On request from its member countries, FAO has implemented global forest resources assessments since 1947 in collaboration with countries and other partners. To implement this mandate, FAO regularly seeks broad guidance from a number of national and international experts and agencies. The “Global Forest Resources Assessments –linking national and international efforts” meeting held in Kotka, Finland in July 2002, reviewed FRA’s progress in assessing the status and trends of the world's forests and discussed future global forest resources assessments. Among its many important recommendations was the suggestion that FAO establish an advisory group to the FRA process to provide technical guidance and to finalize specifications for future global forest resources assessments. The sixteenth session of the COFO, held in March 2003, endorsed the major recommendations of this meeting, including the establishment of an advisory group on global forest resources assessments. The Advisory Group (AG) is informal in nature. It is a long-term arrangement with meetings anticipated to take place annually. Specifically, the Advisory Group is asked to review and make recommendations aimed at strengthening existing institutional networks and making future forest resources assessments increasingly user-oriented, demand-driven and more closely linked to other international processes.

More specifically, the AG carries out the following tasks:

1. Advise FAO and its partners on the implementation impacts of the broad recommendations of the expert consultations on forest resource assessments.
2. Advise on how FRA can support SFM.
3. Advise on the strategic planning, organization, process and time frame of FRAs.
4. Advise on technical matters related with forest inventory or assessment including variables for FRA.
5. Advise on the scope, content and reporting format for FRA.
6. Advise on communication processes and meetings between stakeholders in the FRA process, including regional arrangements, expert consultations and links with other international forest-related processes, such as those related to criteria and indicators for sustainable forest management.
7. Advise on the national correspondents’ role and terms of reference to FRA.
8. Any other FRA related task approved by the AG.
   
   

a. The FAO Advisory Group on Global Forest Resources Assessments (hereafter termed AG) is an informal body and is generally constituted of no more than 20 members. Any member country of FAO, if it so desires, can send its representative to work as an observer to the AG.

b. The AG can invite experts to provide technical advice during its meetings or it can invite professionals to attend its meeting as observers.

c. The AG normally meets once a year. However, the group can be called as and when required.

d. The term for AG members is two years, renewable upon agreement of the AG member and the AG Secretary.

e. The AG can also function through email group discussions, if and when required.

f. In the event an AG member retires or changes jobs, the member should notify FAO so that arrangements for continuation or replacement can be made.

g. The AG has a Secretary to manage, document and process its operations with FAO. The Senior Forestry Officer of the Global Forest Resources Assessment functions as the Secretary to the FRA AG. S/he is responsible for drafting the final version of the minutes for each of its meetings.

h. The AG has a Chairperson and a Co-chair who serve for a five-year period to coincide with the preparation and delivery of the FRA. The Chair and Co-Chair are selected from nominations submitted by AG members and FAO to the AG Secretary. The Chair and Co-Chair are selected from the list of nominations provided in advance of the first AG meeting in each FRA cycle. The selected Chair and Co-Chair serve terms that end with the last AG meeting coinciding with or prior to the release of the FRA.

i. The Chair and Co-Chair jointly manage AG meetings and approve the minutes of each meeting.

j. The draft minutes of the meeting are prepared by the Secretary and are distributed to the members of the AG for comments. Based on comments received, the Secretary finalizes the minutes and submits these to the Chairperson/Co-Chairperson for approval before distribution.

k. The Secretary to the Advisory Group works with the FRA team, CFRQ partners and other members of the FAO Forestry Department on action plans that incorporate AG recommendations. Other members of the AG may also submit the proceedings to the respective reviewing bodies in their own organization through their normal channels of communication.

l. The AG may make changes to its operational mechanism as and when required.