The objectives of this workshop were:

(i) to facilitate an inter-regional dialogue, involving all major stakeholder groups, on solution-oriented approaches to addressing the major underlying causes of deforestation and forest degradation taking into account the conclusions and proposals for action of the Intergovernmental Panel of Forests (IPF); and

(ii) to produce a set of options for action for consideration by the IFF and other relevant institutions and processes, with a particular focus on practical approaches for addressing underlying causes of deforestation and forest degradation.

Reports of the regional and IPO preparatory processes provided major inputs into the workshop. Participants have been requested to give proper consideration to the need for local, national, regional and global follow-up measures. The emphasis was on adopting a problem-solving -- instead of accusatory -- approach, in order to identify practical solutions that address the underlying causes, and potential obstacles to these solutions.

A report of the meeting -- in English, Spanish and French -- has been prepared by the Organizing Committee, taking into account the specific mandate of the lead agency on underlying causes for the Interagency Task Force on Forests, UNEP, and in close consultation with other members of the Steering Committee. The centerpiece of the report was a set of options for action for consideration by the IFF and other relevant institutions and processes. Several thousand copies of the report will be disseminated widely in early 1999 to governmental and non-governmental actors within and outside the forest sector, to help inform the debate and stimulate wide-ranging discussions on concrete policy reforms and other measures to implement the relevant Proposals for Action of the IPF.

In addition, the report will be distributed at the IFF-3 meeting (April 1999) and presented at a formal plenary session, as well as at a more informal briefing session. The results of this process will help to inform two aspects of the IFF work program. Firstly, it can help prioritize and better define practical measures that should be taken from among the 135 IPF proposals for action. Secondly, it can inform the IFF discussions on matters left pending -- in particular, discussions regarding trade and the environment and financial assistance.

An elaborate outreach strategy --reaching beyond the IFF process -- was undertaken to ensure that the results of this project reach the most important local, national, regional and global actors, and help to inform important debates and processes. This outreach strategy was developed in close consultation with the Steering Committee, UNEP and the IFF Secretariat. The strategy included dissemination of the results via the internet, by means of a special web-site and posting the results on various list-servers. The results will also be presented at a number of important national, regional and global events, inter alia, through panel discussions and roundtables. The outreach strategy included further national, regional and global dialogue processes amongst major stakeholder groups in order to trigger policies, measures and other actions to follow-up the results of the project.

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