The number of conflicts related to natural resources is increasing. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) estimates that in the last 60 years, at least 40 per cent of all intrastate conflicts have a link to natural resources. Those conflicts are stimulated by the exploitation of natural resources, whether high-value resources like timber, diamonds, gold, minerals and oil, or scarce ones like fertile land and water.

Natural resources are one of a country’s most critical assets for peacebuilding. Land, forests, minerals, oil, water, and other resources are the foundations for livelihoods of local people as well as for national economies. They provide jobs for reintegrating former combatants and efforts to address corruption and improve governance often focus on natural resources and their revenues. Environmental peacebuilding integrates natural resource management in conflict prevention, mitigation, resolution, and recovery to build resilience in communities affected by conflict. Hence, environmental peacebuilding contributes to the development of strategies to support inclusive security, humanitarian, and development objectives.

To exchange knowledge and scale up collective actions on the role of Human Rights based Approaches and Conflict Sensitivity in Forest Monitoring and Management, FAO Forestry Division and EnPax are jointly hosting a webinar titled “Human Rights-Based and Conflict Sensitive Approaches in Forestry”.

Date: December 10, 2020

Time: 13:00 PM in Rome, 15:00 PM in Nairobi, 18:30 PM in Naypyidaw, 19:00 PM in Jakarta, 7:00 AM in New York

Register now at: bit.ly/HRBA_NFI (The maximum number of participants is 500, please remember to register and join in a timely manner on the day)

AGENDA AND SPEAKERS:

Opening remarks

• Ms Riikka Laatu, Finnish Ambassador to Myanmar
• Dr Nyi Nyi Kyaw, Director General of the Myanmar Forest Department
• Mr Yuli Prasetyo Nugroho, Head of Sub-Directorate Recognition of Customary Forest and Protection of Local Wisdom, Indonesian Ministry of Environment and Forestry

Presentations:

• National Forest Inventory and National Forest Monitoring and Information System with a Human Rights Based Approach in Myanmar by Mr Marco Piazza, Forestry Division, FAO Asia Pacific;
• Approaches to address Forest/Land-Conflicts. Lessons Learned from Sumatra and Sulawesi, Indonesia by Mr Bernd Unger (AHT GROUP) – EnPax, Co-chair Forest Interest Group;
• Rooting out Inequalities: Women’s Participation in Forest Management in Conflicted Affected Areas of Karen State in Myanmar by Ms Jana Naujoks, Country Director, Myanmar, International Alert;

Interactive Q&A session

Closing remarks by Mr Carl Bruch, President, Environmental Peacebuilding Association

Moderation by Ms Nora Moraga-Lewy, Co-Chair, EnPax - Forest Interest Group

ABOUT THE ORGANIZERS:

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger. FAO`s goal is to achieve food security for all and make sure that people have regular access to enough high-quality food to lead active healthy lives. With over 194 member states, FAO works in over 130 countries worldwide. The Forestry Division leads FAO's work in promoting sustainable forest management and providing leadership on the environmental, social and economic dimensions of forestry, including its contributions to poverty reduction and food security and nutrition. It liaises with member countries, civil society and the private sector in aspects ranging from development of effective forest policies to forest conservation and management issues, and strengthens the role of forests in climate change mitigation and adaptation. The Division also collects analyses and disseminates information on the world's forest resources and on the production, trade and consumption of wood and non-wood forest products.

The Environmental Peacebuilding Association (EnPax) was founded to establish a global community of researchers, practitioners, and decision-makers in sharing experiences and lessons from managing natural resources in conflict-affected settings, accessing new research on the topic, and participating in events to support the growing network of professionals active in environmental peacebuilding. EnPax is represented by association members working for financial cooperation projects funded by the German government in Indonesia (BMZ/KfW) respectively for International Alert with the presented research funded by UKAID. International Alert is a global peace-building organisation working with people directly affected by violent conflict to find lasting solutions. In Myanmar, this includes work with diverse communities and stakeholders to manage and use forest resources peacefully, inclusively and sustainably in conflict-affected areas. 

For more information, please contact:

Marco Piazza,

Forestry Officer

FAO Forestry Division

[email protected]

Bernd Unger,

AHT GROUP – EnPax,

Co-chair Forest Interest

[email protected]

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