COFO-2003/8

Table of Content

INTRODUCTION

Preliminary information on programme of work proposals for 2004-05
Major Programme 2.4: Forestry
Programme 2.4.1: Forest Resources
Programme 2.4.2: Forest Products and Economics
Programme 2.4.3: Forestry Policy and Institutions
Programme 2.4.4: Forestry Information and Liaison

INTRODUCTION

1. At its last session in 2001, the Committee carried out its forward-looking review of planned activities under Major Programme 2.4: Forestry on the basis of the pertinent section of the Medium Term Plan (MTP) 2002-07¹. At the present session, the applicable section of the Medium Term Plan 2004-09² is before the Committee for the same purpose.

2. However, at the request of the FAO Council, the Programme Committee addressed at its May 2002 session the feasibility of developing preliminary information on Programme of Work proposals to COAG³, COFI⁴ and COFO⁵. For ease of reference, the related extract of the Programme Committee report is reproduced below:

"The Committee welcomed the document which provided interesting background and historical information, including a comparative analysis of the functions of the three Technical Committees pointing to some differences among them. It also recognised the practical difficulties inherent in providing Summary Programme of Work and Budget (SPWB) proposals type information to the Technical Committees.

Accordingly, the Committee endorsed the compromise solution proposed by the Secretariat to the effect that COAG, COFI and COFO would receive specially prepared budget documents showing:

• budgetary tables indicating changes in resources from the approved budget for 2002-03 to the proposed level for 2004-05, based on the assumptions in the MTP 2004-09; and
• narratives on planned outputs.

The Committee also agreed that this be implemented in 2003 on a trial basis, so that costs and benefits could be evaluated in 2004.

3. In the light of the above guidance from the Programme Committee, this complementary document has been prepared.

4. It is worth stressing that the figures under the column "Total Programme of Work in 2002-03" are not fully comparable to those in the Programme of Work and Budget 2002-03 document (issued in the early summer of 2001), as they reflect a more refined estimation of resources under other income (i.e. beyond those in the Regular Budget Appropriation voted by the FAO Conference).

PRELIMINARY INFORMATION ON
PROGRAMME OF WORK PROPOSALS FOR 2004-05

MAJOR PROGRAMME 2.4: FORESTRY

Programme 2.4.1: Forest Resources

241A1 - Sustainable Management of Natural Forests and Woodlands

Planned outputs for 2004-05:

1. guidelines and methodologies for improved practices in silviculture and management of natural forests and woodlands, including densely forested areas, drylands and other areas with low forest cover;
2. direct support to countries to implement improved management practices both at the policy level and in the field, in particular through demonstrations, dissemination of best practices and training;
3. support to countries against forest pests and diseases, including the use of integrated pest management practices in forestry, appropriate training and networking;
4. further development and maintenance of the global information system for the assessment, conservation and sustainable utilisation of forest genetic resources; and
5. assistance to prevent and control forest fires at both national and regional levels, including training and enhanced collaboration among countries and organizations.

241A4 - Conservation in Forests and Fragile Ecosystems

Planned outputs for 2004-05:

1. dissemination of state-of-the-art technologies on the management of fragile ecosystems, particularly mountains and drylands, including demonstration of best practices and technical guidelines;
2. support to international cooperation and exchange through workshops on the role of trees, forests, and other land use practices appropriate to fragile mountain environments and drylands;
3. support to institutional capacity building to implement recommendations resulting from the International Year of Mountains;
4. support to the national implementation of UNCCD⁶ through facilitation of Action Plans, dissemination of best practices on control of land degradation through forestry and agro-forestry; and

publications on sustainable practices to manage wildlife and to conserve biological diversity in forest and woodland ecosystems, and field demonstration and testing of recommended approaches.

241A5 - Forest Plantations and Trees Outside Forests

Planned outputs for 2004-05

1. support to forest genetic resources networks, coupled with studies and guidelines on access to tree planting materials and technologies;
2. guidelines on appropriate technologies for plantation and tree establishment and management;
3. information on status and trends of forest plantations, including their economic and environmental impacts;
4. advice on land use policy, planning and methodologies for trees outside forests;
5. dissemination of agro-forestry techniques to promote food security; and
6. information (status, trends and prospects), policy and planning advice and sharing of best practices on the integration of trees in urban and peri-urban environments.

241A7 - Forests and Water

Planned outputs for 2004-05

1. methodologies and technology transfer for effective watershed management, including forest practices which lead to the sustainable use of water resources, both in upland and lowland areas;
2. support to institutional capacity building to implement appropriate policies and procedures to conserve water resources;
3. promotion of new approaches to watershed management and related disaster control methods; and
4. support to implementation of recommendations from the International Year of Mountains (2002) and the International Year of Fresh Water (2003).

