1. In numerous countries, many of the relevant proposals for action are already integrated in the national forest programmes as defined by the IPF, and countries are using them to measure the compatibility of national activities with international guidance and to identify gaps. A major constraint is the limited capacity to implement the proposals for action and to report on progress, partially due to overwhelming reporting requests by international processes.
2. Political will and commitment are required to implement the national forest programme, which should take into account the Millennium Development Goals and other international commitments.
3. Collection of information for a national report to UNFF is difficult. There is a lot of useful information at the local level, but untapped, due to lack of resources.
4. Categorization of the individual IPF/IFF proposals for action (undertaken, for example, by Australia, Republic of Korea, Malaysia and New Zealand) helps clarify their meaning and relevance for individual countries.
5. Existing summaries of IPF/IFF proposals for action, such as the Australia-PROFOR document, are very helpful. However, countries would benefit from their own assessment and clarification of the proposals, under their own specific conditions.
6. Collaborative initiatives, such as between Australia and Vanuatu, could help advance implementation of the proposals, facilitate effective national forest policy planning, identify progress against internationally agreed actions, raise awareness and improve understanding of sustainable forest management and international processes, increase donor interest, as well as facilitate reporting to UNFF.
7. Effective stakeholder participation is crucial at all stages of decision-making, including implementation of IPF/IFF proposals for action and national forest programmes. Building an effective participatory process takes time and requires involvement of all relevant stakeholders and long-term commitment from all involved parties.
8. There are positive steps in increasing participation in decision-making, for example in the national forest programmes and model forests. However, the forestry departments in many countries are not fully aware of all the stakeholders or lack the skills to engage with them constructively. Skills need to be strengthened and suitable tools provided to identify the relevant agencies and stakeholders and involve them in the decision-making process.
9. Effective flows of information are essential at all stages of decision-making, especially to increase awareness of policy makers, land-owners, communities and representatives outside the forestry sector.
10. In many countries, ministries and departments fall short in coordinating their activities with other sectors. Forestry departments often have difficulties in influencing the land-use decision-making because of the over-riding need for achieving economic development. This is aggravated by lack of proper valuation of forest goods and services.
11. The effects of poverty on deforestation and forest degradation differ among countries and locations within countries. Also, in many countries external factors lead to environmental impoverishment, with subsequent negative effects on livelihoods and human well-being.
12. A necessary condition for forestry to contribute to poverty reduction is that forest policies and national forest programmes address basic needs of local communities, especially poor people.
13. The importance of social capital (organizational strength and capacity of the poor) needs to be recognized, developed and strengthened so that the poor can contribute to and benefit more from forestry.
14. An important approach to addressing poverty reduction is community-based forest management and similar initiatives that devolve forest management responsibilities and authority to local levels.
15. Attitudes of forest agency staff and other related policy makers and planners need to change for effective participatory forest management to occur.
16. Payments for providing environmental services are viewed as a potential means of transferring financial resources to poor communities. It is also important to provide more opportunities for rural communities to benefit from non-wood forest products processing and marketing and ecotourism.