Report of the Ad Hoc Intergovernmental Panel on Forests on its fourth session
New York, 11-21 February 1997

- This document has been posted online by the United Nations Department for Policy Coordination and Sustainable Development (DPCSD). Reproduction and dissemination of the document - in electronic and/or printed format - is
encouraged, provided acknowledgement is made of the role of the United Nations in making it available.

- For more information on the IPF process you can access the
IPF web page: http://www.un.org/esa/sustdev/ipf.htm

CONTENTS:

INTRODUCTION

I. IMPLEMENTATION OF FOREST-RELATED DECISIONS OF THE UNITED NATIONS CONFERENCE ON ENVIRONMENT AND DEVELOPMENT AT THE NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL LEVELS, INCLUDING AN EXAMINATION OF SECTORAL AND CROSS-SECTORAL LINKAGES

A. Progress through national forest and land-use programmes

B. Underlying causes of deforestation and forest degradation

C. Traditional forest-related knowledge

D. Fragile ecosystems affected by desertification and drought

E. Impact of airborne pollution on forests

F. Needs and requirements of developing and other countries with low forest cover 

II. INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION IN FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE AND TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER

A. Financial assistance

B. Technology transfer and capacity-building and information

III. SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH, FOREST ASSESSMENT AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF CRITERIA AND INDICATORS FOR SUSTAINABLE FOREST MANAGEMENT

A. Assessment of the multiple benefits of all types of forests

B. Forest research

C. Methodologies for the proper valuation of the multiple benefits of forests

D. Criteria and indicators for sustainable forest management

IV. TRADE AND ENVIRONMENT IN RELATION TO FOREST PRODUCTS AND SERVICES

V. INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS AND MULTILATERAL INSTITUTIONS AND INSTRUMENTS, INCLUDING APPROPRIATE LEGAL MECHANISMS

VI. ADOPTION OF THE REPORT OF THE PANEL ON ITS FOURTH SESSION

VII. ORGANIZATIONAL AND OTHER MATTERS

A. Opening and duration of the session
B. Election of officers
C. Agenda and organization of work
D. Attendance
E. Documentation

INTRODUCTION

1. At its substantive session of 1995, the Economic and Social Council, upon the recommendation of the Commission on Sustainable Development, approved the establishment of an open-ended Ad-Hoc Intergovernmental Panel on Forests.

2. The Panel was mandated to pursue a consensus and formulate options for further actions in order to combat deforestation, and forest degradation and to promote the management, conservation and sustainable development of all types of forests. The Panel was requested to promote multidisciplinary action at the international level consistent with the Non-legally Binding Authoritative Statement of Principles for a Global Consensus on the Management, Conservation and Sustainable Development of All Types of Forests 1/ (Forest Principles), taking into account the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development 2/ and Agenda 21. 3/

3. The Commission on Sustainable Development recognizes the sovereignty of countries over their natural resources, as defined in Principle 1 (a) of the Forest Principles. The Commission also recognizes that the right to development must be fulfilled so as to equitably meet the developmental and environmental needs of present and future generations.

4. In pursuing consensus and the formulation of coordinated proposals for action, the Panel was mandated to consider the following main interrelated categories of issues:

(a) Programme element I: Implementation of United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) decisions related to forests at the national and international levels, including an examination of sectoral and cross-sectoral linkages;

(b) Programme element II: International cooperation in financial assistance and technology transfer;

(c) Programme element III: Scientific research, forest assessment, and development of criteria and indicators for sustainable forest management;

(d) Programme element IV: Trade and environment in relation to forest products and services;

(e) Programme element V: International organizations and multilateral institutions, and instruments, including appropriate legal mechanisms.

5. It was evident at the outset that the Panel would not be able to deal with all the complex issues before it in four sessions, lasting a total of seven working weeks. Consequently, a number of Governments undertook to convene special meetings and workshops on various aspects of forest management, conservation and sustainable development; a list of those activities is contained in annex II. The Panel wishes to record its appreciation of that assistance.

6. While the conclusions contained in the present report reflect the overall thrust of the discussion under various programme elements, only the proposals for action were agreed as a result of negotiations.

7. In submitting the present report, which contains a number of conclusions and proposals for action on the above-mentioned programme elements (sections I-V below), the Panel, recalling its mandate, wishes to:

(a) Reiterate the validity of the Forest Principles;

(b) Recognize that the Forest Principles and the forest-related and other relevant chapters of Agenda 21 have formed the foundation for its work;

(c) Recognize the progress that has been made since UNCED, including the results of several regional, international and country-led initiatives, which have contributed significantly to international dialogue on forests, national reports and better understanding of sustainable forest management;

(d) Emphasize that its proposals for action are meant to complement, supplement and elaborate upon the above-mentioned instruments with a view to facilitating their implementation;

(e) Stress that, to that end, its conclusions and proposals for action should not detract from the decisions and commitments made at UNCED;

(f) Recognize that there is a need as well as a potential for improving the effectiveness of existing national and international cooperation on forests by implementing its proposals for action;

(g) Stress the need, in implementing its proposals for action, to provide for effective partnership between and collaboration among all international parties and major groups, and in that context wishes to emphasize the crucial role of women.

