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NFP POLICY BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION
On this page:
Political background
The nfp in the programme of work of international organisations
References to legally binding and non-legally binding instruments relevant to nfps
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Political background
Chapter 11 (Combating Deforestation) of Agenda 21, the action plan of
UNCED
invites all
countries to prepare and implement national forestry programmes/plans (
Agenda 21, Chapter 11
requests governments "to prepare and implement, as appropriate, national forestry action programmes
and/or plans for the management, conservation and sustainable development of forests" which
"should be integrated with other land uses". Furthermore, the governments agree to "reviewing and,
if necessary, revising measures and programmes relevant to all types of forests and vegetation,
inclusive of other related lands and forest based resources, and relating them to other land uses
and development policies and legislation" and "promoting adequate legislation and other measures as
a basis against uncontrolled conversion (of forests) to other types of land uses".) in order to turn
the principles and recommendations adopted during UNCED into concrete actions. Furthermore it stresses
the need to integrate these activities within a global, inter-sectoral and participatory framework.
The Convention on Biodiversity , the Convention on Climate Change , the Convention on Desertification and the Forest Principles ( "Non-Legally Binding Authoritative Statement of Principles for a Global Consensus on the Management, Conservation and Sustainable Development of all Types of Forests") agreed upon during UNCED, as well as current initiatives for the formulation of criteria and indicators for sustainable forest management, all focus on an increased and expanded role of forestry activities and the need for improved planning in forestry. The post UNCED intergovernmental negotiations on forests, conducted under the Intergovernmental Panel on Forests (IPF) and the Intergovernmental Forum on Forests (IFF), stress the role of the national forest programmes (nfps) as important means for addressing forest sector issues in a holistic, comprehensive and multisectoral manner. The national forest programmes are understood as country led, broadly participative processes to formulate and implement policies and instruments which effectively promote the development of the sector in the context of broader policies and strategies for sustainable development. The IPF and IFF urge the international community to support developing countries in their efforts to formulate and implement national forest programmes in accordance with the principles defined in the international forest policy dialogue.
For full reports and proceedings of the IFF, IPF and UNFF, see the United Nations Forum on Forests documents page (please note, that relevant paragraphs of the documents, where nfp is explicitly discussed, are listed below)
The nfp in the programme of work of international organisations
References to legally binding and non-legally binding instruments relevant to nfps
Several international instruments and legally binding or non-legally binding instruments deal with national forest programmes.
The following links provide you with those parts/paragraphs of the relevant documents which are particularly focused on nfp and related issues: