COFO-2003/7

COMMITTEE ON FORESTRY

Item 10 of the Provisional Agenda

SIXTEENTH SESSION

Rome, Italy, 10-14 March 2003

REVIEW OF FAO PROGRAMMES IN THE FORESTRY SECTOR, INCLUDING FOLLOW-UP TO THE REQUESTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE FIFTEENTH SESSION OF THE COMMITTEE AND THE PROGRAMME IMPLEMENTATION REPORT (2000-01)

Secretariat Note

I. INTRODUCTION

1. This note summarizes FAO forestry activities since the previous session of COFO in 2001. The FAO Programme Implementation Report 2000-01 provides an overview of all sectors and is available in five languages on the internet http://www.fao.org/pir/index_en.htm.

Programme 2.4.1 Forest Resources

2. As lead agency for the International Year of Mountains, FAO has actively assisted countries in protecting mountain environments and improving the lives of mountain people. A series of events and initiatives throughout 2002 have created a growing network of support, commitment and resources from partners around the world. At the World Summit on Sustainable Development, FAO along with the Government of Switzerland and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) launched a new International Partnership for Sustainable Development in Mountain Regions, aimed at protecting mountain ecosystems and strengthening mountain communities. FAO also supported the establishment of national committees in 77 countries to plan and implement strategies for sustainable mountain development.

3. Support was provided to countries to implement criteria and indicators for sustainable forest management, including countries with low forest cover. The "International Conference on Criteria and Indicators for Sustainable Forest Management: the way forward", hosted by the National Forest Service of Guatemala (INAB), and organised in collaboration with FAO, the International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO) and the Governments of Finland and USA, was held 3-7 February 2003.

4. Support continued to model and demonstration forests, notably in Asia and Latin America. New initiatives were launched in Asia and Central Africa.

5. “Guidelines for the Restoration, Management and Rehabilitation of Degraded and Secondary Forests” were published. A regional workshop on the management of tropical secondary forests in Africa was organized in collaboration with the German Agency for Technical Cooperation (GTZ) and the Netherlands.

6. An information system was developed to store forest plantation data for use by member countries and the international community. Information on poplar and willow growing was made available to support the work of the International Poplar Commission and the National Poplar Commissions which operate in 35 countries.

7. Workshops and action plans on forest genetic resources were supported in Central America, Central Africa (in preparation), in the Sahel, Eastern and Southern Africa and the Pacific. The corresponding national reports were published and made available on-line. The Panel of Experts on Forest Gene Resources recommended action based on country-derived priorities. Support was provided to the Convention on Biological Diversity for its Programme of Work on Forest Biological Diversity.

8. A global information system was developed on insect and disease outbreaks and their impacts on forests and trees. Direct support to pest management was provided in response to requests from countries and regions, including Central America, Lebanon, Macedonia, the Seychelles and the Slovak Republic.

9. An expert on forest fire management was recruited to coordinate FAO support to national, regional and global efforts to prevent and manage forest fires. Nine regional forest fire management networks were supported, and direct support was provided to Cuba, Cyprus, Ethiopia, Mongolia, Turkey, Syria and the Seychelles.

10. Support was provided to sustainable forest development in Low Forest Cover Countries, including country case studies in six Near East and African countries and two regional workshops. The FAO Conservation Guide on Management of Natural Forests of Dry Tropical Zones was published. Programmes were implemented to support the UN Convention to Combat Desertification in the Northern Mediterranean and Near East regions, and national action programmes were supported in Mali and China. The Tehran Process was supported.

11. The 18^th Session of the Committee on Mediterranean Forestry Questions Silva Mediterranea was held in Rome in April 2002, resulting in renewed support for Mediterranean forests. Among other outcomes, it was decided to restructure networks, establish more focused working groups, and increase the scope for regional cooperation.

12. Assistance was given to member countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America and Europe to develop tools, collect information and data, and establish networks to improve land productivity through agro-forestry systems and trees outside forests.

