FAO/RNE promotes programmes of biological diversity conservation and sustainable wildlife utilization, sustainable mountain & watershed management, strengthening of forestry research and extension systems, country capacities on forestry policy and institutions support, assessment and monitoring of forests and woodland resources, forest plantations and trees outside forests, besides promoting the production and marketing of non-wood forest products (NWFP). RNE provides advisory services through coordination and information exchange for the formulation & implementation of national forest plans (NFP), and the implementation of criteria and indicators for sustainable forest management at the national level throughout the Region. Forestry Statutory Bodies, Committees and Networks receive RNEO's support, such as:

Forest cover in RNE was estimated in 2002 at 109 million ha , making up only about 5.8 percent of the land area in the Near East Region and 1.2 percent of the world's total.

These forests, now being degraded at an estimated 980,000 hectares (0.9 percent) per year, are dramatically affected by continued urbanization, agricultural expansion, economic changes, and national and regional conflicts and wars.

Economic difficulties in most of the Region's countries have been a major constraint to more efficient conservation and the sustainable management of all natural resources, including forests. Although the private sector and Civil Society including NGOs, are becoming more active in the field, the forestry sector in the Region still suffers from shortages in financial and human resources. Despite the obstacles, however, forest resources development and conservation are gaining importance, particularly in areas prone to desertification and in mountainous areas and steep watersheds.

FAO has been involved in desertification-control initiatives, encouraging and supporting efforts at active afforestation and reforestation of degraded forest lands in various countries. In support of these initiatives, an Expert Meeting on Criteria and Indicators for Sustainable Forest Management in the Near East was held in Cairo, 15- 7 October 1996. These were subsequently presented to and endorsed by the meetings of NEFC in 1996, 1998 and 2000.

These activities, as well as the implementation of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, are expected to encourage partnerships and local decision-making in forested areas. Through comprehensive forestry development planning, FAO strives for a balance between the protection and development of forestry resources and the overall economic and social development plans of each country in the Region.

The Near East process originated in an FAO/UNEP Expert Meeting on Criteria and Indicators for Sustainable Forest Management, held in Cairo, Egypt (10/1996) under the coordination of FAO and UNEP.  The experts in forest management from 30 Near East countries identified seven regional and national level criteria and 65 indicators, focusing mainly on the management of dry-zone forests and woodlands in the region.  The Near East Forestry Commission (NEFC)  once more endorsed the processs in its Fourteenth Session held in July 2000 and subsequently follows  its work and activities. 

Member countries of the Near East Process (30): Afghanistan, Algeria, Azerbeijan, Bahrain, Cyprus, Djibouti, Egypt, Iraq, Islamic Republic of Iran, Jordan, Kuwait, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Libya, Malta, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tajikistan, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, United Arab Emirates and Yemen.

Reports and other publications:

A number of regional workshops and expert meetings have been held thereafter to review the applicability of the criteria and indicators in countries concerned and to discuss the availability of information and national capacities for collection and analysis of data.  These meeting are:

-         FAO, Islamic Republic of Iran; National Coordinators’ Meeting on Criteria and Indicators   for Sustainable Forest Management in the Near East.  Tehran, Iran 29-30 June 2000.

-          FAO/UNEP National Coordinators Meeting on Criteria and Indicators for Sustainable Forest Management for the Near East Countries.  Damascus, Syria, 02-04 December 1998.

-         FAO Workshop on Criteria and Indicators for Sustainable Forest Management in Near East Process.  Cairo, Egypt, 30 June – 03 July 1997.

-          FAO/UNEP Expert Meeting on Criteria and Indicators for Sustainable Forest Management in the Near East, Cairo, Egypt, 15-17 October 1996.

-         FAO/UNEP 2000.  Practical Guidelines for the Assessment and Measuring of Criteria and  Indicators for Sustainable Forest Management in the Near East Region.  FAO Regional Office for the Near East.  Cairo, Egypt, 2000.

The guidelines were prepared following a recommendation of the National Coordinators Meeting on Criteria and Indicators for Sustainable Forest Management for the Near East Countries held in Damascus, Syria (02-04 December 1998).  The set of criteria and indicators developed by Experts and later endoresed by the  Near East Forestry Commision (NEFC) are avilable in English and  Arabic.

The reports by member countries of Near East region on criteria and indicators  will be available soon in the web in Arabic and English.

The reader is also referred to  A Compendium of Criteria and Indicators published by  FAO and to the following web pages for information on all other on-going international processes on criteria and indicators for sustainable forest management:

1.     "Regional Initiative for the Development and Implementation of National Level Criteria and Indicators for the Sustainable Management of Dry Forests in Asia"

2.      Dry-Zone Africa Process on Criteria and Indicators for Sustainable  Forest Management http://www.fao.org/montes/foda/wforcong/publi/PDF/V6E_T374.PDF

     (a) Southern Africa Development Community – Forestry Sector Technical Coordination Unit (SADC-FSTCU):

      http://www.dwaf.gov.za/Forestry/FTIS/symp2002/EMERGENCE.doc

3.      African Timber Organization (ATO):

      http://www.focusintl.com/whos0008.htm

4.      International Tropical Timber Organization ITTO:

      http://www.itto.or.jp/

5.      Lepaterique Process of Central America on Criteria and Indicators for Sustainable Forest Management: www address: (Please refer to:

      http://rds.org.hn/forestal/manejo/criterios_indicadores/zapata.shtml

6.      Montreal Process on Criteria and Indicators for the Conservation and Sustainable Management of Temperate and Boreal Forest:

      http://www.mpci.org

7.      The Pan-European Forest Process on Criteria and Indicators for Sustainable Forest Management:

      http://www.minconf-forests.net

8.      The Tarapoto Proposal of Criteria and Indicators for Sustainability of the Amazon Forest: www address:

      http://www.tratadoamazonico.org

9.      CIFOR: www.cifor.cgiar.org

Contacts:

For more information on the activities of the Near East Process, please contact:

Hassan Abdel-Nour,

FAO Near East  Regional Office, Cairo, Egypt:

Tel. (202) 3316136/ 3316000;

Fax. (202) 7495981;

E-mail:Hassan.AbdelNour@FAO.org

Froylan Castaneda; Forest Resources Development Service; Forestry Department; 

FAO; Viale delle Terme di Caracalla; 00100 Rome Italy.

Tel.: 39-06-5705-3834;

Fax: 39-06-5705-5137;

E-mail:Froylan.Castaneda@FAO.org