Mr Qu Guilin, Director-General, Department of International Cooperation, State Forestry Administration;
Dr Simmathiri Appanah, Senior Programme Officer of the FAO Forestry Research Support Programme for Asia and the Pacific (FORSPA);
Dr Sim Heok-Choh, Executive Director, Asia Pacific Association of Forestry Research Institutions (APAFRI);
Dear Respected Participants, Ladies and Gentlemen:
On the occasion of the opening of the Asia Pacific regional workshop on Forests for Poverty Reduction: Can Community Forestry Make Money?, on behalf of the Chinese Academy of Forestry, I would like to extend a warm welcome to all the guests, participants, specialists and scholars both from China and abroad attending the opening ceremony of this Workshop. I would also like to express my gratitude to the Asia Pacific Association of Forestry Research Institutions (APAFRI) and the FAO Forestry Research Support Programme for Asia and the Pacific (FORSPA), for their support of this Workshop.
Community forestry is an integral component of forestry development, and is especially important to the developing countries of Asia. Being one of the earliest institutions engaged in the research and practice of this field in China, the Chinese Academy of Forestry is greatly honoured to have the chance to organize such a significant international workshop, so as to make a contribution to promote the community forestry development in the Asia Pacific region. Here we would work together with domestic and foreign colleagues in this effort.
The Asia Pacific Association of Forestry Research Institutions (APAFRI), the Asia Pacific chapter of the International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO), has made major contributions to the exchange and cooperation among the forest research institutions in the Asia Pacific region. Since the establishment of APAFRI, the Chinese Academy of Forestry has been active in all the activities of the organization, and maintains a good exchange and cooperative relation with it.
Acting as an active supporter and participant in forestry development in China, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization has a long, friendly and cooperative track record in its relationship with the Chinese Academy of Forestry. The projects from the UN system undertaken by the Academy have mostly been in support of the Food and Agricultural Organization as the technical executive institution. In recent years, many international cooperative projects and some large national projects undertaken by the Academy have also involved consultants from FAO. At the same time, as the national institution for forest research in China, the Chinese Academy of Forestry has always taken an active role in all the activities of FAO. Here, on behalf of the Chinese Academy of Forestry, I would like once again to affirm my gratitude to the Asia Pacific Association of Forestry Research Institutions (APAFRI) and the FAO Forestry Research Support Programme for Asia and the Pacific (FORSPA) for all their assistance.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The present Workshop has gathered over 60 specialists and scholars from 16 countries in the Asia Pacific region as well as from some international organizations. I firmly believe that the Workshop will attain its expected goals. Lastly, I wish the Workshop a great success, and all the participants a pleasant stay in Beijing.
Thank you.
| [2] Vice-President, Chinese
Academy of Forestry, Beijing, China; E-mail:[email protected] |
