The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) organized a Regional Workshop on Implementation of IPF/IFF Proposals for Action in Africa, which was hosted by the Government of Ghana in Accra, from 16 to 18 February 2004. It was held in conjunction with the 14th session of the African Forestry and Wildlife Commission (AFWC) which endorsed the report of the workshop. Forty-nine country experts from all sub-regions of Africa and beyond, members of the Collaborative Partnership on Forests (CPF) and other international, regional and sub-regional organizations, private sector and non-governmental organizations attended. The workshop was co-sponsored by the US Department of State/USDA Forest Service.
The workshop served as a forum to exchange country experiences and to catalyze efforts to implement the proposals for action of the Intergovernmental Panel on Forests (IPF) and the Intergovernmental Forum on Forests (IFF). It also provided an opportunity to inform experts about the international forest dialogue and to discuss how they, as country and regional representatives, could better prepare themselves to participate in meetings such as the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF).
The experts made recommendations, directed mostly at countries, on implementing IPF/IFF proposals for action, including those related to trade and sustainable forest management and to rehabilitation of degraded lands. They noted the overwhelming number of demands on countries as a result of commitments made at the international level and the lack of an effective African voice in negotiations. Despite limited capacity, many countries are struggling to implement these commitments through their national forest programmes. Lack of information is hindering national efforts as well, especially information in hard copy and on potential funding sources, such as the Global Environment Facility for rehabilitating degraded lands.
To boost the implementation, participants stressed the need to strengthen and streamline sub-regional organizations and called them to be proactive in seeking partners and requesting information. They acknowledged the Commission as a central forestry forum for timely and effective regional policy dialogue and as a key mechanism for preparing in future global meetings, including by possibly developing a common African position for the fifth session of UNFF.
Regarding trade, participants considered good governance essential to curbing illegal logging and to attracting foreign investment. Critical to success are collaboration between trade and forest ministries and partnerships. Increasing product specifications and demands for sustainability by consumer countries are likely to impair market access to African producers. Certification was seen as one tool to help meet these demands. Participants recommended that logging companies, international organizations and national administrations collaborate more to explore market opportunities and that FAO facilitate the establishment of bilateral and sub-regional trade agreements. Furthermore, countries should improve recording data on non-wood forest products.
Regarding the rehabilitation of degraded forest lands, the experts stressed that action is best promoted through national development strategies, national forest programmes and other sectoral strategies such as water. They also encouraged more private sector and community involvement and advised countries, in collaboration with international institutions, to establish national funds for rehabilitation, replenished partially from forestry revenues.
