Background

1. The Forestry Outlook Study for Africa (FOSA) is an initiative of all African nations, co-ordinated by the FAO, in partnership with the African Development Bank, sub-regional organisations, the European Commission, the World Bank, the Economic Commission for Africa, regional and international organisations as well as NGOs and the private sector. FOSA was endorsed by the 11^th session of the African Forestry and Wildlife Commission (AFWC), held in Dakar, Senegal in April 1998. The activities of FOSA began in October 1998 and will continue until mid-2002, when the results will be presented to the 13^th session of the AFWC (April 2002) and to the 14^th session of the Near East Forestry Commission (July 2002).

2. FOSA aims to assess the future scenarios of developments in the forestry sector taking into account the national, regional and global developments and, in particular, inter-sectoral linkages. The study will analyse the forces shaping the future of African forests and forestry, outline the likely scenarios of development in the forestry sector to the year 2020, and indicate policy, program and investment options available to the countries in order to influence the development of thesector toenhance its contribution to the well-being of the people of Africa.

3. Considering the diversity of the economic, social and ecological conditions,for the purpose of FOSA, the African continent has been subdivided into five sub-regions: North Africa, East Africa, Southern Africa, Central Africa and West Africa¹. The East African sub-region consists of: Comoros, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Seychelles, Somalia, Tanzania, and Uganda. Since the four island nations have unique problems with regard to forestry, they have been grouped separately, and the issues relating to FOSA in these countries were discussed during a meeting held at Madagascar in March 2000. The Addis Ababa meeting was organised to launch FOSA in the remaining seven East African countries.

4. The sub-regional planning meeting for Eastern Africa for the Forestry Outlook Study for Africa (FOSA) was held at the UN Conference Centre, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia during 17-19 April 2000. The agenda of the meeting and the list of participants are provided as Appendices I and II, respectively.

Objectives

5. The objectives of the meeting were to: (a) develop a shared vision of FOSA among the FOSA partners in the sub-region; (b) identify the key issues in the forestry sector in Eastern Africa , (c) discuss the nature and scope of the thematic studies and their linkage with the country outlook report and the sub-regional outlook report; (d) discuss a realistic plan for implementation of FOSA and the operational issues; and, (e) identify means to enhance the role of sub-regional organisations in the implementation of FOSA.

Opening Session

6. On behalf of the Economic Commission for Africa, Prof.Makinwa-Adebusoye, Director, Food Security and Sustainable Development Division (FSSDD), welcomed the participants. Outlining the overall objectives of FOSA, Prof.Adebusoye emphasised the importance of a long-term vision for managing natural resources like forests and putting the regional and macro-economic context into perspective in defining the options available. Specifically, she highlighted the importance of FOSA and its scope for reviewing the forestry portfolios of lending institutions, investors, development partners and the private sector. She drew attention to the ongoing effort by ECA on natural resource accounting and the opportunity provided through the FOSA meeting to widen the technical base for natural resource accounting.

7. His Excellency Mengistu Halluka, Acting Minister for Agriculture of the Government of Ethiopia, officially opened the meeting. In his opening remarks, Mr. Halluka emphasised the scope of FOSA, the need for a better understanding of the issues relating to natural resource management in the context of growing demands, and the potential of regional collaboration. Outlining the ongoing efforts with regard to forest management in Ethiopia, he pointed out that current level of attention is far from adequate to deal with the problems and that the development of forestry is constrained by a number of factors. Forest resources have been degraded owing to the growing demand for fuel and construction wood, and the increasing need for arable land. He expressed the hope that FOSA would help to provide a long-term framework for addressing these issues in the regional context, and taking due account of the specific problems in Africa.

8. Mr.Anthony Obeng, the a.i. FAO Representative for Ethiopia, ECA and OAU, emphasised the collaborative nature of FOSA and thanked ECA for hosting the meeting. In his remarks, Mr. Obeng pointed out that agriculture will continue to be the engine of development in Africa and that forestry has a critical role in supporting and sustaining agriculture. Mr. Obeng hoped that FOSA would help articulate a framework outlining the options for intervention to facilitate sustainable forest management.

9. Mr. Frank Kufakwandi, Principal Forestry Advisor, African Development Bank stressed the importance of FOSA in providing a framework for sustainable management of forests by reviewing the constraints and outlining the opportunities for investment. Approximately 12% of Bank assistance in the Agriculture sector has been directed towards forestry. He emphasised the changing role of forestry, and the need to take into account the developments outside the sector in defining forest policies and programmes.