I. Implementation Of Forest-Related Decisions Of The United Nations Conference On Environment And Development At The National And International Levels, Including An Examination Of Sectoral And Cross-Sectoral Linkages

A. Progress through national forest and land-use programmes

Conclusions

8. The Panel recognized the importance of comprehensive forest policy
frameworks or "national forest programmes" for the achievement of
sustainable forest management. It agreed that the term "national
forest programme" is a generic term for a wide range of approaches to
sustainable forest management within different countries, to be
applied at national and subnational levels based on the basic
principles outlined below. It emphasized that national forest
programmes demand a broad intersectoral approach at all stages,
including the formulation of policies, strategies and plans of action,
as well as their implementation, monitoring and evaluation. National
forest programmes should be implemented in the context of each
country's socio-economic, cultural, political and environmental
situation, and should be integrated into wider programmes for
sustainable land use, in accordance with chapters 10 to 15 of Agenda
21. The activities of other sectors, such as agriculture, energy and
industrial development, should be taken into account.

9. The Panel emphasized a number of specific elements that need to be
considered during the development and implementation of national
forest programmes, in particular the need for appropriate
participatory mechanisms to involve all interested parties;
decentralization, where applicable, and empowerment of regional and
local government structures; consistent with the constitutional and
legal frameworks of each country, recognition and respect for
customary and traditional rights of, inter alia, indigenous people,
local communities, forest dwellers and forest owners; secure land
tenure arrangements; and the establishment of effective coordination
mechanisms and conflict-resolution schemes.

10. Regardless of the approach adopted by individual countries,
national forest programmes, as long-term iterative processes, should
recognize the following as key elements: national sovereignty and
country leadership; consistency with national policies and
international commitments; integration with the country's sustainable
development strategies; partnership and participation; and holistic
and intersectoral approaches. The Panel acknowledged the usefulness
of testing and demonstrating the concept of national forest programmes
on an operational scale.

11. The Panel recognized the need for national forest programmes to be
based on a sound economic valuation of forest resources, including
environmental services and non-timber products. It noted that
national forest programmes can provide an effective link between
strategic and operational planning. They should be specifically
designed to increase effectiveness and efficiency at the country level
with a view to attracting increased domestic and external resources.

12. The Panel also recognized the need for an external economic and
commercial environment that is supportive of national forest
programmes. Their implementation will be affected by market forces,
including international trade. They need to be supported by a market
context that enhances the economic values of forest resources and a
price mechanism that promotes an adequate and remunerative return for
the sustainable use of forest resources.

13. The Panel stressed that funding, in particular the provision of
external resources, including private foreign investment and official
development assistance (ODA), is greatly facilitated by a clear
commitment on the part of recipient Governments to the implementation
of national policies and programmes that promote sustainable forest
management in the forest and related sectors. More efficient
investment policies are needed for the successful implementation of
national forest programmes.

14. Because of the intersectoral nature of national forest programmes,
the Panel stressed the need for national authorities to look into the
institutional capacity of forest-related sectors to ensure the
successful implementation of such programmes. It emphasized the
importance of assessing and - where necessary - enhancing national
capabilities at all levels to develop, implement, monitor and evaluate
sustainable forest management.

15. The Panel acknowledged that coordination among all interested
parties at the national and international levels is crucial for
sustainable forest management. The Panel noted and welcomed further
input from the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on
Biological Diversity with respect to forest biological diversity.

16. Finally, the Panel noted the importance of improving regional and
international cooperation for the exchange of information, technology
and know-how by establishing appropriate networks to support national
programmes for sustainable forest management.

Proposals for action

17. The Panel:

(a) Encouraged countries, in accordance with their national
sovereignty, specific country conditions and national legislation, to
develop, implement, monitor and evaluate national forest programmes,
which include a wide range of approaches for sustainable forest
management, taking into consideration the following: consistency with
national, subnational or local policies and strategies, and - as
appropriate - international agreements; partnership and participatory
mechanisms to involve interested parties; recognition and respect for
customary and traditional rights of, inter alia, indigenous people and
local communities; secure land tenure arrangements; holistic,
intersectoral and iterative approaches; ecosystem approaches that
integrate the conservation of biological diversity and the sustainable
use of biological resources; and adequate provision and valuation of
forest goods and services;

(b) Called for improved cooperation in support of the management,
conservation and sustainable development of all types of forests, and
urged all countries to use national forest programmes, as appropriate,
as a basis for international cooperation in the forest sector;

(c) Stressed the need for international cooperation in the
adequate provision of ODA, as well as possible new and additional
funding from the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and other
appropriate innovative sources of finance for the effective
development, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of national
forest programmes;

(d) Encouraged countries to integrate suitable criteria and
indicators for sustainable forest management, as appropriate, into the
overall process of the formulation, implementation, monitoring and
evaluation of national forest programmes, on a step-by-step basis;

(e) Urged countries to develop, test and implement appropriate
participatory mechanisms for integrating timely and continuous
multidisciplinary research into all stages of the planning cycle;

(f) Encouraged countries to elaborate systems, including private
and community forest management systems, for planning, implementing,
monitoring and evaluating national forest programmes that identify and
involve, where appropriate, a broad participation of indigenous
people, forest dwellers, forest owners and local communities in
meaningful decision-making regarding the management of state forest
lands in their proximity, within the context of national laws and
legislation;

(g) Urged countries, particularly in developing countries and
countries with economies in transition, to include capacity-building
as an objective of national forest programmes, paying particular
attention to training, extension services and technology transfer and
financial assistance from developed countries, taking due account of
local traditional forest-related knowledge;

(h) Encouraged countries to establish sound national coordination
mechanisms or strategies among all interested parties, based on
consensus-building principles, to promote the implementation of
national forest programmes;

(i) Encouraged countries to further develop the concept and
practice of partnership, which could include partnership agreements,
in the implementation of national forest programmes, as one of the
potential approaches for improved coordination and cooperation between
all national and international partners.

