Stakeholders' participation in national forest programmes
FAO is encouraging the participation of all stakeholders in national forest programmes (nfps) so as to achieve the goal of sustainable forest management for the benefit of society and, more specifically, for rural populations. National forest programmes provide the overall framework to address forestry issues within a context of sustainable development. The concept was introduced by the Intergovernmental Panel on Forest (IPF) as an instrument for putting the IPF Proposals for Action and other internationally agreed obligations into operation at the country level. In particular, the FAO Forestry Department supports and promotes the introduction and consolidation of participatory forestry processes at all institutional levels. This means inter alia strengthening institutional frameworks by adapting policies and legislation, enhancing forestry services and building the capacities of all stakeholders. Greater stakeholder ownership in national forest programme processes, thus taking into account the needs of civil society, is expected to facilitate the successful implementation of forest policies.
Since 2002, a network of representatives from various interest groups and institutions concerned by forest policies has been working together with FAO, the National Forest Programme Facility and other partners to promote participation and partnership in formulating and implementing national forest programmes. At the beginning of 2003, a community of practice on Enhancing Stakeholder Participation in national forest programmes was established to follow up the positive outcome of the first technical meeting on this subject, which was held at FAO Headquarters in Rome in November 2002.
This current Web site is designed to:
- inform forest operators about FAO activities on enhancing the participation of stakeholders in national forest programmes;
- provide a source of information about ongoing activities in different regions for the network of partners; and
- operate as an information-sharing service for the network, so that news and information about activities, publications and events not necessarily organized directly by FAO but related to stakeholder participation in national forest programmes can be easily circulated and accessed.
last updated: Wednesday, April 2, 2008