10. At the beginning of the session, the participants unanimously elected Mr.Million Bekele, Team Leader, Forestry & Wildlife Development and Conservation, Ministry of Agriculture, Government of Ethiopia as the Chairperson for the meeting.

Session 1 - Introduction to FOSA

11. FAO presented the Forestry Outlook Study for Africa, outlining the nature of the study, its objectives, ways in which countries may benefit from it, the activities and final outputs of FOSA, partners involved, and co-ordination arrangements. It was stressed that the study was launched at the request of African countries made through the African Forestry and Wildlife Commission, and that strong efforts were being made to ensure that the study would be country-led, reinforce country planning efforts, and meet country expectations. FOSA would involve multi-sectoral analyses, looking beyond the forestry sector to outline forces of change likely to have an impact on the sector in the future. Thus, interdisciplinary discussion at the country level is an essential element of the FOSA process. The main final products of FOSA would include five sub-regional outlook reports, and a regional outlook report summarising the overall scenario of development and options for intervention in the Region. While the country outlook papers would provide the country vision to the study, and the thematic studies would provide the sub-regional and regional context, they would also help to broaden the approach adopted for sector planning at the country level.

12. FAO outlined the expected outputs of the planning meeting; these included:

- achieving a shared vision of FOSA

- identification of priority issues

- selection of thematic studies

- the scope and coverage of the country papers

- a plan for implementation of FOSA

- partnership with sub-regional organisations

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13. During discussion the participants stressed on the following aspects:

· The ownership and management of FOSA should be with the countries and regional organisations so as to facilitate implementation and follow-up;

· FOSA provides an excellent opportunity for networking and it is important that the initiative is sustained beyond 2002 to facilitate regular interaction and further follow up. Regular contacts should be maintained with all the FOSA partners and participating countries;

· FOSA has a strong element of capacity building at the country level and this should receive full cognisance;

· It is important to emphasise the complimentarity and linkage between FOSA and NFP so that policy makers and planners see the role of FOSA in strengthening the various national level initiatives;

· Country level efforts in support of the FOSA process should take into account the various national level initiatives, especially with regard to national conservation strategies, environmental action plans, etc.

14. During discussion, it was noted that more clarity with regard to the FOSA process would be achieved better after the presentation of process of the preparation of the country outlook paper and its structure. It was hence decided to advance the presentation on the country outlook paper.

Session 2 - Country Outlook Paper

15. FAO presented a paper on the contents and preparation of the country outlook paper. It was emphasized that the country outlook paper should capture the long term vision for forestry, fully taking into account the linkages with other sectors. In regard to the structure of country papers, it was emphasised that the terms of reference should not be regarded as strict guidelines, but more as a checklist. Furthermore, the country papers were not intended as an exhaustive compendium of the countries' present situation. Maximum use should be made of existing data (in the form of previous reports, studies, etc.), and, where they exist, country strategic plans should form an essential input in to the FOSA vision for 2020.

Ad hoc Group Discussion

16. Considering the fact that success of FOSA depends on a clear understanding of the concepts and issues by the country focal points, it was agreed that the country participants will review the FOSA proposal, including the outline of the country outlook paper in the specific context in their countries. Accordingly the participants broke up into small groups to consider the following questions:

· Prospects for the forestry sector in the countries in Eastern Africa. Are these improving or worsening?

· How can FOSA make a difference in the evolution of the forestry sector?

· Approach to adopt and internalise FOSA in the countries; and

· Problems anticipated.

17. The participants from the countries reviewed the proposals in the context of the above questions specifically taking into account the situation in the countries. Important conclusions emerging from the discussion are summarised below:

Prognosis for Forest Sector Development

_ Forest loss: was ongoing owing to pressures of population and agriculture, weak forestry departments, under-funding of the sector and, in some cases, lack of transparency and corruption;

_ Positive notes: Community collaborative management approaches have been introduced in various countries, and private plantation development was being encouraged in some; the role of on-farm tree planting was emphasised;

_ Forest Policy: In many cases, forest policies are obsolete and unsuited to present day requirements; however, in some countries, new forest policies have been formulated and new legislation drafted, whilst others were undertaking policy reviews; even where new policies have been developed, their implementation is far from satisfactory;

