The FAO Advisory Committee on Paper and Wood Products held its forty-first session on 2 and 3 May 2000 in Rotorua, New Zealand. The meeting was chaired by Mme Lise Lachapelle, and attended by 15 members and 44 other participants from 24 countries and 5 international organizations.
The reason for holding the meeting outside FAO Headquarters was to have a broader participation from the forest industry of the region and this objective was achieved, with 24 participants from the Asia-Pacific region. Apart from the global characteristic of the meeting, it was also possible to focus on issues of specific relevance to the New Zealand paper and wood products sector.
The major topics included a review of global warming and industry activities related to mitigate its impacts, trade and environment, and how the New Zealand forest industry achieved privatization. There was an open exchange of experiences on the topics addressed to the benefit of the participants, and the Committee issued valuable recommendations for the work of the Forest Products Division in the field of paper and wood products.
The plantation and mill tour took the participants to the Kawerau operation site of the Fletcher Challenge Forests Ltd to see the harvesting and farm forestry operations, followed by a tour of a pulp and paper mill or a sawmill.
FAO would like to express its gratitude to the New Zealand Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, especially to the Honourable Pete Hodgson, Minister, as well as to the New Zealand Forest Industries Council and its Chief Executive, Mr James Griffiths, and to all their staff, for the hospitality and the excellent organization of the meeting and of the social activities.
FAO acknowledges and thanks Committee members, advisers and partner organizations who participated in this forty-first session for investing efforts, time and financial resources to attend the session.
Wulf Killmann
Director
Forest Products Division