Photo: BMLFUW
5th Meeting of the United Nations Forum on Forests
The fifth meeting of the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF) was held in New York from 16 to 27 May 2005.
Objective of the MeetingThe objective of the fifth meeting of the UNFF, which took place in New York with ministerial attendance on 25 and 26 May, was to evaluate the effectiveness of the current International Arrangement on Forests (IAF), and to decide on its conceptual direction and legal form for the future.
For Austria, the development of a functioning global forest arrangement is of greatest relevance in terms of environmental and economic policy. A consistent environmental policy requires that Austria show an international commitment for the protection of forests. For the Austrian economy, securing fair competition conditions is at stake. The Austrian wood industry has an export quota of about 70% (worldwide the fifth-largest softwood exporter), the paper and cardboard industry of about 85%. The Austrian forestry sector is becoming increasingly involved internationally (e.g. ÖBF AG in Russia). Therefore, there is a high level of interest in global, equal framework conditions - legally binding, where possible - for a sustainable forest management.
The UNFF is part of the “International Arrangement on Forests” (IAF), which is based on a Resolution of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) of October 2000, and was adopted as a compromise between the proponents and opponents of a forest convention.
The objective of the IAF is to promote the management, conservation and sustainable development of all types of forests and to strengthen long-term political commitment to this end. The IAF consists of the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF) and the Collaborative Partnership on Forests (CPF).
The UNFF is a functional commission of the ECOSOC, in which all members of the United Nations have a vote. Relevant international and regional organisations and groups (NGOs) are involved in the consultations. The CPF is a voluntary cooperation between United Nations organisations (FAO, UNEP, UNDP and others) and other international and regional institutions with an interest in forests, including the secretariats of the relevant conventions (Biodiversity, Climate, Combat against Desertification), with the objective of supporting the UNFF and enhancing the coordination of forest-related programmes and activities.
Main Results of the Fifth Meeting:
Core elements of the discussions were:
Objectives for the future International Arrangement on Forests (overarching strategic objectives, global quantitative goals, national targets)
Means of implementation (including ODA, UNFF Trust Fund, partnerships, joint ventures, NFPs, Poverty Reduction Strategies, Global Forest Fund, Trust Fund for CPF at PROFOR, operational programme in the GEF)
Regional UNFF meetings
Guidance to CPF
Legal framework (including legally binding instrument or voluntary code or guidelines or continuation of status quo)
With regard to the objectives and some of the means of implementation, rapprochement could be achieved. However, despite three night sessions time was too short to sufficiently discuss and agree on the issues Global forest Fund, Trust Fund for CPF, operational programme in the GEF, regional UNFF meetings, and the legal framework.
In view of this situation, the EU Ministers agreed not to leave the negotiating table and not to end the meeting, because the subject matter was simply too important. They spoke out in favour of an intermission and resumption of the negotiations.
Therefore the negotiations were stopped for the time being and will be resumed at the sixth meeting of the UNFF in New York from 13 to 24 February 2006, based on the “Draft Chairman’s Text” drawn up at UNFF 5.
This meeting shall take place during the Austrian EU Presidency. Austria will therefore be the speaker and chief negotiator for the EU at UNFF 6, and will have to coordinate the EU positions and negotiating strategies, and to prepare the background documents, position papers and statements.
High Level Ministerial Segment:
Together with high-ranking representatives of forest-relevant international institutions and conventions, as well as representatives of various interest groups, the Ministers discussed the following issues:
contribution of sustainable forest management towards achieving the millennium development targets,
legislation and policies for a sustainable forest management,
restoration of global forests,
future measures.
Austrian Minister Josef Pröll made a forceful appeal to the gathered Forestry Ministers from all over the world to establish a strong international instrument for the protection of forests and their sustainable management.
The meeting of the UNFF also presented Minister Pröll with an occasion to plant an Austrian stone pine in New York’s Central Park, and to hand over a cheque for € 25,000.- for the rehabilitation of the part of the park designed by an Austrian landscape architect in the nineteenth century.
The full report can be downloaded in the Word document below.
Further information about UNFF found you here
02.04.2008,