_ Capacity limitations: although countries may posses skilled manpower, they often lack basic resources and incentives to do their jobs;

_ National forest programmes: although most countries (except one) have initiated forestry action plans, implementation has been very slow largely due to resource constraints;

_ Donor co-ordination was problematic in some countries, and their activities might not always accord with national priorities;

_ Forest financing: In general revenue systems are weak and only a small proportion of the potential revenue is recovered. In most countries this is debited to the exchequer and all activities of the forestry departments have to obtain funding through the annual budget; Only in a few cases the forestry sector allowed to retain a proportion of the income for reinvestment;

_ Private Investment in the forestry sector is generally weak, and mostly focused on forest industries.. Much-needed investment in plantations is not forthcoming. One country has produced investment guidelines for the forestry sector;

_ Forestry Information: all countries complained of a lack of reliable information about their forestry sectors; in the absence of reliable information, it is almost impossible to monitor implementation of sustainable forest management;

_ Institutional Linkages: countries reported severe co-ordination problems arising from decentralised forestry departments belonging to ministries other than that of the Central HQ; inter-sectoral linkages are generally weak, and sometimes there exist confusing and overlapping mandates of different ministries;

The Role of FOSA

_ Regional Role: it was felt that FOSA could assist countries and sub-regional/ regional organisations by: undertaking supranational studies; engendering strategic planning at the sub-regional level; and, by providing a basis for reaching consensus on a common sub-regional position on international forestry issues;

_ Strategic Planning: FOSA's role as a basis for providing options in sector strategic planning was recognised;

_ National forest programmes: it was felt that FOSA could revitalise stalled NFPs by bringing together all stakeholders;.

_ Investment Opportunities: FOSA's potential to promote investment, particularly at the sub-regional level, was recognised;

Country level adoption of FOSA

_ National FOSA efforts: need to be incorporated into the strategic planning process of the countries' forestry departments with national focal points coordinating the process.

_ Networking: there is a need to establish a network for focal points, and to ensure a regular flow of information. Sharing of the information among the country focal points is expected to significantly improve the quality of effort;

_ Country orientation: needed to avoid a top-down approach, but FOSA can provide a regional and sub-regional dimension to forestry planning in countries; in this context, it is important to portray FOSA as complementary to NFPs.

_ Symbiotic activities: FOSA could be used to promote other forest sector activities; furthermore, other sector bodies already in existence could serve to coordinate FOSA;

_ Stakeholder Consultation: will be necessary to ensure broad acceptance through partnerships with civil society and NGOs;

Constraints on adopting FOSA

_ Capacity constraints: almost all countries warned that they lacked financial resources and the time to expend on extensive tasks for FOSA; in particular, countries were concerned that FOSA would not be sustainable after year 2002. the costs implication of maintaining active task forces and employing national consultants to prepare country outlook papers were highlighted;

_ Remoteness of FAO was noted;

_ Inadequate Information base: this could limit forecasting exercises under FOSA;

General Comments

_ Many issues raised echoed those identified at past meetings in previous years; and, are similar to those raised at other FOSA consultative meetings;

_ the land tenure issue is considered to be the most serious and intractable;

Session 3 - Sub-Regional Issues

18. The meeting considered two papers prepared by Professor F. Owino, FAO Consultant

(i) Draft Report on Continental East African Countries;

(ii) Forestry Issues in Continental East Africa (see Appendix III)

19. Participants were invited to comment on the country sections in the first paper, and the second paper was presented and discussed. This paper examined the development context for forestry, the management of forest and wildlife resources, and issues arising. In particular, it highlighted:

Trans-boundary issues: such as conflict, droughts and common ethnicity of the populations;

. Institutional Weakness: lack of national commitment, exacerbated by SAPs; failure to adapt to decentralisation and to embrace community co-management;

Narrow sectoral approach: governments fail to appreciate the linkages between forestry and tourism, wildlife and livestock management, agriculture and energy;

Inappropriate Policy Framework: in most cases, forestry and wildlife policies are obsolete and/or fail to address present-day problems;

Forest funding: sharply declining internal and external funding; lack of revenue retention opportunities, inefficient collection, undervaluation of forest goods and services and, in some cases, corruption.