13. Support to watershed management was provided through the development of conceptual tools and through field projects in Asia and Africa.

14. Projects to sustainably use wildlife resources and to conserve biodiversity through effective management of protected areas were developed and implemented in Africa and the Near East.

Programme 2.4.2 Forest Products

15. Reduced impact logging practices were promoted through workshops, case studies, electronic publications, and the development of a regional code of forest harvesting for Central and West Africa. Environmentally friendly harvesting of timber and non-wood forest products was encouraged through workshops within the Framework of the FAO/ECE/ILO Committee on Forest Technology, Management and Training. A major study on the Impact of Forest Products Trade on Sustainable Forest Management was initiated.

16. Wood energy planning tools were developed including a methodological concept called “Wood-fuel Integrated Supply and Demand Overview Mapping” (WISDOM). Enhanced information on socio-economic aspects of bio-energy and wood energy systems was made available, with a focus on employment.

17. FAO continued to develop and disseminate information on non-wood forest products through various media, including national and regional overviews, electronic newsletters, and methodologies of inventory techniques.

18. Cooperation with the private forestry sector was strengthened through the FAO Advisory Committee on Paper and Wood Products and the International Technical Tropical Timber Association. Statistics on forest products trade, production, consumption, recovered paper and pulp and paper capacities were published and widely disseminated, including through the internet.

Forests and Climate Change

19. The 15^th session of COFO requested FAO to provide technical support to countries and international processes in the area of forests and climate change. In this context, FAO has undertaken a number of activities, including the recruitment of a senior expert on forests and climate change. Through collaboration with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and the secretariat to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, FAO has provided technical support and information on this increasingly important issue.

20. Within the global Forest Resources Assessment (FRA), FAO has continued to gather and disseminate carbon related data. FRA 2000 includes estimates on woody biomass by country, region, and globally. Work is underway to refine carbon inventory methods and to include improved assessments of biomass and carbon data in the next FRA. The conclusions and recommendations on harmonizing forest-related definitions will help guide future efforts.

21. FAO has provided expert information on forests in support of IPCC Good Practice Guidance and publishes an electronic newsletter covering the newest developments on forests and climate change. FAO prepared and disseminated practical guidelines in French on Forestry and Climate Change in Africa.

22. With support from the FAO/Netherlands Partnership Programme and in collaboration with the Central American Commission for Environment and Development (CCAD), FAO supported 7 Central American countries in building capacity for forestry and climate change, with emphasis on implementing the Kyoto Protocol. This process will be expanded to South America and Africa. FAO collaborated with IUCN and UNEP to organize a Latin American Forum on Forest and the Clean Development Mechanism.

Programme 2.4.3 Forestry Policy and Planning

23. The Forestry Sector Outlook Study for Africa (FOSA) was completed. This was the most comprehensive review ever undertaken of the forest sector in Africa, with the involvement of every country through a dynamic process of consultation and collaboration.

24. The National Forest Programme Facility was launched in collaboration with a number of countries and partner organizations to provide catalytic support in building national capacity to develop and implement national forest programmes and in sharing knowledge about policies and approaches to improve forest management.

25. Work included analysis of issues related to financing sustainable forest management, cross-sectoral aspects, law enforcement, decentralisation, and privatisation. Much of this was carried out with other organizations, including CIFOR and the World Bank.

26. Primarily through the Technical Cooperation Programme and the FAO Government Cooperative Programme, assistance was provided for capacity building especially in the area of forest policies to several countries, including Cuba, the Czech Republic, the Dominican Republic, Ethiopia, Honduras, Mongolia, Paraguay, Slovenia, Suriname and Turkey.

27. Regional and sub-regional workshops were held on a number of issues, including forestry policy formulation and implementation (Middle East), the analysis of forest policies (South America), and participatory forestry (Africa).

28. The Forests, Trees and People programme concluded after more than ten years of successful implementation, including networks that were established in three regions.

