the Inter-Agency Task Force on Forests
35. The Forum may wish to call upon ITFF member organizations to:
(a) Ensure that partnership arrangements be communicated throughout the
organizational structure of the members' organizations;
(b) Inform their governing bodies about the outcome of the IPF/IFF
process, and encourage them to strengthen forest-related activities and the
inter-agency cooperation in this field;
(c) Explore the potentialities for institutional synergies with other
partners, especially the regional development banks, regional commissions
and other regional intergovernmental bodies, non-governmental organizations,
and other international organizations;
(d) Design a comprehensive directory of forest-related international
and regional organizations engaged in forest-related activities, as a database
for future reference by the Forum in all matters related to forests.
3. Forging synergies
36. The Forum may wish to call upon the governing bodies of United Nations
agencies, regional organizations and other international intergovernmental
and non-governmental organizations to:
(a) Facilitate inter-institutional consultation on cross-sectoral
forest policies, policy reforms, and planning and programmes for sustainable
forest management;
(b) Enhance strategic data sets and analysis systems to allow the
preparation and timely dissemination of user-friendly macro-parameters for
monitoring and reporting on progress in sustainable forest management
practices;
(c) Establish a global forest research network, making full use of
existing institutions, including the identification of mechanisms for an
effective flow of research results to those engaged in policy and
implementation.
37. The above conclusions and proposals for action are preliminary in
nature. Considering that many institutional and legal issues are closely
interrelated, the final conclusions and proposals for action under programme
element II.e (i) would take into account the outcome of the substantive
discussions under category III of the IFF programme of work scheduled for the
third session of IFF.
Notes
1 ITFF members are: the secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity;
the Centre for International Forestry Research (CIFOR); the Food and Agriculture
Organization of the United Nations (FAO); the International Tropical Timber
Organization (ITTO); the Department for Economic and Social Affairs of the United
Nations Secretariat; the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP); the United
Nations Environment Programme (UNEP); and the World Bank.
Annex
LIST OF FOREST-RELATED INTERNATIONAL AND REGIONAL
ORGANIZATIONS AND INSTRUMENTS
Inter-agency task force on forests
----------------------------------
Center for International Forestry Research
International Tropical Timber Organization
Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity
World Bank
Department of Economic and Social Affairs of the United Nations Secretariat
United Nations Development Programme
United Nations Environment Programme
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
International organizations/United Nations system
-------------------------------------------------
Global Environment Facility
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
International Labour Organization
United Nations Conference on Trade and Development
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
United Nations Industrial Development Organization
United Nations University
World Food Programme
World Intellectual Property Organization
World Meteorological Organization
World Trade Organization
Regional organizations
----------------------
Regional commissions
Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific
Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia
Economic Commission for Africa
Economic Commission for Europe
Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean
Regional intergovernmental bodies
African Development Bank
Asian Development Bank
Central American Council of Forest and Protected Areas
European Forest Institute
Inter-American Development Bank
Organization of American States
Other international organizations and processes
International Centre for Research in Agro-Forestry
International Institute for Environment and Development
International Union of Forest Research Organizations
International Wood Products Association
Montreal and other criteria and indicators processes, including the Forest
Stewardship Council
Ministerial Conference on the Protection of Forests in Europe
Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development
The World Conservation Union and associated non-governmental organizations
World Conservation Monitoring Centre
World Resources Institute
World Wide Fund for Nature International and associated non-governmental
organizations
World Business Council for Sustainable Development
Table 1. Inter-Agency Partnership on Forests
IPF programme element ITFF lead Partners within Proposed partners outside
--------------------- Agency ITFF ITFF
-------- -------------- ------------------------
I.1 Progress through FAO UNDP, UNEP,World United Nations Conventions
national forest and Bank, ITTO, to Combat Desertification in
land-use programmes Convention on those countries experiencing
Biological serious drought and/or
Diversity (CBD) desertification, particularly
in Africa, UNIDO
I.2 Underlying causes UNEP UNDP, FAO, CIFOR, ICRAF, IUCN
of deforestation and CBD, ITTO
forest degradation
I.3 Traditional CBD FAO, UNEP, UNDP, United Nations Convention
forest-related ITTO, DESA, to Combat Desertification
knowledge World Bank in those countries
experiencing serious drought
and/or desertification,
particularly in Africa,
United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate
Change, ILO, IADB, ASDB,
AFDB, WIPO, UNESCO, WTO,
UNIDO, UNCTAD, UNU
I.4 Part one: fragile FAO UNDP, UNEP, UNSO, United Nations
ecosystems affected CBD Convention to Combat
by desertification Desertification in those
and drought countries experiencing
serious drought and/or
desertification,
particularly in Africa,
United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change
I.4 Part two: impact of FAO UNEP, CBD United Nations Framework
airborne pollution Convention on Climate Change
on forests
I.5 Needs and requirements UNEP FAO, CBD, United Nations Convention
of countries with low World Bank to Combat Desertification
forest cover in those countries experien-
cing serious drought and/or
Desertification,particularly
in Africa, regional develop-
ment banks.