Wildlife outside protected areas: concentration on formal PAs may overshadow the importance of fauna outside those areas on which communities depend for hunting, etc. There is little knowledge concerning the carrying capacity of (degraded) wildlife habitats, and wildlife conservation is threatened in many countries by insecurity.

Excessive livestock grazing: pastoralism is a major land use in all countries of the sub-region, and is a major cause of forest degradation which could be alleviated by improved range management;

Woodfuel production: as the major source of household energy in all countries of the sub-region, the role of wood energy as a major pressure on forest resources cannot be over-emphasised;

Forest fires: fire damage of forest resources has been increasing owing to the decline of forest management capacity, exacerbated by recent drought conditions;

Land tenure: is a constraint on tree planting at farm level, as well as for larger-scale plantation development.

20. Following the presentation, a number of issues were brought up, including the declining investment in forestry, the potential for increased private sector investment, emerging opportunities and the need to have appropriate institutions and structures to be in place to take advantage of the new opportunities. Specifically the meeting pointed out the following:

· Poverty reduction will have to be mainstreamed into forestry programmes and projects. Multilateral financing agencies like the African Development Bank are increasingly emphasising this as a pre-requisite for considering financial support;

· In several countries forestry has a low political profile and the sector has not been able to gain necessary political support. Poor governance, lack of appreciation of the significance of forests and the weaknesses in the revenue system are key problems that need to be addressed;

· Policies relating to forestry are outdated and efforts to adapt them to the changing situation are far from satisfactory. Strategic planning capability is extremely weak in the forestry sector. Often many of the efforts are donor driven and lack of donor co-ordination is an important problem in a number of countries.

· Several countries are implementing decentralisation and responsibilities are being transferred to district and lower levels. Absence of capacity at the local level to plan and implement sustainable management practices is a major concern;

21. The presentation by Prof.Owino stimulated considerable discussion and fulfilled the objective for which the paper was commissioned. The participants pointed out the need to review some of the information provided in the issues paper and agreed to provide recent information to fill up some of the gaps. It was pointed out the updated version could form an important input into the preparation of the Sub-Regional Outlook Report.

Field visit

22. The Forest Department organised a half-day field trip to the Menagesha-Suba national forest, about 45-km from Addis Ababa. The situation in the area reflects all the conflicts characteristic in managing forests in a densely populated area with weak policies and institutions, ill-defined rules and regulations, weak enforcement, inadequate investment in forest management, etc. The land use conflicts in the area are severe and already substantial area of the national forest has already been converted into agriculture.

Session 4 - Environmental and Natural Resource Accounting

23. The ECA presented a paper "Environmental and Resource Accounting in Africa", largely based on the seminar held at the ECA during 26-28 October 1998. The paper provides a broad indication of (a) natural resources and macro-economic policy in the African context, (b) integrated environmental and resource accounting, (c) policy reform, (d) some African country experiences and (e) the recommendations from the October 1998 seminar.

24. Environmental and Natural Resources Accounting is a major element of ECA's medium term plan, and focuses particularly on creating awareness and organising training workshops and seminars. Working in conjunction with UNSTAT, WWF and the EC, ECA is well placed to take a leading role in Africa in this field.

25. The meeting noted that FOSA and the national forest programmes should take cognisance of the increasing emphasis on developing new methodologies and concepts to incorporate environmental concerns in resource management and hence take note of the need for strengthening capacity for valuation of environmental goods and services. The meeting also noted the several efforts taking place in Africa and underpinned the need for improved collaboration.

Session 5 - Thematic Studies

26. The draft list of thematic studies prepared by FAO for FOSA was discussed, along with amendments proposed at the Planning Meeting for Southern Africa, held in Lusaka, 31 March-1 April 2000. The following major recommendations were made:

_ The precise issues to be dealt with under the theme globalisation are unclear. It was indicated that this should be re-worded to provide better clarity and focus. Impact of global issues, including the implications of the various conventions should be dealt with in the paper.

_ The classification used for differentiating forest types under Group B should follow what is conventionally accepted. It may even be appropriate to combine the three topics relating to moist tropical forests, dryland forests, and upland forests;

_ Importance of wetlands and mangroves were emphasised and the meeting considered that they should be dealt with in a separate thematic paper on their ecological and economic significance;

_ The topic "Trees Outside Forests" is very broad and the objective of preparing a thematic paper could be better captured through focusing on agroforestry and related land use;

_ The meeting specifically noted that a critical problem with regard to sustainable forest management is the weaknesses of the information system. A thematic paper should specifically deal with this aspect highlighting the current status of forestry information systems and the potential for its improvement in Africa.