29. New programmes were initiated to support forests and sustainable livelihoods and forests and poverty alleviation, in collaboration with other organizations and member countries. The development of community-based commercial enterprises was supported in Uganda, China, the Gambia, and Central America.

30. Support to forestry research was provided through the Forestry Research Support Programme in Asia and the Pacific (FORSPA), and in Africa through Forestry Research Network for sub-Saharan Africa (FORNESSA). Databases on forestry research institutions, forestry education and training institutions and on short courses on forestry and related subjects were updated and made available on the Internet.

31. An Expert Consultation on Forestry Education in October 2001, in Morocco, recommended strategies to strengthen forestry education programmes and their implementation. It proposed mechanisms and tools, including networks, to encourage deliberations and exchanges of experience and information at national, regional and international levels.

32. A strategy for forestry extension was conceptualised and defined. It focuses on facilitating flexible multi-stakeholder partnerships pertinent to livelihoods and emphasizes market access for farmers of forest products, tree producers and gatherers.

33. Recognizing that HIV/AIDS affects all economic sectors, a working group was established and is developing elements of a strategy to address its impacts in the forest sector.

Programme 2.4.4 Forestry Information and Liaison

34. The Collaborative Partnership on Forests (CPF) was launched to support the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF). Chaired by FAO, this unique partnership of international organizations and convention secretariats provides an informal mechanism to improve coordination among organizations working in the forest sector while providing technical and policy support to the UNFF process. A CPF Network open to all relevant stakeholders was established and a CPF web-site was launched. As the focal agency for a number of key issues, FAO authored several papers that formed the basis of discussions at UNFF, supported country-led initiatives, and seconded a senior staff person to the UNFF secretariat. On behalf of CPF, FAO initiated work on a sourcebook on funding sustainable forest management and on streamlining forest-related reporting. It is also working with partners to harmonize forest-related definitions, as reported below.

35. Meetings of the six Regional Forestry Commissions were held in 2002. A summary of their recommendations is reported to COFO in a separate document (COFO-2003/2).

36. Eight quarterly issues of UNASYLVA were published, focusing on such themes as mountains, forest biodiversity, forest assessments, and the rehabilitation of degraded lands. The State of the World’s Forests 2003 will be launched at the 16^th session of COFO.

37. FAO works with various media to make information about forests accessible to the people who need it, reaching out to bridge the “digital divide” especially in rural areas in developing countries that do not have regular access to the internet.

Agenda Item 10 (a): Forest Resources Assessment

38. The 15^th session of COFO requested a report at the 16^th session on follow-up to the global Forest Resources Assessment 2000 (FRA 2000).

39. The Global Forest Resources Assessment 2000 (FRA 2000) was finalized in 2001 and the Main Report was published in October 2001. The FRA 2000 Main report is available in printed copy as FAO Forestry Paper 140, in English, French and Spanish. The Arabic translation is in progress. The report and other output are also available on CD Rom and on the internet in English, French and Spanish. The website is www.fao.org/forestry/fra2000report

40. Together with on-line country profiles, global maps and working papers, FRA 2000 is the most comprehensive and accessible global reporting on forest resources to date. FAO member countries, many organizations and individual experts contributed to this effort.

41. An Expert Consultation (Kotka IV) was held in Finland in July 2002 to review the results of FRA 2000. Recommendations for the future stressed the need:

to emphasize links between national and international assessments;
for FAO to assist countries, on request, to fill information gaps;
to emphasize the multiple role of global forest assessments, including as a source of information for forest-related international processes;
to continue to expand the scope of global assessments to address all functions and benefits of forests;
to link assessments with criteria for sustainable forest management;
to reinforce the direct participation of countries in global assessments;
to establish an advisory group to support global forest resources assessments;
to publish the next global FRA report in 2005.

