1. This note is to inform the Committee about FAO forestry activities funded under the Regular Programme budget, and FAO-executed projects funded through UNDP and donor trust funds in 1997-1998. Annex A indicates actions or proposals made in response to the specific requests and recommendations of the thirteenth session of the Committee.

3. FAO is working on capacity building and data collection in close collaboration with member countries, international partners and the ECE. Regional workshops were held in Vietnam (1997) and India (1998), and expert missions were organized in Africa and Latin America (1998). FAO worked with SIDA/Sweden to develop state-of-the-art forest inventory manuals for the FRA capacity building programme, with particular reference to the needs of developing countries. The first two in a series of sub-regional workshops for data validation supported by the European Commission were organized for the end of 1998 in Kenya and Zimbabwe. FAO is developing techniques that make use of advances in GIS and remote sensing technology to assess wood supply and deforestation processes in developing countries for FRA 2000. The FAO Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean is already carrying out image and data procurement. Work has begun on a mission statement for the country capacity building programme. A regional lead centre was established in India, and an Associate Professional Officer was assigned to the Near East Regional Office to assist in the collection and analysis of forest resources data.

4. Special studies have been conducted on plantations, non-wood products, woodfuel availability, wood supply potential for industrial and local needs, felling and removal, and conservation of biological diversity in protected areas. FAO has made formal agreements with CATIE (Costa Rica) to collect information on non-wood goods and services and with the World Conservation Monitoring Centre (WCMC) to collect resource information on protected areas and to contribute to the preparation of a global forest map and a global ecological zones map.

5. Direct assistance was provided to member countries in fields related to forest protection, including Modern Fire Management in Turkey and Emergency Control for Gypsy Moth in Bulgaria and Romania. A workshop on Pest Management in Tropical Plantations was organized in collaboration with IUFRO in Thailand (May 1998). A workshop on silviculture, including studies of socio-economic conditions for forest fire prevention and control, was held in Hammamet, Tunisia (March 1998). Two case studies on protecting forests against pine processionary were conducted in Algeria, Cyprus and Lebanon and used as basic information for expert consultations in Beirut (May 1998) and Amman (July 1998). In response to global concern, FAO organized a Meeting on Public Policies Affecting Forest Fires (October 1998) to establish a forest fire information system, analyse the main socio-political causes of wildfires and propose measures to reduce their incidence.

6. In response to COFO recommendations for the conservation and utilisation of forest genetic resources, FAO has organized several country-driven, action-oriented workshops. The first was held in Burkina Faso (September 1998), in collaboration with IPGRI, ICRAF, IUFRO and the DANIDA Forest Seed Centre. Preparations are at advanced stages for similar workshops in Eastern and Southern Africa and in the Pacific. Close contacts were maintained with the SBSTA of the Convention on Conservation of Biological Diversity in pursuing work towards a coherent global framework for action in this field.

7. Following recommendations by the Panel of Experts on Forest Gene Resources (September 1997), FAO continued to support national institutes, focusing mainly on networking to promote conservation; management and sustainable use of species such as neem and mahoganies; dissemination of information about conventional and new technologies; and exchange of research quantities of seeds and other reproductive materials on mutually acceptable terms. Close co-ordination of activities with other agencies and mechanisms (e.g. those of CITES in the case of mahogany species) was ensured. Partnership arrangements with Centres of the CGIAR were maintained, including support and collaboration within the framework of the IPGRI co-ordinated European Forest Genetic Resources Network (EUFORGEN), as well as incipient research networks in other regions.

8. The REFORGEN worldwide information system on forest genetic resources was further developed, and verification of the country-derived data contained in the system was initiated. A Tree Seed Suppliers Directory was published in 1997 in collaboration with ICRAF, and made available on the Internet. Information continued to be disseminated through the annual newsletter Forest Genetic Resources and a forest genetic resources Internet site.

11. A study on tropical hardwood volumes will be published soon. The International Poplar Commission (IPC) celebrated its 50th anniversary in 1997. The 39th meeting of the Executive Committee of IPC was held at FAO (September 1998).

13. In the area of Urban and Peri-Urban Forestry, the Annotated Bibliography on Urban Forestry in Developing Countries has been made available as a database on the Internet. Several case studies about various regions of the world have been published in Urban and Peri-Urban Forestry in Quito, Ecuador (1997) (in English and Spanish) and Urban and Peri-Urban Forestry in Asia, Latin America and Africa - A compilation of case studies (in English). A Dutch-funded project recently begun in Yemen (GCP/YEM/036/NET) deals specifically with urban forestry and re-use of wastewater for tree-watering purposes. The TCP has also funded a programme of wastewater reutilization for urban and peri-urban tree planting in Egypt.

