FO:APFC/2000/4

1. At its sixteenth session in 1996, in Myanmar, the Asia-Pacific Forestry Commission established the APFC ad hoc Working Group on Sustainable Forest Management "to pursue the practical implementation of sustainable forest management initiatives." The Working Group has proven to be one of the most active and successful subsidiary groups in the Commission's history.

2. The initial priority given to the Working Group was the development of a regional code of practice for forest harvesting. Between 1996 and 1998, the Working Group successfully developed the Code of Practice for Forest Harvesting in Asia-Pacific, which was subsequently endorsed by the Commission at its seventeenth session in Indonesia, in 1998.

3. The seventeenth session of the Commission recommended that the mandate of the ad hoc Working Group be extended for an additional two years and that its work expand to include:

• support for the effective implementation of the Code of Practice for Forest Harvesting in Asia-Pacific;
• support for the development, review and implementation of national codes of practice for forest harvesting;
• review of the efficacy of removing natural forests from timber production as a means of achieving conservation objectives;
• exploration of ways of managing protected areas more effectively and expanding them where possible, and pursuit of innovative ways of integrating conservation in other land uses;
• assessment of issues pertaining to the development of criteria and indicators for sustainable forest management in the region; and
• follow-up activities related to the Asia-Pacific Forestry Sector Outlook Study.

ACTIVITIES SINCE THE SEVENTEENTH SESSION

4. During the past two years, the Working Group gave high priority to the activities mandated by the seventeenth session of the Commission. Details of the support for implementing the Code of Practice for Forest Harvesting in Asia-Pacific, and for developing and implementing national codes, are provided in APFC/2000/5.

5. The Working Group actively supported the development of a Regional Strategy for Implementing the Code of Practice for Forest Harvesting in Asia-Pacific, which is discussed in APFC/2000/6.

6. The Regional Initiative for the Development and Implementation of National-Level Criteria and Indicators for the Sustainable Management of Dry Forests in Asia is described in APFC/2000/7.

7. The Working Group also undertook a comprehensive study of the efficacy of removing natural forests from timber production as a strategy for conserving forests. This study and its results are described in APFC/2000/8.

8. The Working Group was less directly involved in exploring ways of managing protected areas more effectively and expanding them where possible, pursuing innovative ways of integrating conservation in other land uses, and supporting follow-up activities related to the Asia-Pacific Forestry Sector Outlook Study. However, these activities were supported by FAO, in collaboration with other partners, outside of the framework of the APFC ad hoc Working Group.

9. The Working Group has been most useful and effective in supporting and facilitating activities that require extensive consultation and participation among member countries and organizations (e.g., development of the regional code and practice for forest harvesting). It has been less effective in supporting national-level activities.

WORKING GROUP SUPPORT AND COORDINATION

10. Soon after the Working Group was established, member countries were requested to name national focal points to facilitate exchanges and coordinate activities of the Working Group within their own countries. The national focal points were generally effective in performing these functions during the first years of the Working Group's existence. However, because many of the national focal points have moved to new jobs or new organizations, or have retired, several countries currently have no focal points or focal points who are unfamiliar with the activities of the Working Group.

11. The activities of the Working Group have been generously supported by a number of countries and organizations, but most especially the Government of Japan (through the Japan International Forestry Promotion and Cooperation Center, or JIFPRO), the Government of Australia, USDA Forest Service, the International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO), the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR), and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

12. Since the establishment of the ad hoc Working Group, the Indonesian Ministry of Forestry and Estate Crops has effectively served as the Group's Task Manager. FAO/RAPO has provided Secretariat support for the Working Group.

ISSUES FOR CONSIDERATION BY THE COMMISSION

13. The Commission may wish to consider the following issues in relation to the APFC ad hoc Working Group on Sustainable Forest Management:

• Effectiveness of the Working Group in supporting "the practical implementation of sustainable forest management initiatives" in the region?
• Should the mandate of the Working Group be extended until the next session of the Commission? If so, what should be its priority activities and focus for the next two to three years? Should the Working Group's terms of reference be revised? What activities requiring extensive consultation and broad participation across member countries can be identified as priorities for the Working Group?
• If the Working Group is to continue, what new funding support might be secured, in view of the anticipated decline in funding from past supporters?