42. The design for the next FRA is underway. A first meeting with the global FRA advisory group was hosted by UNEP in Nairobi, Kenya in October 2002. Experts are reviewing the variables and the procedures for assessment and pilot assessments in selected countries are being implemented. The assessment process continues to evolve and will address biophysical as well as socio-economic aspects of forest resources.

43. To improve the quality and usefulness of future global assessments, FAO has launched a new initiative to build national capabilities to assess and report on forest resources. The initiative, called “Support to National Forest Assessments”, (www.fao.org/forestry/fra-nfa) is based on the concepts of the “Global Forest Survey” endorsed by the 14^th session of COFO. FAO is currently supporting pilot projects in three countries: Guatemala, Cameroon and the Philippines. More than twenty other requests for assistance have been received but providing additional support to countries will require extra-budgetary funding from donor countries and institutions.

Agenda Item 10 (b): Harmonizing Forest-Related Definitions

44. The 15^th session of COFO requested FAO to continue its work on forest definitions. Many countries and international processes use different definitions of key terms and this affects policy discussions in processes such as the United Nations Forum on Forests and the conventions related to biological diversity, climate change, and desertification.

45. Improving the compatibility and consistency of definitions enhances the quality and usefulness of forest information; enables scarce resources to be used more effectively; and can help reduce the reporting burden on countries.

46. FAO joined the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO), the Centre for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) and, more recently, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to harmonize key forest terms to support forest management, forest biological diversity, forest assessments (including field inventories and remote sensing), and climate change. To date, these discussions have been conducted only in English. The terms have been translated into other languages. These translations should not be considered definitive until confirmed through forthcoming expert verification in the different languages. COFO’s guidance is requested on the continuation of the process.

47. Two expert meetings were held in Rome in 2002 and concluded that differences were relatively minor in the definitions of the following terms:

forest
forest land
forested land
other wooded land
non-forest
reforestation
forest degradation
forest improvement

48. The meetings further identified several terms such as old-growth forest and semi-natural forest that were used primarily in a regional rather than a global context, and have different meanings from region to region.

49. Definitions of the terms below were inconsistent and problematic. The meetings proposed new formulations or adaptations but it was recognized that further work would likely be required:

other land (other than forest and other wooded land)
afforestation
deforestation
planted forest
forest rehabilitation
forest restoration
forest fragmentation
secondary forest
trees outside forest
low forest cover

50. Efforts to broadly define a number of terms that refer to the condition or quality of forests would be beneficial and could be undertaken in cooperation with relevant processes and bodies. These terms include:

forest plantation
natural forest
naturalness of forest and other forest conditions
managed and unmanaged forest
consideration of quality of forest management and, in particular, sustainable forest management in different contexts.

51. The meeting made 32 recommendations to different conventions, bodies and processes using forest-related definitions on their harmonization (see Appendix 1). The full report, including recommendations, is at http://www.fao.org/forestry/fop/fopw/Climate/climate-e.asp.

ANNEX 1

FOLLOW-UP TO THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE FIFTEENTH SESSION OF THE COMMITTEE

The following table summarizes the recommendations of the fifteenth session of the Commission and the action taken or proposed.

