Nfp principles: Consistency within and integration beyond the forest sector
Definition and significance
To seek consistency within the forest sector (intrasectoral) means to ensure coherence among the economic, environmental and social objectives and roles assigned to forest in a country. Under a holistic approach, consistency also means fostering synergies with all stakeholders and partners, to minimize contradictions and negative impacts from one stakeholder’s action to another.
Respect for consistency will further imply recognition of customary laws and traditional rights, as well as traditional forest-related knowledge as legitimate determinants of forest-sector development.
Integration beyond the sector (intersectoral) relates to:
- sector-overarching policies and strategies, e.g. sustainable development and poverty reduction (vertical integration); and
- coordination with other sectors (horizontal coordination).
It is justified by the fact that, on the one hand, forests serve various functions and provide goods and services beyond the forest sector and, on the other hand, are significantly impacted by other sectors.
How to proceed and what precautions to take
To promote consistency, existing regulations, traditional rights and practical implementation measures should be carefully analysed. If needed, respective modifications/adaptations have to be made. A win-win situation can be sought by identifying traditional forest-related knowledge and negotiating on related use rights and interests.
Thorough knowledge and analysis are needed, about current and potential roles of forests, stakeholder perspectives and expectations, as well as other sectors’ development strategies and their impact on forests. There is also a need to identify and select approaches for intra- and intersectoral dialogue and consensus building, as well as to take proactive actions towards them.
How to measure progress
A set of indicators can facilitate measuring nfp progress towards the forest sector’s consistency and its integration with other sectors, especially when clearly indicating the accomplishments and trends at the intra- and intersectoral levels. This measurement can take into account, among other factors:
- the recognition of forest functions and their contribution (economic, environmental and social) in the overarching national development policies, processes and strategies (e.g in poverty reduction strategies);
- the acknowledgement and promotion of opportunities offered by the forests at different levels (e.g. in regional, national and local or district development plans);
- findings about legal inconsistencies and policy gaps (within and outside the sector), and measures/arrangements taken for their removal;
- the institutional set-up, hierarchical insertion and performance towards sustainable forest management;
- the existence and application of financial/fiscal policies and mechanisms contributing to sustainable forest management;
- the number and impact of joint forest stakeholder activities (e.g. private–public partnerships);
- the recognition and support of the national forest policy in the action plans of multilateral environmental agreements of which the country is signatory (e.g. in the National Biodiversity Strategy) and vice versa;
- trends in the share of the forest sector in the country economy, taking into account the multiple benefits of forest products and services;
- degree of representation and active participation of stakeholder groups and other sectors in forest coordination mechanisms.
Participation of stakeholders from other sectors in nfp fora can be assessed in terms of the frequency of their participation in nfp meetings, the level and representative capacity of the participants and their knowledge of forest-related issues. The same holds true for participation of forest-sector representatives in fora of other sectors and of overarching, macro-level policy and planning frameworks such as poverty reduction strategies.