15. At its 17th session (October 1997, in Turkey), Silva Mediterranea endorsed a new project for the research network on Forest Fire Management. The research network on Selection of Stands of Mediterranean Conifers for the Production of Seeds to be used in Reforestation Programmes published the Mediterranean Conifer Tree Seed Stand Directory.

17. The 21st session of the European Forestry Commission (EFC) Working Party on the Management of Mountain Watersheds was held in Marienbad, Czech Republic (October 1998). The Working Party finalised its work on a mission statement, finalised efforts undertaken since the 19th session (Oberstdorf, Germany), and developed a plan for future work. In reaction to questions about the future of the Working Party, participants strongly advocated its maintenance and offered cost-reduction alternatives. The ad hoc inter-agency working group met with the Andean Mountain Association in Quito (December 1998). The FAO-sponsored Latin American Technical Co-operation Network on Watershed Management organized international workshops on management of mountain watersheds, national watershed management plans, and economic and social aspects of watershed management. Based on the results of the workshops, technical documents were prepared and distributed widely in the Region.

19. Publication of the regional bulletins Nature et Faune, Tigerpaper and Areas Silvestres continued; new publications included Wildlife and Food Security in Africa, A Compendium of FAO Implemented Projects 1975-1996 and Related Bibliography and GONE ASTRAY - The Care and Management of the Asian Elephant in Domesticity. Development of wildlife and management of protected areas is also being supported by field activities in Algeria, Chad, Mali, Morocco, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Syria and Sri Lanka. Planning and preparation are underway for the International Consultation on Protected Area Management and Sustainable Rural Development meeting at the end of February 1999.

20. Support focused on the establishment of regional forestry research networks to strengthen national capacities and regional co-operation. The Forestry Research Support Programme for Asia and the Pacific (FORSPA) developed research databases and organized an international workshop and publication on "Emerging Institutional Arrangements for Forestry Research". FORSPA also co-ordinated efforts with CIDA to help Asia-Pacific Association of Forestry Research Institutions (APAFRI) start Treelink, a regional forest information and documentation programme. APAFRI now includes more than 40 institutions. FAO, in collaboration with the Forestry Research Support Programme for Asia and the Pacific (FORSPA), published a Directory of Selected Tropical Forestry Journals and Newsletters.

21. A Forestry Research Network for Sub-Saharan Africa (FORNESSA) is expected to achieve similar objectives. It was supported by a framework proposal, "Strengthening National Capacities and Regional Co-operation in Forestry Research in Sub-Saharan Africa", and the Special Programme for Developing Countries (SPDC) of IUFRO, the African Academy of Sciences and other regional and international research institutions. The proposal also led to the Expert Consultation on Forestry Research, held in Accra, Ghana (September/October 1997). The document New Institutional Trends in Forestry Research in Africa was published and the Directory of Forestry Research Institutions was updated.

22. A study entitled Appraisal of Forestry Research Institutes in the Near East Region in Egypt, Morocco and Iran aimed at collecting and analysing national information on forestry research institutes was published.

23. The database on Forestry Education and Training Institutions was updated and enlarged to include 800 institutions from 117 countries, and is now available on the Internet, along with a Synopsis of Short Courses in Forestry and Related Areas (1997-98). FAO also printed Forestry Study No. 131, Ecology and Rural Education: Basic Environmental Concepts for Rural Teachers and Extensionists.

24. The Troubleshooter's Guide to Forestry Extension is being translated into Spanish, French, Arabic and Portuguese, and a training companion for the Guide has been developed. Assessment of the current and potential role of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) on extension has been initiated. A study of the evolution of private forestry and forest extension in the countries in transition in Central and Eastern Europe was published at the beginning of 1998; a follow-up activity on the development of guidelines for organizing small forest owners has begun. In terms of accommodating multiple interests in forestry, an international workshop on Pluralism and Sustainable Forestry and Rural Development was held in December 1997, and the proceedings were published in 1998. A joint global activity on this issue was started with CIFOR.

25. Regional studies on NFPs in several countries identified the main issues affecting the forestry sector under current social and economic trends and policies, the mechanisms and impacts of forestry policy formulation and implementation, and the need for further policy improvements. Assistance provided to many countries, among them Iran, Morocco, Syria and Yemen, is aimed at enhancement of national capacities for planning and monitoring of forestry programmes and national forestry institutions. A study looked at forest policies in Andean countries in the framework of national forest programmes to ascertain the possibility of implementing recommendations of the Intergovernmental Panel on Forests/Intergovernmental Forum on Forests (IPFl/IFF) to reach the goals of sustainable forest development. FAO is also co-operating with the Central American Commission on Forests and Protected Areas to strengthen national policy and planning capacity.

26. In light of the growing trend towards privatisation of forestry operations, a study is under way to identify means to regulate, manage and supervise public forest resources given in concession to private operations, communities and local and non-governmental organizations. The draft manual on planning, entitled Strategic Planning for Forest Use and Conservation: Guidelines for Improvement, will be field-tested and finalised.