RECOMMENDATION	ACTION TAKEN OR PROPOSED
(a) Forest information and knowledge management The Committee:
recommended that FAO continue to give high priority to forest information and knowledge management.	FAO continues to accord high priority to information and knowledge management and increased resources are proposed for this in the Medium Term Plan 2004-09.
recommended that FAO support improved access to forest information;	FAO has an active programme to support the capacity of member countries to improve their access to forest information.
recommended that FAO continue to develop partnerships to facilitate the collection, analysis and dissemination of information;	FAO has developed partnerships with the International Union of Forest Research Organizations, the World Resources Institute, and the UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre to facilitate information analysis. FAO also chairs a task force of the Collaborative Partnership on Forests (CPF) to improve the monitoring, assessment, and reporting of forest information at the global level.
recommended that FAO continue to review, improve and harmonize forestry-related definitions and terms;	Refer to previous text in this document.
recommended that FAO continue to publish information as books and reports and to use a broad range of media, given that many member countries did not have access to new technology;	FAO continues to publish and disseminate information in traditional hard copy formats, including translation of more documents into the five official languages of the Organization: English, French, Spanish, Arabic and Chinese.
requested FAO to assist countries experiencing financial and technological constraints with training and technology transfer to improve knowledge of their forest sector.	FAO has launched an initiative to build capacity in forest resource inventories and assessments and is collaborating with IUFRO, with financial assistance from the EC, to build forest information capacity in several countries.
(b) Criteria and indicators of sustainable management of all types of forests and implications for certification and trade The Committee:
recommended that FAO, in collaboration with national, regional and international partners: promote the exchange of experience to ensure that all countries benefit from available knowledge; support model and demonstration forests; support criteria and indicator processes; assist countries and regional processes to identify resources and support for further implementation; promote discussion in high-level fora to heighten policy-level awareness and political commitment to sustainable forest management; promote information exchange between forestry and related sectors;	The National Forest Programme Facility established by several countries, with FAO support, has the exchange of information and experience among countries as a main goal; FAO is promoting model forests in Central Africa, Asia/Pacific and South America, in collaboration with the International Model Forest Network; FAO is supporting criteria and indicator processes in all regions, including through the preparation of guidelines to measure and monitor indicators within the Near East, Dry-Zone Africa and Dry-Forests Asia processes; FAO co-sponsored, with ITTO and several member countries, an international Conference on Criteria and Indicators for Sustainable Forest Management.
recommended that FAO, in collaboration with national, regional and international partners and processes: continue to act as a neutral forum and facilitate dialogue on compatibility, equivalency or mutual recognition between different certification processes; continue to assist in developing confidence and understanding among the many stakeholders involved; provide reviews, information and analysis on trends and opportunities related to both market and forest management aspects of certification to further assist stakeholders make informed decisions.	FAO, in partnership with several organizations, convened the first international meeting on mutual recognition of different certification processes, attended by more than 70 experts. A follow-up meeting is planned and efforts are ongoing to dialogue with stakeholders of the different certification schemes. In addition, FAO is planning several initiatives and studies related to certification in the next two years.
(c) FAO support to the implementation of the Intergovernmental Panel on Forests/ Intergovernmental Forum on Forests (IPF/IFF) proposals for action The Committee:
requested FAO to support the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF), and to take a leadership role in the Collaborative Partnership on Forests (CPF). It further requested that FAO work with CPF members to establish a work programme to support the UNFF, which would indicate responsibilities of each CPF member, avoid duplication and maximize synergies;	CPF is chaired by FAO and has developed a work programme entitled CPF Framework to support the work of the UNFF. FAO continues to provide strong support to UNFF, including through the secondment of a senior staff member to the Secretariat and the preparation of key documents for sessions. Through the CPF and other means, FAO has increased its collaboration with the secretariats of the forest-related conventions, recently hosting the first meeting of the Committee to Review the Implementation of the Convention to Combat Desertification.
requested FAO to continue its collaboration with the secretariats of the forest-related conventions;	In addition to chairing the CPF Task Force on Streamlining Forest-related Reporting, FAO is supporting a country-led initiative on this topic.