II International UNDP World Bank, Regional development banks
cooperation in financial CBD, ITTO,
assistance and technology FAO, UNEP
transfer for sustainable
forest management
III.1(a)
Part one: assessment of FAO UNEP, ITTO ECE
the multiple benefits of CIFOR
all types of forests
Part two: forestry CIFOR FAO, CBD IUFRO, ICRAF, UNU,
research International Boreal Forest
Research Association, EFI,
WCMC
III.1(b) Methodologies World (Not yet EFI, HIID
for the proper valuation Bank consulted)
of the multiple benefits FAO, CIFOR,CBD,
of forests ITTO, UNEP
III.2 Criteria and FAO UNEP, ITTO, UNDP UNESCO, IUFRO, IUCN, WWF,
indicators for CBD, CIFOR, regional development banks
sustainable forest World Bank
management
IV Trade and environment ITTO FAO, UNEP UNCTAD, WTO
relating to forest goods
and services
Source: "Inter-Agency Partnership on Forests: a plan to implement IPF
proposals for action", Inter-Agency Task
Force on Forests, New York, June 1997.
Table 2. Potential institutional synergies to support the Intergovernmental
Forum on Forests process
IPF programme ITFF lead Main partners Other potential partners
element agency within ITFF
------------- --------- ------------ -------------------------
I.a. Promote and See annex See annex See annex
facilitate
implementation
of the proposals for
action of IPF
I.b. Monitor progress See annex See annex See annex
in implementation of
IPF proposals for action
II.a. Need for UNDP World Bank, GEF, UNIDO, AFDB, ASDB,
financial resources DESA, UNDP CACF/PA, IADB, OECD, WWF
II.b. Trade and ITTO UNEP, FAO UNCTAD, WTO, ECE, ECLAC,
environment AFDB, ASDB, EFI, IADB,
IHPA, OECD, WBCSD, FSC
II.c. Transfer of FAO UNEP, World ILO, UNIDO, ICRAF, IHPA
technology Bank, CBD, WBCSD
ITTO, UNDP
II.d. Issues needing UNDP, CIFOR, UNESCO, UNU, ECA, ADB,
further clarification ITTO, CBD, CACF/PA, IUCN, WRI, WWF
FAO
Underlying causes of UNEP
deforestation
Traditional forest- CBD CIFOR, ITTO, UNESCO, AFDB, ASDB,IADB,
related knowledge FAO, UNEP, WB WRI, IUFRO, IUCN, UNU,
CACF/PA, WIPO, WTO, UNIDO,
UNCTAD, ILO
Rehabilitation of FAO UNEP, UNDP UNESCO, UNU, WFP, ECA,
forest cover AFDB, IADB, ICRAF, IUCN
Forest conservation UNEP FAO, ITTO, UNESCO, ECA, ESCAP, AFDB,
CIFOR, CBD, ASDB, IADB, IUCN, WWF,WRI,
World Bank WCMC
Research priorities CIFOR FAO, UNEP,CBD, UNESCO, IUFRO, IUCN, WRI,
ITTO, WB GEF, UNU, WIPO, WMO,
ICRAF, IIED, EFI, AFDB,
ASDB
Valuation of forest World Bank UNEP, FAO, GEF, UNCTAD, UNU,WTO,AFDB,
goods and services CIFOR, CBD, ASDB,IUCN,OECD,WRI,WBCSD
ITTO, UNDP
Economic instruments, World Bank UNEP, FAO, GEF, UNU, ESCAP, ESCWA,
tax policies and CBD, ITTO, ECA, ECE, ECLAC, IUCN,
land tenure UNDP OECD, WRI, WBCSD
Supply and demand FAO ITTO, UNEP, AFDB, ASDB, IADB, UNESCO,
of wood and non-wood CBD OECD, WRI, IUCN
forest products and
services
II.e Forest-related DESA ALL ALL
work of organizations
III Identify elements, DESA ITTO, CBD, WIPO, WTO, UN Convention
build a global consensus UNEP to Combat Desertification
and engage in further in those countries
action experiencing serious
drought and/or
desertification,
particularly in Africa,
UN Framework Convention
on Climate Change
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Date last posted: 5 December 1999 15:45:34
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