241A8 - Forests and Climate Change

Planned outputs for 2004-05

1. collaboration with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change to develop and promote guidelines for improved forest practices, including for domestic "sinks" in industrialised countries, and for sinks under the Joint Implementation and Clean Development Mechanism;
2. analysis of key issues related to forests and climate, including treatment of harvested wood products, separation of natural and indirect human-induced effects, and biome-specific definitions of key terms;
3. assistance to national capacity building to comply with the Kyoto Protocol;
4. support to technical discussions on forests and climate change; and
5. technical information to promote wood fuels as substitute for fossil fuels.

241P1 - Assessment and Monitoring of Forests and Woodland Resources

Planned outputs for 2004-05

1. development and transfer of new technologies for forest inventories and assessments;
2. training, workshops and publications to support improved national forest assessments;
3. reports, including Internet-based information, on status and changes of forest resources at national, regional and global levels; and
4. support to country efforts to monitor, assess and report on progress toward sustainable forest management, including effective implementation of agreed criteria and indicators.

241S1 - Technical Support and Advisory Services

Planned outputs for 2004-05

Advice to countries and support to field projects related to forest assessments

Programme 2.4.2: Forest Products and Economics

a) 242A3 - Forestry Sector Outlook Studies

Planned outputs for 2004-05

1. SOFO⁷ 2005;

2. support to country capacity building for strategic planning through training and networking, taking advantage of the findings of the regional outlook studies;

3. outlook studies for Latin America and the Caribbean (LAFSOS) and Europe (EFSOS);

4. preparation work for outlook studies for the Near East and Central Asia, also involving capacity building in these regions to carry out policy analysis and develop analytical skills; and

5. preliminary work on updating the Asia Pacific Forestry Sector Outlook Study (APFSOS), taking into account changes that have taken place and updated forecasts.

b) 242A4 - Economic Aspects of Forests

Planned Outputs for 2004-05

1. development and dissemination of innovative methodologies for resource mobilisation and investments in sustainable forestry management;
2. methodologies for assessing and internalising the values of forest-based public goods, addressing critical environmental issues;
3. analysis of the employment and income generation potential of forestry, taking into account technological changes;
4. studies on how small-scale enterprises can contribute to poverty alleviation, taking into account emerging constraints and opportunities; and
5. report on shifts in trade patterns, in response to differential economic performances of countries and regions.

242P1 - Forest Products Information

Planned outputs for 2004-05

1. activities aimed at increased awareness of the social and economic contributions of harvested forest products;
2. information collection, which will also serve as inputs to FORIS⁸;

3. comprehensive data on forest products, recovered paper and pulp and paper capacities, and dissemination on the Internet and in hard copy;

4. publications including: the Forest Products Yearbook, the Forest Harvesting Bulletin and the Forest Energy Forum Newsletter annually, the Non-wood News twice a year, the bi-monthly electronic newsletters on non-wood forest products and climate change; and

5. the Wood Energy Information System (WEIS) and a guide on wood fuel surveys.

c) 242P2 - Appropriate Utilisation of Forest Products

Planned outputs for 2004-05

1. support to the implementation of regional and national codes of forest harvesting and engineering;
2. training on best practices in wood harvesting and engineering for the forest industry;
3. elaboration of methodologies for assessment, management and utilisation of non-wood forest products (NWFP);
4. analysis of environmental issues related to forest utilisation and more generally in the forest sector, including causes for wood substitution and promotion in the use of forest products;
5. promotion of bio-energy as an environmentally friendly source of energy and its integration into national agriculture, energy and environment development policies; and
6. methodology for Woodfuel Integrated Supply and Demand Overview Mapping (WISDOM) to enhance planning and policy development in this sector.

d) 242S1 - Support to Field Projects and Advisory Services

Planned Outputs for 2004-05

Advice to countries and support to the field programme

Programme 2.4.3: Forestry Policy and Institutions

e) 243A3 - Strengthening National Institutional Capacities

Planned Outputs for 2004-05

1. studies, guidelines and publications on country capacity issues, with emphasis on institutional development and performance, knowledge management and governance;
2. information on key issues in support of national and local institutions for better governance of the forestry sector;
3. models of extension partnerships to benefit forest products producers and gatherers;
4. support to forestry education institutions, especially in curriculum development and review, training needs assessments and strengthening of institutional arrangements and networks; and
5. support to forestry research institutions, strengthening their capacity through training, and to regional forestry research networks.