B. Underlying causes of deforestation and forest degradation

Conclusions

18. The Panel noted the critical need to understand the underlying
causes of deforestation and forest degradation, which are often
country-specific. A focused approach is needed that concentrates on
reversing the most damaging processes and promoting the most effective
and beneficial measures. It is also important to recognize local
initiatives that could counter current trends in deforestation and
forest degradation, especially among indigenous and local communities.

19. Recognizing that poverty and demographic pressure are among the
root causes of deforestation and forest degradation, sustainable
development can play a key role in reducing pressure on forests and
replacing the processes leading to deforestation and forest
degradation. Each country, whether developing or developed, will have
its own particular set of circumstances and opportunities for action.
It is important to consider historical dimensions and to learn from
experience. Many of the factors causing deforestation or forest
degradation interact, and some are synergistic. Most causes are
social and economic in character. Although some courses of action,
such as unsustainable timber extraction, are linked to the forest
sector itself, inappropriate policy choices and approaches in other
sectors can also influence deforestation and forest degradation.

20. Production and consumption patterns, land tenure patterns, land
speculation and land markets have a major influence on the access to
and use of forest products goods and services, as well as on
deforestation. Other important factors in many regions include
illegal logging; illegal land occupation and illegal cultivation;
grazing pressures; unsustainable agriculture; the demand for fuelwood
and charcoal to meet basic energy needs; refugee-related problems;
mining and oil exploitation in forested countries not conducted in
accordance with appropriate national legislation; and natural climatic
events and forest fires.

21. The assessment of whether changes in forest cover are or are not
beneficial should be made against a background represented by national
policy frameworks for sustainable forest management and land-use
plans, and should enable countries to identify the quantity and
quality of forest required to provide the full range of benefits,
goods and services needed now and in the future. The increasing
pressure from demands for forest products and other forest goods and
services, as well as for land for other uses, suggests a priority need
to strengthen intersectoral decision-making affecting land use.
Increasingly effective institutions for resource management, land use,
research, education and extension will be an important part of
sustainable forest management.

22. There are rational justifications for many changes in forest
structure and cover. Different countries have different requirements,
which alter over time and affect both the area and the nature of their
forests. Both sustainably managed natural forests and forest
plantations, as components of integrated land-use that takes account
of environmental and socio-economic concerns, fulfil a valuable role
in meeting the need for forest products, goods and services, as well
as helping to conserve biological diversity and providing a reservoir
for carbon. The costs, benefits and disbenefits of different types of
forest management, including forest plantations, need to be appraised
under different social, cultural, economic and ecological conditions.
The role of forest plantations as an important element of sustainable
forest management and as a complement to natural forests should be
recognized.

23. The Panel recognized the importance of long-term changes in
consumption and production patterns in different parts of the world,
and their positive and negative effects on the sustainable management
of forests. The long-term outlook is for steadily rising demand for
forest products and other forest goods and services, and a declining
area of forest for their production. The implications of that outlook
should be reviewed in the context of the work being done by the
Commission on Sustainable Development and other relevant initiatives
concerned with the long-term supply of and demand for forest products
and other forest goods and services.

24. Among the various international underlying causes of deforestation
and forest degradation, discriminatory international trade and poorly
regulated investment, as well as long-range transboundary air
pollution, are important. Such factors as discriminatory
international trade practices, trade distorting practices, structural
adjustment programmes and external debt could indirectly influence
deforestation and forest degradation. Market distortions, subsidies
and relative prices, including those of agricultural commodities, as
well as undervaluation of wood and non-wood forest products, can have
a direct bearing on the management, conservation and sustainable
development of all types of forests.

25. In many countries, there is a need for further analysis of the
sequence of causes contributing to changes in the quantity and quality
of forests, focusing attention on the action that might be most
effective in halting damage and promoting beneficial change. Such
analysis would be facilitated by the use of a comprehensive diagnostic
framework, elements of which have been elaborated in the
Secretary-General's reports to the Panel. That diagnostic framework
would not only serve as a useful tool for countries to analyse
deforestation and forest degradation but could also, in adapted forms,
be useful for setting the objectives of national forest policies; for
introducing a historical perspective into the analysis of the causes;
for exploring the effects of policies in other sectors on
deforestation and forest degradation; for refining criteria and
indicators and methods of valuation in relation to national action
plans for international agreements and conventions and generally as a
powerful management tool for furthering the implementation of
sustainable forest.

26. The diagnostic framework should be employed in a constructive,
corrective and forward-looking manner. It would complement and
strengthen other existing planning exercises, and could also be used,
together with criteria and indicators, as a tool for the periodic
assessment of progress. As a management tool, it should be developed
voluntarily and should not be used as a basis for conditionality in
ODA. Its development, however, should not delay action, and it may
not be needed in countries where major direct or indirect causes have
been identified, well understood and documented, or where
deforestation is not viewed as a problem at the national level.

