M. Hosny El-Lakany
Assistant Director-General, Forestry Department
FAO, Rome
It is indeed a pleasure to welcome you all here on behalf of the Director-General, and also on behalf of the Forestry Department. It is a privilege for us to be able to draw on the expertise and guidance of such an important cross-section of interests related to forest industries and other fields. Let me extend an especially warm welcome to those of you who are participating in the discussions of the Advisory Committee for the first time. To my mind, a dynamic and evolving participation in this Committee is essential.
As you know, the main functions of the Advisory Committee are to advise the Director-General on activities that could be undertaken by FAO related to forest industry, in order to enhance sustainable forestry development and the valorization of forests in both developed and developing countries. In this regard, broad-ranging yet clearly focused discussions are the sine qua non of the Committee. Another important activity of the Committee is to verify the relevance of statistical and other information prepared by FAO and to ensure its usefulness.
The nature of this Committee as a group of experts drawn from the private sector is of particular relevance. FAO is an inter-governmental organization and we respond to the needs and stated requests of our Member Governments in our quest for sustainable forest management. But without the full participation of the private sector this is simply an unachievable goal. The means to generate the resources required for sustainable forest management lie mainly within industry, which is dominated by the private sector. One of the clear recommendations of the recent High-Level Panel of External Experts on Forestry convened by the Director-General was increased collaboration between FAO and the private sector.
Thus, let me be unequivocal in stressing the value that FAO places on this Committee and the input and guidance it provides. Before touching briefly on some of the key issues on your agenda at this session, I would like to thank the members for the excellent country reports we have received. Together, they truly depict the "State of the Industry" ñ we have already placed them on the Forestry Internet site to ensure the widest dissemination possible of this valuable information.
Your agenda is rich indeed ñ challenging both in its length and its complexity. It is an agenda that you have fundamentally set for yourselves in the ongoing discussions that have been so ably coordinated by the chair and vice-chair since the previous session.
FAO looks forward with keen interest to your discussions on forest products production and trade flow trends against the background of an increasingly "globalized" market. Certainly, the uncertain future for production and trade of tropical plywood ñ directly linked to the recent economic situation in Southeast Asia ñ will be a key topic. We also look forward to your insights on the current status and future trends in roundwood production and trade as countries provide increasing incentives for higher levels of in-country processing, and as international industries move their operations closer to the sources of raw materials. The potential of increasing the use of "lesser known" species to raise potential forest productivity is also of interest.
At this session, you will be focusing on Europe, Asia and North America ñ these regions account for by far the largest share of global industrial production and trade. But we also invite your consideration of these issues as they relate to Africa and Latin America at a future session of the Committee.
Closely related to the question of production and trade flows will be your consideration of trade liberalization issues for the first time. Its inclusion on the agenda is in direct response to the request of the members. It is entirely appropriate that the Advisory Committee serves as a conduit for information exchange on this important issue as it relates to the paper and wood products sector. I must stress, however, that FAO and ACPWP are not the appropriate forum for negotiations on trade barriers.
You also have before you the draft report of the Global Fibre Supply Study, an effort initiated by FAO in response to a recommendation of this Committee in 1995. This important Study attempts to answer the questions "Where is the raw material going to come from to cover forest products needs?" and "How much productive forest is needed to sustainably supply expected future fibre demand?" It has been undertaken as an integral part of the forestry regular programme, with no significant external funding. However I would be remiss if I did not recognize and acknowledge with thanks the strong support and in-kind participation the study received from member countries and in particular from the private sector.
I would highlight that this has been a challenging undertaking, made even more so by the sensitive nature of the data and the analysis ñ particularly regarding national data on forest area available for industrial wood supply, and the productivity of these forests.
FAO is committed to the GFSS process and to an ongoing open, frank dialogue to ensure that the final product is the most accurate and most useful possible. We will ensure also that it is produced without unnecessary delay.
I should mention here that the GFSS was initiated at the 1995 session upon the recommendation of this Committee. In spite of the lack of allocation of specific resources to this activity, FAO ñ and in particular the Forest Products Division ñ engaged immediately to set up the outline of the Study and to compile data. This was done without a proper budget since no provision was made for this purpose in the programme of work and budget. FOP continued to complete the Study under its Regular Programme, without additional funding. The GFSS was considered an absolute priority with implications at the departmental and inter-divisional level.
FAO actively solicits the continued and even increased support for the GFSS process from this Committee. In this regard, we eagerly await your comments on the draft report and your recommendations on the future of the GFSS process.
As I noted earlier, the main mandate of this Committee relates to advising the Director-General on how forestry industry can make its greatest contribution to sustainable forest management, thus enabling forestry to fulfil its potential in overall sustainable development. The question often arises whether it is economically feasible for forest industry to implement sustainable forest management, and whether industry has the tools and determination to move in this direction. At FAO, we believe that the answer to these questions is ëyesí. We are also convinced that more participation of the private sector in the deliberations of the IFF could only have positive impacts. Thus we look forward with great interest to the presentation addressing this issue.
FAO, in its role as task manager for UNCED follow-up in forestry, has been involved in all of the major international initiatives to define criteria and indicators at the national level, and we had the pleasure of hosting the fifth meeting of the Advisory Panel of the CIFOR project here in Rome less than one month ago. We are committed to the closer harmonization of criteria and indicators at the national and management unit levels for Sustainable Forest Management (SFM) and look forward to your observations and recommendations.
In conclusion, allow me to note again the comprehensive and demanding agenda before you. The commitment and dedication of this Group ñ made up of global experts acting in their personal capacity and at their own expense ñ matches that of the Organization it serves. Let me once again thank you for coming and express my wishes for lively debate and frank advice to FAO.