f) 243A4 - Forest Policies and Governance

Planned outputs for 2004-05

1. support to countries in policy formulation processes, implementation of national programmes, research and monitoring of critical forestry issues including governance, privatisation and decentralization;
2. methodologies and tools for forestry policy and programmes formulation and implementation; and
3. publications, workshops and seminars on forest policies and governance.

g) 243A5 - Forests, Poverty Alleviation and Food Security

Planned outputs for 2004-05

1. studies and guidelines on the impact of forest policies and strategies on poverty alleviation and food security;
2. support to integration of forestry issues in national development planning processes, coupled with awareness-raising; and
3. support to countries in relation to emerging opportunities such as markets for environmental services, forest valuation methods, carbon markets and innovative financial mechanisms to benefit the poor.

h) 243P4 - Participatory Forestry and Sustainable Livelihoods

Planned outputs for 2004-05

1. development and implementation of effective approaches for increased participation of forest stakeholders in forest processes, ranging from policy formulation to forest resource management;
2. capacity building support to stakeholders in participatory processes; and
3. methodologies, case studies and practical guidelines.

i) 243S1 - Interaction with Field Programmes and Advisory Services

Planned Outputs for 2004-05

Advice to countries and support to field projects on forestry policies, institutional development and participatory forestry

Programme 2.4.4: Forestry Information and Liaison

j) 244A1 - International Forestry Processes

Planned outputs for 2004-05

1. technical and policy studies and documents prepared for the fourth and fifth sessions of the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF);
2. support to the Collaborative Partnership on Forests (CPF);
3. coordination of FAO's work related to international conventions including on biological diversity, climate change and desertification, and cooperation with other international organizations dealing with forests and wildlands; and
4. reports to the UN Commission on Sustainable Development and other international bodies.

k) 244P1 – Forestry Information

1. timely and accurate information on the status and trends of the world's forests, related policies and institutions, and on FAO's work in forestry;
2. information to be provided in a variety of media, including the Internet, publications and presentations at conferences, meetings and workshops;
3. maintenance of a comprehensive library on forests and forestry accessible to Members both electronically and through hard copy; and
4. dissemination of targeted information, including Unasylva.

l) 244S1 - Support to Statutory Bodies and Liaison with the Regional Offices

Planned Outputs for 2004-05

1. organisation of the 17^th session of the FAO Committee on Forestry;
2. meetings of six regional forestry commissions and their working groups, Silva Mediterranea, the International Poplar Commission and the Advisory Committee on Paper and Wood Products;
3. support to working groups, task forces and sub-regional groups established by the regional forestry commissions; and
4. support to effective coordination between FAO Headquarters and decentralized offices.

Medium-Term Plan (MTP) 2004-09

5. The MTP is of a "rolling" nature, to be updated every two years to reflect evolving contexts. While the FAO Council has considered the Medium Term Plan 2004-09 in October-November 2002, it is the expectation of the Council that the Committee on Forestry (COFO) review and make recommendations on forestry programme priorities, which would be taken into account in the formulation of the Programme of Work and Budget 2004-2005.

6. The entire MTP document is available on FAO's Internet Website at the following address http://www.fao.org/mtp/ and one copy per delegation will be distributed at the COFO session, upon request. It may be noted that the tables at the beginning of each programme establish the links of the MTP proposals with the corporate strategies and strategic objectives in the FAO Strategic Framework 2000-2015.

7. In accordance with the new programming model endorsed by the FAO Conference, each programme consists of a number of "entities". These entities are of three types: time-bound technical projects, continuing programme activities and technical services. Within each technical project and continuing programme activity, the rationale, objective(s) and indicators of achievements are provided, followed by the identified "major outputs" over the lifetime of the entity.

Suggested Action by the Committee

8. Based on the pertinent section from Part II of the MTP 2004-09 and the preliminary information on the PWB proposals presented above, the Committee is invited to review and make recommendations on the forestry programme priorities which would be taken into account in the finalisation of proposals for the PWB 2004-05. In particular, the attention of the Committee is drawn to Part I, "Approach" and "Priority Areas for Inter-Disciplinary Action;" to Part II, "Major Programme 2.4 Forestry;" and to Part III, "Strategies to Address Cross-organizational Issues."

________________________

¹ CL 119/17

² CL 123/7

³ Committee on Agriculture

⁴ Committee on Fisheries

⁵ Committee on Forestry

⁶ Convention to Combat Desertification

⁷ State of the World's Forests

⁸ Forest Resources Information Syste