Proposals for action

27. The Panel urged countries, as relevant and appropriate, with the
support of international organizations and the participation of major
groups, where relevant:

(a) To prepare in-depth studies of the underlying causes at the
national and international levels of deforestation and forest
degradation;

(b) To analyse comprehensively the historical perspective of the
causes of deforestation and forest degradation in the world, and other
international underlying causes of deforestation and forest
degradation, including transboundary economic forces;

(c) To provide new factual information on the significance of
transboundary pollution.

28. The Panel urged countries:

(a) To assess long-term trends in their supply and demand for
wood, and to consider actions to promote the sustainability of their
wood supply and their means for meeting demand, with a special
emphasis on investment in sustainable forest management and the
strengthening of institutions for forest resource and forest
plantations management;

(b) To recognize and enhance the role of forest plantations as an
important element of sustainable forest management complementary to
natural forests;

(c) To support the convening, as soon as possible, of a global
workshop on the international underlying causes of deforestation and
forest degradation, and their relationship to national underlying
causes of deforestation and forest degradation.

29. The Panel also encouraged countries to undertake, as needed, the
following activities:

(a) To formulate and implement national strategies, through an
open and participatory process, for addressing the underlying causes
of deforestation, and, if appropriate, to define policy goals for
national forest cover as inputs to the implementation of national
forest programmes;

(b) To develop mechanisms, such as environmental impact
assessments, to improve policy formulation and coordination, through
an open and participatory process;

(c) To formulate policies aiming at securing land tenure for
local communities and indigenous people, including policies, as
appropriate, aimed at the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits
of forests.

30. The Panel also encouraged countries and international
organizations:

(a) To provide timely, reliable and accurate information on the
underlying causes of deforestation and forest degradation, where
needed, as well as on the multiple roles of forests, as a foundation
for public understanding and decision-making;

(b) To assist developing countries in promoting an integrated
approach towards the formulation and application of national policy
frameworks, and in conducting strategic analyses of relevant
political, legal and institutional policies that have contributed to
deforestation and forest degradation, as well as of policies that have
had a positive effect.

31. The Panel:

(a) Encouraged countries to undertake case studies using the
diagnostic framework described above in order to:

(i) Identify underlying causes of deforestation and forest
degradation;

(ii) Develop and test the usefulness of the framework as an
analytical tool in assessing options for utilization of
forest and forest lands;

(iii) Refine it, disseminate the results and apply it more widely
as appropriate;

(b) Urged developed countries, the United Nations Development
Programme (UNDP) and other multilateral and international
organizations, including regional development banks, to assist
developing countries and countries with economies in transition in
those activities;

(c) Invited interested parties to lend support, as appropriate,
to the preparation of the programme of work for forest biological
diversity of the Convention on Biological Diversity, with respect to
analysing measures for mitigating the underlying causes of
biodiversity loss, as stated in decision III/12 of the Conference of
the Parties to the Convention.

C. Traditional forest-related knowledge

Conclusions

32. Traditional forest-related knowledge (TFRK) constitutes an
important body of knowledge and experience relevant to many aspects of
the Panel's mandate. TFRK should be broadly defined to include not
only knowledge of forest resources but also knowledge of other issues
that are considered relevant by countries based on their individual
circumstances.

33. The Panel noted with concern that some communities with
sustainable lifestyles based on TFRK have been undermined by the
accelerated loss of forests resulting from the introduction of new
technological changes and economic pressures, in the absence of
adequate measures for conservation and sustainable management. It
agreed that indigenous people and other forest-dependent people
embodying traditional lifestyles should play a key role in developing
participatory approaches to forest and land management. Such
approaches should involve all relevant parties from both public and
private sectors, and should focus on community forest management;
land-use systems; research, training and extension; the formulation of
criteria and indicators; and conflict resolution.

34. TFRK can provide a strong basis for sustainable forest management,
and its potential to support actions should be reflected in national
forest programmes. The Panel, however, recognized that the
international and national communities are still in an early stage of
identifying ways and means for the effective protection and use of
TFRK, and of exploring the relationships between TFRK and sustainable
forest management. That complex cross-cutting relationship involves
natural and social sciences, culture, tradition and the environment.

35. The effective protection of TFRK requires the fair and equitable
sharing of benefits among all interested parties, including indigenous
people and other forest-dependent people embodying traditional
lifestyles, forest owners and local communities. Certain conditions
at the national level will need to be met if indigenous people and
other forest-dependent people embodying traditional lifestyles, forest
owners and local communities are to participate fully in agreements
and to offer their TFRK for the benefit of other interested parties.
Holders of TFRK will need to be represented by their own
representatives; to feel secure in their land tenure arrangements; to
be reassured that they have been accorded status equal to that of the
other members of the agreements; and to be convinced of a common
purpose compatible with their cultural and ecological values.

36. TFRK is useful in locating valuable new products, and gaining
access to them on fair and equitable terms can only benefit each
country in its efforts to achieve sustainable development.
Governments and others who wish to use TFRK should acknowledge,
however, that it cannot be taken from people, especially indigenous
people, forest owners, forest dwellers and local communities, without
their prior informed consent. Ways and means to secure the effective
protection of indigenous rights and the fair and equitable sharing of
benefits arising from the use of TFRK, which many countries consider
should incorporate appropriate payment to indigenous people and
relevant local communities based on their intellectual property
rights, should be identified in the context of international and
national legal systems, which may include recognition of customary law
and indigenous legal systems. International cooperation on TFRK and
rights related to it must be consistent with obligations under the
Convention on Biological Diversity and other relevant instruments.

