Forest finance
Context
In February 2006 the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF-6) agreed on four Global objectives on forests. In response to the outcomes of UNFF-6 PROFOR prepared a Background Paper to review the financial resources and to elaborate a range of innovative approaches to mobilize financial resources for sustainable forest management (SFM) that contribute to the achievement of the Global objectives on forests. In addition, the paper assessed the various means of implementation identified by UNFF-6.An Ad Hoc Expert Group (AHEG) has been requested by UNFF-7 to develop proposals for voluntary global financial mechanism/portfolio approach/forest financing framework. This is to support the implementation of sustainable forest management, the achievement of the global objectives on forests and the implementation of the Non-Legally Binding Instrument on All Types of Forests (NLBI) adopted by UNFF-7.
CPF Advisory Group on Finance (AGF)
To facilitate the work of the UNFF Secretariat in preparing for the AHEG, CPF members created an Advisory Group on Finance (AGF). The first meeting hosted by UNFF Secretariat in December 2007 discussed the possibility to analyze the national and international measures, specified in the NLBI, to identify areas for financial resources needed (Summary Record of the First Meeting of the CPF Advisory Group on Finance).The CPF Advisory Group on Finance met again in Bonn in February 2008 prior to the CPF Strategic Meeting to prepare the Ad Hoc Expert Group (AHEG) meeting on advancing forest finance in 2008 (Summary Record of the Second Meeting of the CPF Advisory Group on Finance).
In addition, the CPF Strategic Meeting (held in Bonn, February 2008) discussed possible enhanced cooperation between CPF members to address the issue of forest finance. For the Meeting, FAO prepared a background paper on Advancing forest finance.
In support to the work of the AHEG on forest finance, FAO has prepared in November 2008 a background analysis paper on Financing for the implementation of the Non-Legally Binding Instrument on Forests.