27. Special support and staff training was given to Eastern European countries adapting to the requirements of a market economy, privatisation and devolution of land. TCP projects were prepared and brought into operation in Latvia, Lithuania, the Slovak Republic and Romania. Support was provided to Cyprus and Brazil in relation to their national forestry programmes. High-level policy guidance was provided in support of forest policy reform initiatives in Cambodia and Vietnam.

28. A review of the main changes and trends among forest institutions, based on ten selected countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America, served to assess a) the most frequently demanded information on forestry institutions and intended use; and b) the recent institutional changes in developing and emerging economy countries. The review is intended to strengthen forestry institutions through the regular collection and maintenance of information. The working draft of the reference document on contracts for the use of public forests was finalised and is being distributed for field-testing. In mid-1998, the FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (RAP) published and disseminated a policy-oriented study on opportunities and constraints for forestry investment through carbon dioxide offset initiatives in Asia and the Pacific.

30. Farmer-initiated research and extension was further developed during this period, in collaboration with the Forest Resources Division. Continuation of work on common property management of forest resources resulted in the publication of FAO Forestry Paper 136, Managing Forests as Common Property (1998).

31. Recognition of the role of rural communities in improved sustainable forest management was the main topic of the workshop on Extension and Communication for Sustainable Forestry in the Near East and North Africa, held in Yemen (July 1997). Community involvement in forest resources management continues to be a major focus of the field programme in projects in countries such as Iran, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey and Yemen.

32. FAO/RAP and the Regional Community Forestry Training Center (RECOFTC) jointly organized an "International Seminar on Ecotourism for Forest Conservation and Community Development" in Chiang Mai, Thailand (January 1997), attended by more than 125 participants. The proceedings of the seminar were published and disseminated in early 1998. FAO/RAP, RECOFTC and the Philippine Department of Environment and Natural Resources jointly organized an "International Seminar on Decentralization and Devolution of Forest Management in Asia and the Pacific" in Davao City, Philippines (December 1998). FAO/RAP published and disseminated Forest Dependent Survival Strategies of Tribal Women: Implications for Joint Forest Management in Andhra Pradesh, India.

33. Two case studies on community forestry were carried out in Sudan and Turkey, and new initiatives will continue to be promoted to assist countries in the Region. A concept paper on "Household food security and forestry - an analysis of socio-economic issues" has been translated into Arabic and provided to countries in the Region. Several field manuals and policy-level documents on food security have also been translated and distributed.

35. During the IPF and IFF process, member governments repeatedly underscored the need to easily share information on forests and forest utilisation. The Department has launched a substantial effort to upgrade the accessibility of information, principally through the FAO Internet site. The role of national governments and institutions will be emphasised by facilitating common definitions, units of measure and standards, and giving more attention to building national capacity to provide fundamental forestry sector information in a transparent and timely manner.

36. Over the last two years, the outlook studies programme has been focused increasingly on the work of the regional commissions rather than on producing global econometric projections of supply and demand. More attention is being given to efforts by member countries to describe their expectations about the future role of the forestry sector and its ability to contribute to economic, social and environmental well being. The work stresses the connections between performance in the forestry sector (statistics) and the future policy options and investment opportunities facing countries and the industry (outlook studies) as we seek sustainable forest management. Accordingly, the Asia-Pacific Forestry Sector Outlook Study, which included nearly 50 working papers, was conducted and published in collaboration with member countries in the region, co-operating international and regional organizations, and individuals. A companion compendium of forestry statistics for the region was constructed and shared widely. A Forestry Outlook Study for Africa has been launched.

38. Following the recommendation made by the FAO Advisory Committee on Paper and Wood Products (ACPWP), a report on the Global Fibre Supply Model (GFSM) was produced, including an interactive database with relevant information on forest area available for wood supply and projections up to the year 2050. A series of meetings with government and industry representatives and data validation workshops have been conducted in Asia, Latin America, Africa and North America.

39. The promotion and development of the Non-Wood Forest Products (NWFP) Programme continued to identify and evaluate the benefits of the vast array of non-wood animal and plant products derived from forests or forest tree species. A NWFP Information System was established, containing data on organisations and individuals working worldwide.

40. United Wood Energy Terminology, a set of terms, definitions, units and conversion factors commonly used for the organization, collation, interpretation, presentation and exchange of wood energy data was developed, reviewed and disseminated. Wood Energy Today for Tomorrow, a mechanism for the collection and collation of existing information and data on wood fuels and related energy aspects at the national level (including production, consumption and trade) was also created. The Wood Energy Information System, an interactive database, now constitutes the main source of information and data for public and private R&D centres for planning regional, national and international energy, forestry and environmental programmes.

