Mr Amor Ben Romdhane
Mr Mohamed Anechoum, Secretary-General of the Ministry in Charge of Waters and Forests
Mr Tage Michaelsen, Chief, Forest Conservation, Research and Education Service, Forest Resources Division, Forestry Department, FAO in Rome
Experts, Colleagues,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I am delighted to be here with you at the opening session of your Expert Consultation on Forestry Education
As a forester myself, it gives me an opportunity to assure you of the constant support of FAO in the area of forestry training and research.
Virtually all our member states, and particularly the developing countries, are faced with an increasingly complex and unpredictable natural, social and political environment.
There is no doubt that globalization, and the methods and design of forestry education, training and research exercise a great influence on forestry concepts and the use of forestry know-how.
Various case studies of forestry education programmes have been conducted by FAO in recent years, with the main purpose of designing and revising training courses in the developing countries.
In your capacity as forestry education experts, during the course of this consultation you will be asked to share your expertise on the subject, and help to define and identify all the possible ways of establishing networks through which to exchange and update information in the highest interests of safeguarding our planet's forest heritage.
I should like to take this opportunity to offer my highest personal respects and those of FAO to Mr Hassan Maaouni, the Minister in Charge of Waters and Forests, and to his Secretary-General, Mr Mohamed Anechoum, for their constant support for FAO-Morocco cooperation in the field of water and forests.
And I should also like to thank the Organizing Committee of this Consultation for their hard work and efficiency, and particularly our forestry colleagues, Mr Omar M'Hirit and Mr Abdelhai Ibnattya.
Lastly, may I wish you all a pleasant stay in Morocco, and a very successful meeting.