37. The Panel noted the need to establish international mechanisms for
the exchange of information on national experiences and mechanisms,
including financial investment, so as to stimulate the application of
TFRK in sustainable forest management and the development of products
derived from it. Those matters are considered further in section II
below.

38. There are difficulties surrounding the acquisition, storage,
retrieval and dissemination of TFRK outside its place of origin,
arising from a lack of effective measures to protect and manage TFRK
and from the nature of TFRK, which is largely site-specific and
culture-specific and not amenable to being digitized, stored in
databases or accessed through clearing-house mechanisms. The Panel
recommended further exploration of the feasibility and modalities of
exchanges in that area.

39. The Panel recognized that the Convention on Biological Diversity
contains several provisions, including articles 8 (j) and 10 (c), that
are relevant to TFRK, which is a subset of the knowledge, innovations
and practices referred to in article 8 (j) of the Convention, while
the genetic resources of forest ecosystems are a subset of the genetic
resources referred to in article 15. It noted the statement annexed
to decision II/9 of the Conference of the Parties to that Convention,
and accepted that the conservation and sustainable use of
biodiversity, and the fair and equitable sharing of benefits derived
from research and development and from the commercial utilization of
biological resources fell, inter alia, within the purview of the
Convention. It also recognized the need to avoid duplication or
overlap with other relevant intergovernmental processes. Those
matters are considered further in section V below.

Proposals for action

40. Recognizing that indigenous people and forest-dependent people who
possess TRFK could play an important role in sustainable forest
management, the Panel:

(a) Taking into account the decisions arising from the 3rd
meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on
Biological Diversity, in particular decisions related to the
implementation of article 8 (j), invited Governments, international
agencies, research institutions, representatives of indigenous people
and forest-dependent people who possess TFRK, and non-governmental
organizations to promote activities aimed at advancing international
understanding on the role of TFRK in the management, conservation and
sustainable development of all types of forests to complement
activities undertaken by the Convention;

(b) Invited countries and relevant international organizations,
especially the Conference of the Parties to the Convention, to
collaborate with indigenous people and forest-dependent people who
possess TFRK to promote an internationally acceptable understanding of
TFRK, and to identify, respect, preserve and maintain TRFK, including
innovations and practices that are relevant for the conservation of
forest biological diversity and the sustainable use of forest
biological resources;

(c) Invited countries to explore further, at appropriate levels,
different options for the policy, institutional and legal frameworks
that are required to support the application of intellectual property
rights and/or other protection regimes for TFRK, the fair and
equitable sharing of its benefits, and the possible development of
formal agreements by which TFRK can be accessed;

(d) Urged countries, in implementing their forest programmes, to
take measures to rehabilitate and protect TFRK, taking into account
that an essential condition for the effective protection and
rehabilitation of TFRK is the integrity and cultural survival of
forest-dependent people;

(e) Called on countries, in the context of their national legal
systems, to promote and provide opportunities for the participation,
inter alia, of indigenous people, forest-dependent people who possess
TFRK and forest owners in the planning, development and implementation
of national forest policies and programmes, taking into account
principles 2 (d) and 5 (a) of the Forest Principles;

(f) Called on countries, with the full support of relevant
international organizations, to work with all interested parties to
bring together knowledge and experience of the approaches that work in
practice, including credit, rewards, the recognition of the fair and
equitable sharing of benefits, and, where appropriate, the preparation
of technical guidelines on TFRK application;

(g) Called on countries, with the assistance of international
organizations, where appropriate, to support national, regional and
international efforts that will enhance the capacity of indigenous
people, forest-dependent people who possess TFRK and appropriate
forest owners to participate, inter alia, in agreements that apply
TFRK for sustainable forest management, and to promote partnerships
among all interested parties;

(h) Encouraged countries to recognize and support traditional
resource use systems incorporating TFRK, including, where appropriate,
through the development of new instruments and mechanisms that enhance
the security of forest-dependent groups;

(i) Urged countries to work with communities and build on their
knowledge to establish stronger linkages between traditional and
emerging national sustainable forest management systems;

(j) Encouraged countries and relevant international organizations
to identify ways to inventory, store, catalogue and retrieve TFRK, and
to support its effective protection and application, including
developing local and indigenous capacity, and to examine opportunities
to apply TFRK related to the management of particular types of forests
to other similar forest ecosystems, doing so only with the free and
informed consent of the holders of TFRK. The Panel also encouraged
countries and international organizations to work out a methodological
framework of compatibility between TFRK and new technologies;

(k) Urged countries, with the support of international
organizations, to promote research on TFRK in regional and national
institutions, with the full involvement of the holders of that
knowledge, to maintain and enhance the capacity of such institutions,
and to advance the wider understanding and use of the knowledge
gained;