_ Considering the role of forests in protecting watersheds and its significance in the African context, it was emphasised that a thematic paper should cover this aspect.

_ Noting the increasing problems caused by fires leading to forest degradation, the meeting endorsed that this should be dealt with through a separate thematic paper.

_ Under the thematic paper on wood demand and supply specific attention should be given to analysing the implications of certification, green labelling and logging bans.

_ Considering that research, extension, education and training are all related to capacity development and hence topics 22 and 23 should be organically linked.

27. Clarification was provided on the linkage between the country outlook paper and the thematic studies. The representative from the African Development Bank explained the procedural aspects of preparing the thematic studies. It was pointed out that the country outlook paper would form a very useful input into the preparation of the thematic papers. Hence the preparation of the thematic studies will be undertaken immediately following the receipt of the country outlook paper.

28. The arrangements being made for the thematic studies through the Swedish Trust fund managed by the African Development Bank were explained. It was indicated that every effort would be made to take full advantage of African expertise in undertaking the thematic studies.

Operational issues

29. FAO then outlined the operational issues relating to the preparation of the country outlook paper. The terms of reference of the national focal point and the funding for preparation of country outlook paper were discussed. The national focal points were specifically requested to assess the feasibility of preparing the country outlook paper. Issues such as the broader consultation involving stakeholders and representatives from the key sectors influencing forestry were discussed. In most countries, there have been efforts to develop strategic plans, national forest programmes, etc. and substantial work has been done with regard to planning in agriculture, industry, energy, etc. These would be of considerable help in developing the outlook paper. It was clarified that the preparation of the country paper doesn't involve any original data collection, but primarily to synthesise and analyse available information and to provide an analytical vision of the future considering all the developments.

30. While most of the participants indicated that they would be able to complete the task of preparation of the country paper, problems concerning available resources and time were indicated by some. This will have to be followed up with the country focal points and arrangements for provision of support worked out.

31. FAO introduced the role and the Terms of Reference of the FOSA Expert Advisory Group. It recalled the purpose and composition of an expert group, and summarised their proposed duties and qualifications for membership. Participants were asked to comment on a proposal by FAO that some adaptation of the African Forestry Expert Group (AFEG) should form the basis of the Expert Advisory Group in relation to FOSA. The AAS representative outlined the effort to develop the African Forestry Expert Group (AFEG) and how this could provide the support for FOSA. It was agreed that the suggestion is to be followed up, as discussed in the recently concluded FOSA meeting held at Lusaka. The AAS also proposed to make available to FOSA its roster of African forest scientists.

Conclusions

32. In general, participants were unanimous in confirming that there exist serious impediments to improvements in the forest sectors of their countries. The problems of deforestation and degradation were likely to continue, although there were some encouraging trends in new approaches to forest management, involving communities and farmers.

33. However, the implementation of new approaches and of national forest programmes were, in general, hampered by lack of forest information, inappropriate policies, institutional conflicts and inadequate funding. The problem of funding arises on many fronts. Private sector investment in the sector remains weak. In regard to funding forest administration, there are few, if any, opportunities for revenue retention. Also, donor assistance has been reducing and, where it exists, is often poorly co-ordinated.

34. Participants agreed that FOSA could make a positive contribution to addressing such problems by engendering a sub-regional approach to forest planning and investment in the sector. At the national level, it was felt that FOSA could promote strategic planning and revitalise the NFP process.

35. In order to internalise FOSA, participants advised the following steps:

_ National FOSA efforts: need to be incorporated into the strategic planning process of the countries' forestry departments with the national focal points coordinating the process.

_ Networking: there is a need to establish a network for focal points, and to ensure a flow of information.

_ Country orientation: needed to avoid a top-down approach, but FOSA can provide a regional and sub-regional dimension to forestry planning in countries; in this context, it is important to portray FOSA as an adjunct to NFPs.

_ Symbiotic activities: FOSA could be used to promote other forest sector activities; furthermore, other sector bodies already in existence could serve to co-ordinate FOSA;

_ Stakeholder Consultation: will be necessary to ensure broad acceptance through partnerships with civil society and NGOs.