requested FAO, in collaboration with other CPF members, to assist the UNFF in monitoring, assessment and reporting on implementing the IPF/IFF proposals for action, using existing channels and streamlining the reporting processes to the extent possible;	The National Forest Programme Facility of which FAO is a founding member supports countries that have requested assistance in implementing the IPF/IFF proposals for action. Through the Facility and its normative programmes, FAO also supports the formulation and implementation of policy frameworks and national forest programmes.
requested FAO to support countries in implementing IPF/IFF proposals for action, including capacity building and technical and financial assistance to developing countries and countries with economies in transition, to develop and implement national policy frameworks and national forest programmes;
requested FAO to report at the next session of COFO on the relationship between the FAO programme of work and the implementation of the IPF/IFF proposals for action.	The FAO Medium-Term Plan, available as a reference document at COFO, provides a comprehensive overview of the relationship between the FAO programme of work and the IPF/IFF proposals for action.
(d) Review of FAO programmes in the forestry sector, including follow-up to the requests and recommendations of the Fourteenth Session of the Committee, including the Programme Implementation Report The Committee:
requested FAO to improve its use of indicators of accomplishments, including clear and time-bound objectives when reporting on the impact of its programmes and activities;	FAO is implementing a new programme planning and evaluation model which emphasizes time-bound objectives and assessment of impacts. Progress is discussed in meetings of the FAO Programme Committee.
recommended that the next programme of work and budget provide for additional resources to reflect the growing and legitimate demands placed upon the Forestry Department.	The proportion of regular programme resources allocated to Forestry increased slightly in the current biennium and the Director-General has proposed an additional increase in the Medium-Term Plan 2004-09.
(e) Results of the Forest Resources Assessment 2000 (FRA 2000) The Committee:
recommended that the global FRA continue to be a priority. It also emphasized the importance of seeking harmonized definitions of forest terms;	Refer to previous text on efforts to harmonize forest-related definitions.
recommended that FAO continue to carry out assessments that included various aspects of forest resources, such as biological diversity, forest health, and resource use;	The design of the next global FRA is underway and will include qualitative parameters of forests and ecosystems as well as social and economic variables related to forest use.
recommended that FAO continue to analyse the findings of FRA 2000 and include its conclusions in the Main Report due to be released in 2001;	Feedback from member countries at the 15^th session of COFO was incorporated into the FRA 2000 Main Report.
recommended that FAO investigate additional opportunities to publicize the findings of FRA and bring it to the attention to the wider public audience;	FAO published the FRA 2000 Main Report in three languages, including hard copy, internet and CD Rom versions. Translation into Arabic is underway and a Chinese version is planned.
recommended that FAO continue to work with regional partners and processes, including the UN Economic Commission for Europe, in global forest resources assessment, and it emphasized the benefits of carrying out assessments and analyzing results at the regional level;	Work with regional partners is on-going.
requested FAO to provide continued technical and financial assistance especially to developing countries and countries with economies in transition, for country capacity building in carrying out national-level assessments and monitoring to improve the timely availability and quality of data.	FAO has launched a new initiative, entitled Support to National Forest Assessments, to build national capabilities to assess and report on forest resources. It is currently supporting pilot projects in Guatemala, Cameroon and the Philippines.
(f) Medium-Term Plan 2002-07 The Committee:
requested continued improvements in the process, especially with respect to outputs and indicators, which would facilitate the evaluation of programme achievements during the next six years, and called for an assessment of programmes which should be terminated and those which should receive priority and funding before the next COFO;	The Medium-Term Plan 2004-09 includes further improvements in the planning process, with additional emphasis on outputs and indicators of success.
supported FAO’s strategy to strengthen partnerships working in forestry and recommended increased collaboration with other sectors.	FAO has continued to strengthen its collaboration with partners, including those outside the forest sector.
(g) Proposals for Global Forest Resources Assessment The Committee:
recommended that FAO elaborate the concept of the Global Forest Survey (GFS), including scope, methodology, objectives, activities, outputs, institutional arrangements and financial requirements, taking into account the need to clarify its relationship to FRA;	Support to countries and to national capacity building has been developed, based on the concept of the Global Forest Survey. The programme is now called “Support to National Forest Assessments” to better reflect the nature of activities and its relationship to FRA. (See note above.)