41. Based on the FAO Model Code of Forest Harvesting Practice, the Asia-Pacific Forestry Commission's ad hoc Working Group on Sustainable Forest Management developed a regional Code of Practice for Forest Harvesting, which was formally adopted by the 17^th session of the APFC (February 1998). Focus is now on the elaboration of sub-regional implementation strategies, field training workshops, and development of national codes of practice in several countries of the region. FAO/RAP published and distributed Labor-Intensive Harvesting of Tree Plantations in the Southern Philippines. Field studies on environmentally sound forest operations have been published under the FAO Forest Harvesting Case Study Series.

42. The FAO Forest Harvesting Bulletin (1997 and 1998) highlighted recent developments in innovative harvesting and engineering concepts, systems and techniques and reported on the results of research-oriented field studies on reduced-impact harvesting. In 1997, FAO co-operated with CIFOR and IUFRO in the 2^nd International Research Training Seminar on Reduced Timber Harvesting and Natural Forest Management in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, and with IUFRO in the International Seminar on Forest Operations with Special Considerations on Socio-economic Problems in Bhutan. The programme continued to develop and conduct case studies on reduced-impact harvesting and forest engineering in Bhutan, Cameroon, India, Laos and South Africa. Volume 8 of the FAO Harvesting Bulletin has been published and distributed worldwide to nearly 5000 individuals and institutions.

43. An FAO/Austria Expert Meeting on Environmentally Sound Forest Operations for Countries in Transition to Market Economies was held in Ort/Gmunden, Austria (September 1998). The Manual for the Planning, Design and Construction of Forest Roads in Steep Terrain was reviewed in a workshop held in Lampertheim, Germany (November 1998). A special study has been initiated on the Environmental Impact Assessment related to Forest Utilisation in support of FRA. FAO and ATIBT published a special report on road infrastructures in tropical forests, Road to Development or Destruction?.

44. A major study was produced on Trade Restrictions and Their Impact on International Trade in Forest Products. Papers were presented at conferences in Kuala Lumpur (on timber trade and on trade barriers), New Zealand (global timber trade), and workshops in the Czech Republic (timber certification), Venezuela (trade and the environment) and China (trade policy issues). Inputs on forestry trade were provided at a workshop in Geneva on "Uruguay Round Agreements - Implication for Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries in the Less Advantaged Developing Countries", sponsored by FAO and the Swiss Agency for International Trade, Information and Co-operation (AITIC). Work was carried out relating to trade, the environment and trade negotiations through the FAO Working Group on Trade and Sustainable Development and the FAO Task Force on Follow-up to the Uruguay Round. Forestry information is being provided for an FAO Trade in Agricultural Products Internet site.

45. The programme emphasised the vital role of forest products marketing in the sustainable utilisation of forest resources through papers presented at the International IUFRO Conference for Working Group on Forest Products Marketing, the XI World Forestry Congress, an International Workshop on Sustainable Development of Non-Wood Goods and Benefits from Boreal and Cold Temperate Forests and an International Seminar on Methodology and Research of the Socio-Economics, Production, Processing and Marketing of Non-Wood Forest Products.

46. In an effort to improve the access to marketing information, a major Database of Computer^-Based Sources of Marketing Information was prepared for the Internet. A Study on Plantation Timber Prices in Latin America and the Southern United States was prepared to provide specific price information, mainly for planning purposes. A Review of Studies on Consumer Attitudes towards Forest Products Marketed with Environmental, Social and Sustainability Attributes is being prepared to support the development of appropriate marketing practices. A set of Guidelines for Strengthening and Establishment of Log Auction Systems provides assistance, especially to countries in transition. A Case Study on Marketing of Indigenous Medicinal Plants in South Africa was published to assess current marketing practices. A Workshop on the Development of Marketing of Sawnwood and Value-Added Forest Products in Countries in Transition to Market Economies was conducted. Preparations were initiated to hold similar workshops jointly with other partners.

48. FAO edited the eight volumes of proceedings and translated them into four languages. They were printed and distributed (together with a CD-ROM version in all four languages) by the Turkish Secretariat. FAO conducted an internal stocktaking exercise on the organization and outcome of the Congress, which revealed several organizational and procedural changes that should be considered by the FAO Council for future World Forestry Congresses. The FAO Conference and the Regional Forestry Commissions were informed about the outcome of the Congress. Information was posted on the Forestry Internet site before and after the Congress (including the proceedings).

50. The FAO guidelines on Integrated Coastal Area Management and Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries were published in 1998, which include the integration of forestry into coastal area management. When recent dieback and death of Takamaka (Colophyllum inophyllum var. takamaka), an important tree species of the Seychelles, caused considerable economic and environmental concern, a TCP (TCP/SEY/4552) implemented by FAO at the request of the Republic of the Seychelles identified the pathogen and vector of the disease and prepared a strategy for containment, which was put before the parliament.

ANNEX A