International Forest Policy Forum

d. National forest policy and programs

The reform of forestry policy is introducing two important innovations (i) preparation of forest management plans and (ii) adoption of forest certification and labelling systems.

Setting clear objectives for international forest policy and linking sustainable forest management more closely to the internationally agreed development goals are avenues that warrant careful consideration at the Forum.

CPF members state that, increasingly, national forest programmes are seen as an effective tool for cross sectoral and participatory policy making and for translating international forest related commitments into practice.

Over the past 10 years of the international forest policy dialogue process, the debate on a global forest convention has prevented progress on the issues mentioned above and on others.

Many countries report action to improve the use of economic and policy instruments to promote sustainable forest management.

Such priorities could be common to all options discussed below and could be used to focus international forest policy.

In some countries, the programmes are developed at the subnational level because significant forest policy responsibilities have been decentralized.

(c) Strengthen the vertical linkages between forest policy development and dialogue at the global, regional, national and local levels.

Stakeholders at the international, regional, national and subnational levels have attached importance to criteria and indicators as providing a framework for policy formulation and monitoring of sustainable forest management and national forest programmes.

The benefits of such programmes, in terms of providing a focus for forest policy development and implementation, are widely recognized.

The Coalition (formerly known as the NGO Forest Working Group) was established in 1995 to bring the views of non governmental organizations and indigenous peoples' organizations to the various international forest policy forums and negotiations.

The forest ecosystem and forest resources

Forest operations and the forest industry provide employment and income to millions of workers and forest dwellers.

Promote genuine community based forest management that empowers forest peoples.

While forest biodiversity continues to decline as a result of deforestation, forest degradation and associated fragmentation of forest habitats, strong efforts are now being made to reverse this trend by restoring the forest functions in degraded forest landscapes.

If sustainable forest management is to compete successfully for resources, strong domestic strategic decisions and policy measures are needed to create an attractive investment environment.

Of particular value is the broadening of the range of stakeholders with an interest in forests and the development of innovative mechanisms for equitable involvement of these stakeholders in the formulation of forest policy and programmes and in forest planning and management.

(c) Strengthen vertical linkages between forest policy development and dialogue at the global, regional, national and local levels by reviewing the scheduling and cycle of meetings and perhaps by holding regional and global thematic meetings on major forest related issues in alternate years

C. Greater recognition of sustainable forest management and forest products trade

Forest fiscal reform provides opportunities to increase revenues generated from forest resources.

Major groups note that the work of the Forum has enhanced forest policy development, which has expanded well beyond traditional forestry policy issues, and that new ideas introduced at the Forum can be quickly transmitted to countries.

Most non governmental organizations involved in the international forest policy debate think that multi stakeholder dialogues are inappropriate vehicles through which to channel civil society's views.

The Forum secretariat participated in both workshops, providing relevant information on economic aspects of forests and research needs for forest policy development at the global level.

However, they are likely to differ in forest rich and forest poor countries.

By 1935, the U.S. Forest Service's fire management policy stipulated that all wildfires were to be suppressed by 10 A.M. the morning after they were first spotted.

Sustainable forest management

Sustainable forest management

Reverse the loss of forest cover worldwide through sustainable forest management, including protection, restoration, afforestation and reforestation, and increase efforts to prevent forest degradation

The Executive Secretary stressed that any policy on sustainable forest management must aim at preserving existing forests and ensure that reforestation and afforestation policies were addressed and promoted.

For the future, there is a need to involve those working on forest policy at the national level, including stakeholders, more fully in the work of the Forum.

For example, the FAO Regional Forestry Commissions have helped extend the global forest policy dialogue to the national level, by bringing together heads of the national forestry agencies, in the respective regions, to discuss policy and technical issues of interest.

Implementation of national forest programmes. The proposals for action have effectively shaped the national forest programmes and their equivalents in many countries, and these national forest programmes have become national institutional frameworks for achieving sustainable forest management.

A forest may consist either of closed forest formations where trees of various storeys and undergrowth cover a high proportion of the ground or open forest.

One Forest, Two Tigers

Financing sustainable forest management

Forest related scientific knowledge

Forest health and productivity

Bridal Veil Falls (DuPont State Forest) waterfall located in the DuPont State Forest in North Carolina.

In complementary development of forest production a multi purposeful interest of sustainable forest development is sought.

Some note that it is difficult to establish a direct link between the international arrangement and forest policy development, and suggest that a legally binding agreement would be more effective.

Section II deals with policy and programme coordination with United Nations bodies, section III with regional involvement, and section IV with international instruments and organizations relevant to the forest sector.

Enhance forest based economic, social and environmental benefits, including by improving the livelihoods of forest dependent people

The Viphya Forest to the south of the city is the largest man made forest in Africa.