36. The group discussion and the subsequent plenary session facilitated a better understanding of the FOSA process, including what is expected from the countries. This particularly helped to clarify the linkage of FOSA and national forest programme and how the former could facilitate the nfp process in providing the regional and global context.

Recommendations

37. At the conclusion of all the technical sessions, the FOSA Secretariat presented the draft recommendations arising from the meeting. These were discussed and amended based on the suggestions from the participants. The conclusions and recommendations are listed below:

_ The meeting noted the importance of FOSA for providing a long term framework for forestry development, and recommended that close co-operation with ECA, sub-regional organisations (IGAD, EAC) and others (AAS, ICRAF, etc) should be maintained in the implementation of FOSA.

_ The FOSA process should not end in year 2002, and the efforts should be internalised through strengthening the capacity of sub-regional organisations for follow-up activities.

_ Efforts should be made to involve those countries unable to participate in the FOSA meeting, and necessary assistance should be given to enable their involvement and the incorporation of their concerns into FOSA.

_ The FOSA Secretariat, should strengthen networking amongst FOSA focal points and other partners, and facilitate a regular flow of information.

_ The status paper on sub-regional issues on forestry in East Africa should be revised in the light of comments received in Session 3 and the working group discussion, and then be used as an important input into the preparation of the sub-regional outlook report.

_ Recognising the shortage of resources and the limited time available for the preparation of country papers, the meeting recommended that the FOSA Secretariat should explore options for overcoming these constraints.

_ The meeting reviewed the proposal for thematic studies. A number of suggestions were accepted by the Secretariat, the main recommendations being:

- The forest types used in cluster (B) should conform to the common classification of forest vegetation adopted in the Africa Region;

- An additional paper should be included on the Status, Trends and Future Scenarios for Management of Wetlands and Mangroves in East Africa.

- The paper on trees outside forests should be orientated to farm forestry, with special reference to agroforestry and related land uses;

- As noted that security of land and tree tenure are critical issues in Africa, and that it should be adequately covered in the baseline study on land use; or else be incorporated in the thematic paper on Forest Policies & Legislation (E-19);

- The FOSA Secretariat should prepare the terms of reference for the thematic papers, taking account of the recommendations from the sub-regional planning meetings, and circulate them to all the countries and partner institutions involved in FOSA for input and validation.

38. Further, the meeting endorsed a number of additional studies recommended at the FOSA meeting for Southern African countries, held in Lusaka, Zambia 30 March - 1 April.

- All aspects of the role of forests in watershed management (not just uplands);

- The valuation of forest good and services;

- Innovate funding mechanisms;

- Visions, expectations, capabilities, and changing roles of non-governmental organisations;

- The role of international conventions and agreements and impact at the national level on sustainable forest management;

- Forest-based information and resource monitoring for SFM (collection, harmonisation, and

- Forest fires (sharing of information and experiences of significance, impact, management, etc).

Concluding Session

39. The concluding session was addressed by the Director, Food Security and Sustainable Development, ECA. In her remarks, she expressed ECA's keen interest in FOSA and indicated that planning meeting is a starting point of intense collaboration with FAO and other FOSA partners. She indicated ECA's commitment to provide continued support to FOSA and efforts on natural resource and environmental accounting. In this context, FAO was requested to supply ECA with an up-to-date list of Heads of Forestry in Africa.

40. The representatives of the national focal points and the regional organisations expressed satisfaction with the outcome of the meeting. FAO thanked the participants, the regional organisations, African Development Bank and the ECA for all the help and co-operation extended for the successful conduct of the meeting.

Overall outcome of the meeting

41. The meeting was organised to: (a) develop a shared vision of FOSA among the FOSA partners in the sub-region; (b) identify the key issues in the forestry sector in Southern Africa to be covered by FOSA; (c) discuss the nature and scope of the thematic studies and their linkage with the country outlook report and the sub-regional outlook report; (d) discuss a realistic plan for implementation of FOSA and the operational issues; and, (e) identify means to enhance the role of sub-regional organisations in the implementation of FOSA.

42. Most of these objectives were accomplished by the end of the meeting. Discussion with the participants, and the outcome of the ad hoc Group Session, indicated a clear understanding and vision of FOSA, and also of the issues relating to the preparation of the country outlook paper, and of the linkage between FOSA and the national forest programmes. The priority issues for the sub-region were identified, and the corresponding thematic papers were duly emphasised.