(l) Urged countries, national institutions and academic centres
to incorporate TFRK in forest management training as a way to
sensitize forest managers to the importance of respect for and
protection of TFRK; to the need to observe the principle of fair and
equitable sharing of benefits; and to the advantages of using it and
the disadvantages of ignoring it. They should also emphasize the
importance of recognizing TFRK in developing national criteria and
indicators for the sustainable management of forests within the
context of national forest programmes, and, where appropriate, in
forest management certification schemes;

(m) Invited countries, with the support of donors and
international organizations, to assist financially and otherwise
existing networks that are promoting the sharing of TFRK on mutually
agreed terms, as well as the sharing of technology and profits arising
from the use of such knowledge among concerned groups and
institutions, in collaboration with all involved parties, including
indigenous people and forest-dependent people who possess TFRK;

(n) Encouraged countries, in collaboration with indigenous people
and forest-dependent people who possess TFRK, to promote digital
mapping using geographic information systems and geographic position
systems, combined, where appropriate, with social mapping for
assisting with the establishment of forest holdings, assisting
planning and management partnerships; and to assist in the location
and storage of cultural and geographical information required to
support the management, protection and use of TFRK;

(o) Invited the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO),
together with the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development
(UNCTAD), taking into account decision III/14 of the Conference of the
Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, to undertake a
study aimed at advancing international understanding of the
relationship between intellectual property and TFRK, and to develop
ways and means to promote effective protection of TFRK, in particular
against illegal international trafficking, and also to promote the
fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from such knowledge;

(p) Encouraged countries to undertake additional pilot studies on
the relationship between intellectual property rights systems and
TFRK, at the national level, in accordance with a decision made at the
third meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention;

(q) Requested the Secretary-General, in collaboration with the
Convention, to produce a compilation of international instruments and
national legislation, including draft legislation, pertaining to the
protection and use of TFRK and the fair and equitable sharing of
benefits arising from such knowledge, and encouraged countries to
exchange information on national experiences in that field;

(r) Urged countries to consider developing mechanisms, subject to
national legislation, to ensure the fair and equitable sharing with
local and indigenous communities of benefits; including payments where
appropriate, arising from the use of traditional technologies
developed by them for sustainable forest management.

D. Fragile ecosystems affected by desertification and drought

Conclusions

41. Desertification and the effects of drought are widespread
phenomena, affecting forests and other wooded land in arid, semi-arid
and dry sub-humid regions. Such problems have global dimensions in
that they affect most regions of the world and require collective
action by the international community.

42. Forest-related action aimed at combating desertification and
mitigating the effects of drought should address the causes of those
phenomena in an integrated manner, and should consider the role of
poverty along with land use policies, food security, the provision of
fodder and fuelwood, the effects of non-sustainable production and
consumption patterns, the impact of trade and trade relations,
migration, refugees and many other economic, social and cultural
factors. The Panel noted that forest fires continue to have a
devastating impact on some forest ecosystems, in particular in
countries south of the Sahara and in countries with dry forests in
Mediterranean zones, although in other areas they may have positive
effects on the vitality and renewal of forest ecosystems.

43. The Panel noted that in some countries, forest cover had been or
was expanding as a result of community action backed by government
support. In many areas, plantations of fast-growing trees have had
good and cost-effective results in terms of soil protection. While
recognizing that forest land rehabilitation would be required in many
areas and that that would need international assistance, including
financial resources and technology transfer to support local and
national efforts, the Panel emphasized the need for prevention, rather
than mitigation and restoration, wherever practicable, with emphasis
on improved and sustainable management of existing natural forest and
other vegetation. The restoration of arid, semi-arid and dry
sub-humid zones should not focus narrowly on afforestation but should
also deal with broader aspects of forest ecosystem management,
including social and economic issues. The Panel identified the need
to strengthen research, including support to regional research
networks, related to the identification of appropriate species for
arid, semi-arid and dry sub-humid land restoration, the rehabilitation
of existing vegetation types, and the potential of non-timber forest
products. Education, training and extension systems can play an
important role.

44. The Panel emphasized the need for an integrated approach to

national forest and land-use programmes and national plans to combat
desertification. It urged countries to promote coordinated,
cross-sectoral action at the political and policy-making level to
improve legislation and to accelerate implementation within the
context of national sustainable development strategies. Recognizing
the merits of bottom-up approaches involving all major groups
concerned with the issues, along with top-down approaches, the Panel
emphasized the need for national action programmes to draw more
extensively on local and traditional knowledge and evaluate
traditional agro-sylvo-pastoral systems, in accordance with the
principles outlined in programme element I.3. Close collaboration was
needed between forest and agricultural institutions, and support
should be provided to farmers and herders. Protected areas need to be
established and supported, where appropriate, in fragile and
endangered ecosystems affected by drought and desertification, as part
of in situ conservation strategies. The approaches should be
supported by an enabling legislative and institutional framework that
secures rights and access to land. Countries in regions affected by
desertification and the effects of drought should propose initiatives
and priorities for action, working in accordance with article 5 of the
United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in Those Countries
Experiencing Serious Drought and/or Desertification, particularly in
Africa.

45. The Panel considered that the problems of fragile ecosystems
affected by desertification and drought must be addressed in close
relationship with existing international conventions, especially the
Convention on Biological Diversity, the United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change and above all the Convention to Combat
Desertification. It emphasized the need for donors, international
agencies and recipient countries to engage in adequate consultations
in order to develop efficient and coordinated programmes of
international cooperation that are consistent with those conventions,
the Forest Principles and Agenda 21. The work carried out under those
conventions and the work of the Panel should complement and enhance
one another.

