COFO/2005/5 |
COMMITTEE ON FORESTRY |
SEVENTEENTH SESSION |
Rome, Italy, 15-19 March 2005 |
DECISIONS OF FAO GOVERNING BODIES OF INTEREST TO THE COMMITTEE ON FORESTRY |
This note summarizes decisions of interest to the Committee on Forestry (COFO) taken by FAO Governing Bodies (Conference, Council) since the Committee’s 16th Session. Excerpts of pertinent outcomes of FAO Regional Conferences are also included.
1. In the context of the agenda item on FAO’s initiative to fight hunger: follow-up to the World Food Summit and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the FAO Conference:
2. The Council:
3. The Council also stressed the importance of the Ministerial Meeting on Forests to also be held in Rome in March 2005. Some Members proposed that FAO convene a meeting of Forestry Ministers every four or five years before the Committee on Forestry (COFO) is held (para. 121).
4. The Conference commended FAO’s active role in support of African Agriculture, particularly the NEPAD-CAADP (para. 26), and, among other things, urged FAO to assist member countries to develop sustainable approaches to soil improvement based on integrated natural resources management and greater integration of crop-livestock systems (para 34h); urged the NEPAD Secretariat and FAO to continue to facilitate exchanges of experiences on success stories among countries in Africa (para. 35b); and recommended further consultations with national governments and farmers' organizations to identify concerns, priorities and areas of investments when preparing the CAADP companion document on integrating forestry, fisheries and livestock sectors (para. 36a).
5. The Conference stressed the need for an African research agenda to cover all sub-sectors, and urged FAO to continue its efforts in: further enhancing NARS capacity building in the areas of agricultural research, knowledge and technology transfer; and strengthening the linkage between research, extension and farmers to effectively reverse productivity decline (paras. 51 and 52).
6. The Conference noted that bushmeat continues to play an important role in providing protein, medicine and in improving income for rural poor, and recommended that Governments, FAO and international partners should accord particular attention to identify appropriate alternative solutions, help implement them in close collaboration with local communities and continue to share experiences on the subject (paras. 57, 58 and 60).
7. The Conference recommended that FAO should provide support to farmers’ organizations, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and civil society organizations (CSO) to enable their effective participation in the NEPAD/CAADP, and contribute to promoting policy dialogue between NGO/CSO and Governmental actors at national and regional level (paras. 70a and 70b).
8. The Conference highlighted the importance of sustainable management of fisheries and forest resources and urged FAO to strengthen its support for the development and effective implementation of national and international plans of action, codes and guidelines for responsible fishery and forestry practices, and efforts to eliminate unsustainable fishing and logging (para. 29).
9. The Conference requested FAO to continue its facilitating role as Chair of the Collaborative Partnership on Forests under the United Nations Forum on Forests (para. 29).
10. The Conference urged FAO and other international organizations to provide increased technical assistance to Pacific Island countries for environmentally sound agricultural development, including support for improved soil and nutrient management, crop-livestock farming systems, agroforestry, seed production, efficient water use, environmental protection and natural resource conservation, and management of fisheries and aquaculture resources (para 77).
11. The Conference:
underlined the leading role of FAO in the Collaborative Partnerships on Forests and the support of the Ministerial Conferences on the Protection of the Forests in Europe … (para. 15r);
welcomed the activities undertaken by FAO in the areas of fisheries and forestry (para. 44).
12. The Conference recommended systematic consideration of emerging issues for FAO technical cooperation in the Region:
13. The Conference recommended that FAO pay special attention to the state of fisheries, forest resources and sustainable mountain development. The Conference recognized FAO’s activities in support of the International Partnership for Sustainable Development in the Mountain Regions, and requested that funds be directed to these programmes (para. 70).
14. The Conference recommended that FAO should play a strong role in the "Barbados Programme for Island States", which it recognized constituted a solid platform for the development of the agricultural, forestry and fishery capacities of least developed island states (para. 72).
15. The Conference recommended that FAO prepare regional technical cooperation projects to support training activities in the sustainable management of forest resources. It also requested that funding be mobilized to help all countries participate in the LACFC meetings (para. 94).
16. The Conference requested FAO to: