13. The Secretariat note FO: AFWC/2004/3 highlighted activities carried out by FAO in Africa during the past biennium. Particular emphasis was put on the normative activities pertaining to sustainable forest management practices; forest genetic resources; criteria and indicators for sustainable forest management (SFM); forests, mountains and water; and forestry research and education.
14. During the same period, FAO’s field programme in Africa mainly focused on the elaboration of a regional code of reduced impact logging, integrated watershed management in the Fouta Djallon, the Central Africa World Heritage Forest Initiative, the regional Acacia programme in support of food security and poverty alleviation, as well as the mitigation of soil degradation in Sahelian countries.
15. The Secretariat was also pleased to report that all requests and recommendations from the thirteenth session of the Commission have been adequately implemented.
16. In addition to this paper, a short presentation on the background and prospects of the Secretariat of the Teheran Process on Low Forest Cover Countries (LFCCs) was introduced by the Secretary of the Teheran Process.
17. The Commission recognized the particular importance of forestry and forest resources in Low Forest Cover Countries in Africa, most of which being also low-income and food-deficit countries. It was therefore recommended that governments of LFCCs, with support from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and FAO, should strengthen the LFCC Secretariat and the active participation of its member countries. The Commission noted the call from the Secretary of the Teheran process that focal points to the Commission also act, where appropriate, as focal points to the LFCC process.
18. The Commission noted the decline in investment in forestry education and research. This had a strong negative impact on the capacity for forest management and its contribution to rural development and poverty reduction. The Commission recommended that strategies and resources to raise the quality, relevance and resources of forestry education and research be developed and implemented at national, sub-regional and regional levels.