Proposals for action

46. The Panel:

(a) Urged countries and international organizations to undertake
national and international action to address the complex issues
related to dryland forest ecosystems in countries affected by
desertification and drought, inter alia, by adopting an integrated
approach to the development and implementation of national forest
and/or dryland programmes and other forest and/or dryland policies,
and by coordinating action, where appropriate, at the regional level;

(b) Called on countries to continue to analyse past experiences
and to monitor trends in forests and related ecosystems affected by
desertification and drought, including biophysical, ecological,
economic, social, land tenure and institutional factors;

(c) Urged countries to establish protected areas to safeguard
forest and related ecosystems, their water supplies, and historical
and traditional uses in appropriate localities in areas affected by
drought, particularly in arid, semi-arid and dry sub-humid regions;

(d) Called on countries, donors and international organizations
to support education, training, extension systems and participatory
research involving indigenous and local communities embodying
traditional lifestyles in order to develop resource management
approaches that will reduce the pressure on forests in fragile
ecosystems affected by desertification and drought;

(e) Urged countries and international organizations to strengthen
and further develop partnerships and collaboration between local
communities, Governments, non-governmental organizations and other
major groups in order to promote the sustainable management and
regeneration of natural vegetation in ecosystems affected by
desertification and drought;

(f) Urged donors, international agencies and recipient
Governments to develop efficient and coordinated programmes of
international cooperation and action on forests and related ecosystems
affected by desertification and drought, within the context of the
Convention to Combat Desertification and the broader mandate of the
Panel, the Forest Principles and Agenda 21;

(g) Invited the Committee on Science and Technology of the
Conference of the Parties to the Convention to Combat Desertification
to support research on appropriate plant species for use in arid,
semi-arid and dry sub-humid land restoration; on rehabilitation of
existing vegetation; on related water management techniques; and on
the potential for multipurpose trees and the supply of timber and
non-timber forest products.

E. Impact of airborne pollution on forests

Conclusions

47. The Panel noted that airborne pollution is affecting forest health
in many parts of the world in addition to Europe. A preventative

approach is needed, taking account of economic factors including
production and consumption patterns. The Panel emphasized the
importance of the Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air
Pollution, and welcomed the widespread application of the critical
loads approach adopted under that Convention. It commended the
approach for consideration by countries whose forests are or may be
affected by air pollution. The potential impact on forest health from
inputs of nutrients and airborne pollutants, acting in combination
with other processes, such as natural weathering and leaching, should
be taken into account in forest planning and management.

48. The Panel emphasized the need to continue monitoring and
evaluating the impact of airborne pollution on forest health wherever
it has been demonstrated in the world, and the need for information on
how the countries concerned have addressed such problems. The Panel
also stressed the need for continuing action to reduce airborne
pollution, including the transfer and use of the best available as
well as future environmentally sound technologies on mutually agreed
terms. The problem has to be solved by action outside the forests.

49. The Panel stressed the need for international cooperation,
including information exchange; research and field data collection;
evaluation of the socioeconomic and environmental impact of airborne
pollution on forests; studies of ecosystem function where pollutant
deposition threatens sustainability; the development of methods for
assessing and monitoring national level criteria and indicators that
relate airborne pollution to sustainable forest management; the
dissemination of information to the public; the provision of access to
existing data by potential users, including managers and policy
makers; and technical assistance in order to help build capacity for
research.

Proposals for action

50. The Panel:

(a) Encouraged countries to adopt a preventative approach to the
reduction of damaging air pollution, which may include long-range
transboundary air pollution, in national strategies for sustainable
development;

(b) Encouraged countries to strengthen international cooperation
for building scientific knowledge, such as techniques for monitoring
and analysing airborne causes of deforestation and forest degradation,
and to cooperate in activities related to the impact of air-borne
pollution on forest health, including the provision of access to
existing data by potential users, including managers and policy makers
and the dissemination of information to the public;

(c) Recommended that existing regional programmes monitoring the
impact of airborne pollution on forest health in affected countries
should continue and be extended to other regions where necessary;

(d) Encouraged the development of methods for the assessment and
monitoring of national-level criteria and indicators for airborne
pollutants in the context of sustainable forest management;

(e) Recommended countries to consider entering into international
agreements, as appropriate, on the reduction of long-range
transboundary air pollution.

F. Needs and requirements of developing and other countries
with low forest cover

Conclusions

51. Many of the issues arising under the present subsection also arise
elsewhere in the present section and in section III below. The Panel
emphasized that actions under the present section need to be
coordinated with actions, inter alia, under the Convention on
Biological Diversity, the United Nations Framework Convention on
Climate Change, and the Convention to Combat Desertification.

52. The Panel recognized that there are both developed and developing
countries with low forest cover. Low forest cover can arise as a
result of natural ecological conditions, as well as of human
activities, and the situation is constantly changing. Some countries
are actively expanding their forest cover, while others are
approaching qualification for entry into the low forest cover
category.