43. The country participants identified how they would adopt and internalise FOSA, and most indicated that there would be no major constraints in implementation.

44. The active involvement of the regional and sub-regional organisations clearly suggests the importance assigned to FOSA. Of particular importance is the keen interest demonstrated by the Economic Commission for Africa. Although IGAD could not join the entire meeting (on account of its involvement in dealing with the famine in Ethiopia and other countries), its Director of Agriculture and Environment Division attended some of the sessions and indicated IGAD's strong interest in participating and supporting FOSA. Participation by ICRAF and the African Academy of Sciences further enhanced the value of the meeting by bringing in their expertise and experience and in secyring their support for FOSA.

1 This is based on the country grouping adopted by the African Development Bank.

Appendix I AGENDA

FOSA Sub-Regional Planning Meeting

for Eastern Africa

17 - 19 April 2000, Addis Ababa

The meeting has been organised to seek inputs from the country focal points and other partners on the approach to implementation of FOSA, to facilitate the drawing up of a plan with regard to the preparation of the country outlook reports, and to discuss the topics for the thematic studies. It is expected that at the end of the meeting the following will have been accomplished:

· The FOSA partners will have developed a shared vision on FOSA;

· Priority issues for the sub-region will have been identified;

· The scope and coverage of the country papers and the sub-regional outlook report will have been defined and clearly understood;

· The nature and scope of the thematic studies, their linkage with the country studies and also with the sub-regional outlook reports will have been discussed; and

· A realistic plan for implementation of FOSA and all the operational issues will have been discussed and clarified.

The provisional programme of the meeting is as given below:

Sunday, 16 April 2000

` Arrival of participants

Monday, 17 April 2000

` Registration (0830 -0900)

` Opening Session (09.00 - 10.00)

s Welcome address: ECA ( Prof. P.K.Makinwa-Adebusoye)

s Opening remarks: Acting Minister for Agriculture, Government of Ethiopia (H.E. Mr. Mengistu Halluka)

s Introduction to FOSA: FAO Representative in Ethiopia and to ECA (Mr. Anthony Obeng,)

s Introductory remarks: African Development Bank (Mr. Frank Kufakwandi)

` Coffee break ( 10.00 - 10.30)

` Session 1 - Introduction to FOSA (10.30 -11.30)

s Presentation of FOSA proposal (FAO)

s Definition of outputs from the planning meeting (FAO)

s Comments and discussion by participants

` Session 2 - Country papers - structure and contents ( 11.30 - 12.30)

s Introduction to the preparation of the country outlook papers (FAO)

s Discussion

Lunch break (12.30 - 14.00)

` Group Discussion (1400-1530)

` Tea break (15.30 - 16.00)

` Session 2 - continued ( 16.00 - 17.30)

s Discussion of the issues relating to FOSA and the preparation country outlook papers

` Reception (18.30 - 21.30)

Tuesday, 18 April 2000

` Session 3 - Sub-regional issues ( 09.00 -10.00)

· Presentation of the report of the group discussion (FAO)

s Presentation of forestry issues in East Africa (Prof. Fred Owino)

s Presentations - viewpoints on forestry issues

` Coffee break ( 10.00 - 10.30)

` Session 3 - continued (10.30 - 12.30)

s Presentations - viewpoints on forestry issues

s Discussion on the incorporation of issues in the sub-regional papers

` Lunch break (12.30 - 13.30)

` Field trip (1330 - 1830)

Wednesday, 19 April 2000

` Session 4 - Some key issues (09.00 - 10.00)

s Presentation by ECA on the ongoing work on natural resources and environmental accounting in Africa

` Coffee break ( 10.00 - 10.30)

` Session 5 - FOSA Thematic Studies ( 1030 - 1230)

s Presentation of preliminary list of thematic studies and their relevance to FOSA

s Discussion/ Recommendations on the thematic studies

` Lunch break (12.30 - 14.00)

` Session 6 -Operational issues (14.00-15.00)

s Time frame and the process of preparation of country outlook papers

s Resource requirements

s Technical support from FAO and other organizations

s Co-ordination at the national and sub-regional levels ( developing a FOSA network and a system for information exchange)

` Tea break (15.00 - 15.30)

` Concluding Session ( 15.30 - 17.00)

s Issues for immediate follow up

s Remarks by participants

s Vote of thanks

Thursday, 20 April 2000

` Departure of participants