Hanoi, 21-26 April 2008

Over 600 participants from more than 50 countries will take part in the first-ever Asia-Pacific Forestry Week in Hanoi from 21 to 26 April 2008. This first-of-its-kind gathering is the largest and most significant forestry-related event in the region in 2008. It will bring together leading forestry and environment figures from government, civil society, the private sector and multilateral institutions. A broad array of forestry meetings and activities, involving many well-known forestry identities, will be held during the week.

Asia-Pacific Forestry Week is hosted jointly by the Government of Viet Nam and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.(FAO) at the National Convention Center in Me Tri, Tu Liem, Hanoi.

Journalists are invited to attend Forestry Week starting with the opening ceremony on 21 April at 09:00 hours. Key speakers will be:
• H.E. Hoang Trung Hai – Deputy Prime Minister, Viet Nam
• He Changchui – Assistant Director-General and FAO Regional Representative for Asia and the Pacific
• Jan Heino – Assistant Director-General, FAO Forestry Department
• Prof. Norman Myers – world-renowned environmentalist and pioneer in the fight to save tropical forests and biodiversity (Fellow at 21st Century School, Green College and Said Business School, University of Oxford)
• Dr Sunita Narain – sustainable development specialist, political commentator and social activist (Director of the Centre for Science and Environment, India)

Major topics to be addressed during Forestry Week are forestry in a changing world; forests and climate change; people, forests and human-well being: managing forests and people in a period of rapid change; and timber trade, forest law compliance and governance.

Interviews with speakers can be arranged by contacting the press officers below.

Press Accreditation:
Media are requested to proceed to the media registration desk upon arrival at the National Convention Center. Accreditation inquiries can be directed to
Ms Nguyen Thi Tuyet Hoa
Deputy Director-General, International Cooperation Department (ICD)
Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development
Tel +84 (0)4 843 3400 ; Cell +84 (0)912 312 895 ; Email [email protected]

For follow-up interviews contact:

For Vietnamese media:
Mrs Nguyen Thi Tuyet Hoa : Tel +84 (0)4 843 3400 ; Cell +84 (0)912 312 895 ; Fax +84 (0)4 733 0752 ; Email [email protected]
Ms Bui My Binh : Tel +84 (0)4 843 7450 ; Cell +84 (0)989 096 252 ; Fax +84 (0)4 733 0752 ; Email [email protected]

For international media:
Regan Suzuki : Cell +84 (0)944 017 838 ; Email [email protected]


More information at:
http://www.fao.org/forestry/site/44755/en/