53. The Panel felt that there was a need for more precise
identification of countries categorized as countries with low forest
cover. The definition of forest used by the Panel, based on the
global forest resources assessment of the Food and Agriculture
Organizations of the United Nations (FAO), is that it includes
vegetation with 20 per cent and 10 per cent minimum tree crown cover
for developed and developing countries, respectively. That definition
does not have a strong scientific foundation, nor does it allow for
comparability of data on a worldwide basis. Furthermore, there is no
consistent way of classifying countries by the extent of forest,
however defined, into those with low and those with high forest cover.

54. In some countries, economic development has been historically
associated with the significant loss of forests, leading to disturbing
consequences today in terms of land degradation and social, cultural

and economic hardship. The restricted area of forests in countries
with low forest cover results in reduced capacity for the production
of timber and for the provision of goods and services, including the
protection of watersheds, the supply of fuelwood, the maintenance of
biological diversity and endemic species, and recreation and amenity.
Moreover, many of the forest types in those countries are distinctive
or even rare, and require national protective measures and
international support, while the proportion included in nationally
designated protected areas is often below average.

55. The Panel recognized the seriousness of problems faced by both
developing and developed countries with low forest cover in satisfying
their needs for forest goods and services. It also recognized that,
owing to economic factors and circumstances, the impact of the problem
in developing countries is much more severe than in developed
countries. The needs of low-income and middle-income countries with
low forest cover are likely to differ from those of high-income
countries, and consequently, different sets of actions to address
those needs will apply.

56. The Panel noted that national forest programmes may provide a good
vehicle for addressing at least some of the needs and requirements of
countries with low forest cover. They can provide a framework for
analysing and considering alternative ways of satisfying diverse
demands for forest products and other goods and services within and
outside the forest sector. While additional information may be
necessary as a basis for national forest programmes in countries with
low forest cover, this should not prevent the preparation of interim
plans based on information already available.

57. The Panel emphasized the importance of international cooperation
to address the management, conservation and sustainable development of
forests in low-income countries with low forest cover, particularly
through financial assistance and the transfer of environmentally sound
technology, as well as through the establishment of appropriate
research and information networks. In that connection, the Panel
noted that the increasing focus of private investments in countries
with abundant forest resources has made forest ecosystems in
developing countries with low forest cover particularly vulnerable.
In those countries, ODA is and will continue to be the most important
source of funding. National forest programmes should be considered as
one of the main vehicles to channel and secure the effectiveness of
the required financial and technical assistance.

Proposals for action

58. The Panel:

(a) Called upon FAO, in consultation with relevant organizations
and countries, as appropriate, to develop a workable and precise
definition of low forest cover, applicable to all countries and
suitable for use in the forest resources assessment in the year 2000;

(b) Urged countries with low forest cover:

(i) To seek long-term security of forest goods and services
through the development of national forest programmes for
sustainable forest management, in accordance with the guiding
principles set out in subsection IA above, taking into
account the particular conditions of each country, defining
as far as possible in those programmes their national
requirements for a permanent forest estate, in those
countries that may have a need to define a permanent forest
estate as a policy goal;

(ii) To plan and manage forest plantations, where appropriate, to
enhance production and provision of goods and services,
paying due attention to relevant social, cultural, economic
and environmental considerations in the selection of species,
areas and silviculture systems, preferring native species,
where appropriate, and taking all practicable steps to avoid
replacing natural ecosystems of high ecological and cultural

values with forest plantations, particularly monocultures;

(iii) To promote the regeneration and restoration of degraded
forest areas, including by involving, inter alia, indigenous
people, local communities, forest dwellers and forest owners
in their protection and management;

(iv) To fully analyse and take into account the related social,
economic and environmental implications and costs and
benefits, when considering non-wood substitutes or imports of
forest products;

(v) To establish or expand networks of protected areas, buffer
zones and ecological corridors, where possible, in order to
conserve biodiversity, particularly in unique types of
forests, working in close liaison with the parties to the
Convention on Biological Diversity and other relevant
international environmental agreements;

(vi) In particular developing countries and countries with
economies in transition, to embark on capacity-building
programmes at national, subnational and local levels,
including especially existing national institutions, to
promote effective participation in decision-making with
respect to forests throughout the planning, implementation,
monitoring and evaluation processes, and taking full
advantage of the wealth of traditional knowledge available in
the country;

(vii) To develop adequate research and information systems based on
reliable evaluations and periodic assessments, including the
use of national-level criteria and indicators and
establishing sectoral and cross-sectoral mechanisms for
information exchange, in order to allow for timely decisions
related to national forest policies and programmes;

(c) Urged developed countries with low forest cover that are
nevertheless endowed with suitable land and climate conditions to take

positive and transparent action towards reforestation, afforestation
and forest conservation, while urging other developed countries, where
appropriate, notably those with low forest cover but with limited land
and unsuitable climatic conditions, to assist developing countries and
countries with economies in transition, in particular countries with
low forest cover, to expand their forest cover, taking into account
principle 8 (a) of the Forest Principles, through the provision of
financial resources and transfer of appropriate technology, as well as
through the exchange of information and access to technical know-how
and knowledge;

(d) Urged countries and international organizations to improve
the efficiency of and procedures for international cooperation to
support the management, conservation and sustainable development of
all types of forests in developing countries and countries with
economies in transition with low forest cover;

(e) Urged donor countries and multilateral and international
organizations to facilitate and assist developing countries and
countries with economies in transition with low forest cover, where
required, in building capacity for data gathering and analysis so as
to enable them to monitor their forest resources.

next page / back to UC Process