Forest biological diversity highlighted at meeting of Convention on Biological Diversity
The sixth Conference of the Parties (COP-6) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) took place from 7 to 19 April 2002 in The Hague, the Netherlands. Approximately 2 000 participants attended, representing 176 governments, United Nations agencies, non-governmental organizations, intergovernmental organizations, indigenous and local community organizations and others.
Delegates to COP-6 considered and adopted 36 decisions on various substantive topics including:
The discussions on forest biological diversity emphasized the ecosystem approach and the need for balance among CBD's objectives. Delegates called for collaboration and synergies with the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF). The final decision endorsed the work programme recommended by the Subsidiary Body for Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (SBSTTA) at its seventh session, which groups goals, objectives and activities under three programme elements:
The decision on forest biological diversity expresses the need for urgent action for forests that are threatened or particularly important for biological diversity.
The decision also underlines the sovereign rights and responsibilities of countries. While recognizing the importance of international and regional activities, it calls for the following efforts at the national level:
The seventh meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the CBD is scheduled to take place in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in early 2004.
Second session of the United Nations Forum on Forests
The second session of the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF-2) was held at United Nations headquarters in New York from 4 to 15 March 2002. In accordance with the UNFF programme of work, participants reviewed progress in implementing the proposals for action of the Ad hoc Intergovernmental Panel on Forests (IPF) and the Intergovernmental Forum on Forests (IFF) related to:
UNFF-2 also reached agreement on criteria by which the effectiveness of the international arrangement on forests would be reviewed in 2005.
Despite best efforts, however, terms of reference were not finalized for three ad hoc expert groups on monitoring, assessment and reporting; finance and transfer of environmentally sound technologies; and the parameters of a mandate for developing a legal framework on all types of forests. Discussions will continue at UNFF-3 in 2003.
A high-level segment took place at which ministers underscored the role of UNFF as the primary forum for international forest policy deliberations. They also engaged in separate dialogues with heads of members of the Collaborative Partnership on Forests (CPF) and with varied stakeholders to discuss respective contributions to implementing the IPF/IFF proposals for action.
The outcomes of UNFF-2 included a Ministerial Declaration and a Message to the World Summit on Sustainable Development.
The third session of UNFF will be held from 26 May to 6 June 2003 in Geneva, Switzerland. Items on the agenda include forest health and productivity, economic aspects of forests and maintaining forest cover to meet present and future needs. In addition to holding a multistakeholder dialogue, UNFF-3 will also address standard agenda items such as country experiences and lessons, national forest programmes and trade.
Update on XII World Forestry Congress
From 21 to 28 September 2003, the international forestry community will meet in Québec City, Canada, for the XII World Forestry Congress. For seven days, participants as individuals and from education, research and private and non-governmental organizations will gather to analyse and discuss forest issues in the largest and most important forestry meeting worldwide. The XII World Forestry Congress will be an open forum where discussion will focus on individuals, communities and forests under the theme "Forests, source of life".
Individuals are invited to submit voluntary papers and posters that express new ideas and provide information on practical experiences, conceptual models and interesting initiatives. All papers will be reviewed and considered for publication in the Congress Proceedings and posting on the Congress Web site. The deadline for submitting papers (each with an abstract) or abstracts for posters to the FAO Forestry Department is 15 November 2002.
For more information visit www.wfc2003.org or contact the Documentation Officer, XII World Forestry Congress, Forestry Department, FAO, Viale delle Terme di Caracalla, 00100 Rome, Italy. Tel: (+39) 06 5705 5879; Fax: (+39) 06 5705 2151; E-mail: [email protected]
Recent events keep up the pace of the International Year of Mountains - 2002
As the International Year of Mountains - 2002 (IYM) reached its midpoint, the momentum of events continued to build. Three important events in June 2002 produced declarations calling for long-term concerted actions to support sustainable mountain development.
On 13 June 2002, a special side event on sustainable mountain development held during the World Food Summit: five years later, organized by FAO in Rome, recognized that a disproportionately high number of the world's hungriest and chronically malnourished people reside in mountain regions. The event attracted about 120 delegates from United Nations agencies, non-governmental organizations and national governments. The 15 countries of the IYM Focus Group (Austria, Bhutan, Bolivia, Ethiopia, France, Guatemala, Iceland, Italy, Jamaica, Kyrgyzstan, the Lao People's Democratic Republic, Lesotho, Peru, Slovenia and Switzerland) presented a declaration and appealed to other countries to support it.
The Second International Meeting of Mountain Ecosystems: Peru, Country of Mountains Towards 2020: Water, Life and Production" brought together about 300 participants from 16 countries in Huaraz, Peru from 12 to 14 June 2002. The Huaraz Declaration on the Sustainable Development of Mountain Ecosystems draws particular attention to water resources, biological and cultural diversity and development of production processes in mountain ecosystems.
From 16 to 20 June 2002, 200 representatives of mountain people, governments, international organizations and civil society from about 50 countries participated in the International Conference on Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development (SARD) in Mountains in Adelboden, Switzerland. The conference was organized by the Swiss Federal Office of Agriculture in close cooperation with FAO. The Adelboden Declaration on SARD Mountains asserts that mountain people should have better access to markets and financial services and should receive fair compensation for environmental and other goods and services.
Other important IYM events in June included:
For a complete calendar of IYM events, consult www.mountains2002.org/events/
FAO/20646/E. YEVES