recommended that FAO present a more detailed proposal to the next sessions of the Regional Forestry Commissions and to the Sixteenth Session of COFO;	The Regional Forestry Commissions were introduced to the programme in the context of updates to the Global Forest Resources Assessment and information will be provided during the Sixteenth Session of COFO.
recommended that the GFS give special attention to country capacity building, using ongoing national efforts in forest resources assessment, linkages with other regional and international initiatives, and continued work on forest-related definitions and qualitative forest parameters.	Support to National Forest Assessments aims to provide information on forests and trees, as well as their management and uses, at the national level. Assistance includes field pilots to serve policy development and monitoring, and to increase knowledge on the role of forests and trees. The approach is cross-sectoral and the information can be used for analyses related to poverty alleviation, sustainable livelihoods, and environmental protection.
(h) Climate change and the Kyoto Protocol: key forestry-related issues The Committee:
encouraged FAO to strengthen the collection and dissemination of information relevant to the dialogue on forestry and climate change. Further, it requested FAO to collaborate with other agencies in providing technical input regarding elaboration and reconciliation of terms and definitions;	FAO has continued to gather and disseminate carbon related data and work is underway to refine carbon inventory methods, include biomass and carbon data in the next FRA and co-ordinate FRA carbon data with UNFCCC reports. Two meetings to harmonize forest-related definitions were organized with IPCC, IUFRO, CIFOR and UNEP, attended by CBD and UNFCCC, among others. Work on harmonizing carbon forest terms has begun.
requested FAO to strengthen its support to country capacity building in the development and implementation of climate change activities in the forest sector, including desertification;	With the Government of the Netherlands, FAO initiated a project on Forests and Climate Change in Central America to increase the capacity of countries to participate in global climate change discussions. The initiative will expand to South America and Africa in 2003.
recommended FAO assist in the assessment of vulnerability and adaptive management strategies in response to climate change;	FAO has started to include adaptation strategies in its capacity building programme for Central America and one for Sub-Saharan Africa is under preparation. FAO has contributed to a UNEP workshop on adaptation in forestry and highlights adaptation strategies in SOFO 2003.
(i) International Year of Mountains - 2002 The Committee:
endorsed the recommendations of the Regional Forestry Commissions related to the International Year of Mountains	The IYM increased awareness of mountain development issues at national and global levels. 77 national committees were established and, with the support of Italy and Switzerland, an international partnership was set up to assist with implementing recommendations.
(j) Recommendations of the Regional Forestry Commissions and other FAO Statutory Bodies in forestry of interest to the Committee The Committee:
welcomed the establishment of the Tehran Process on Low Forest Cover Countries, and requested FAO’s continued support to it	FAO has provided ongoing support to the Tehran Process.
recommended that the RFCs support implementation of IPF/IFF proposals for action by facilitating their national review and prioritization, and identifying the comparative advantages of various organizations and processes offering support	This topic was discussed at each of the recent sessions and several RFCs have undertaken regional initiatives, including information exchange, to facilitate IPF/IFF implementation by countries.
recommended that RFCs, in collaboration with regional processes, facilitate the input of regional perspectives to UNFF and CPF. It requested FAO to facilitate the exchange of information and ideas among the RFCs and with UNFF and CPF in a transparent manner	Efforts have been made in some RFCs to help formulate regional perspectives to assist countries prepare for global forest policy discussions. In addition, FAO has worked with the UNFF Secretariat to increase the exchange of information on UNFF and CPF. New and improved web-sites have been developed and a CPF Network has been established to broaden the participation of stakeholders in the process.
stressed the importance of Mediterranean forest issues, and requested FAO to revitalize the Committee on Mediterranean Forestry Questions, Silva Mediterranea	Silva Mediterranea convened in Rome in April 2002, its first meeting since 1997. The report contains decisions for a revitalized mandate and is available to members of the Committee. FAO continued to support the African Forestry and Wildlife Commission.
stressed the importance of wildlife for the economies and food security of African countries and requested continued support for the African Forestry and Wildlife Commission	A meeting of the Bureaux of Regional Forestry Commissions is planned in Rome immediately before the 16^th session of COFO.
welcomed the report of the Meeting of the Bureaux of the Regional Forestry Commissions and requested that similar exchanges of information and ideas be provided in the future