monitoring forest resources for sfm in the unece region

The Inaugural Meeting of Team of SpecialistsPalais des Nations, Geneva, 25-27 April 2005

Monitoring Forest Resources for SFM in

the UNECE Region

UNECE/FAO Team of Specialists(Work Area – FRA and C&I for SFM)


ToS was established/ approvedByBy

Joint session of the Timber Committee (UNECE) and FAO European Forestry Commission, Geneva, 5-9 October 2004

(proposals from the Strategic Review of the (proposals from the Strategic Review of the UNECE/FAO Integrated Work Programme, and UNECE/FAO Integrated Work Programme, and recommendations of the Joint Bureaux)recommendations of the Joint Bureaux)


Guiding Principles

«UNECE Guidelines for the establishment and functioning of Teams of Specialists»:

- adopted by Commission in June 2003- procedures are applied by UNECE/FAO- experience from previous work

(membership, methods of work, officers, secretariat, role of members, proforma mandate, etc) - see Guidelines …


TC & EFC Joint session 2004

- Joint session adopted Integrated Work Programme (ToS context):

2.1. Indicators of SFM in the region2.1. Indicators of SFM in the region2.2 Regional contribution to global FRA2.2 Regional contribution to global FRA2.3 Support to development of national 2.3 Support to development of national

systems for forest monitoringsystems for forest monitoring- Endorsed settinig up the ToS on FRA and C&I- Approved the Mandate of new ToS


Mandate / Objectives

To advise UNECE/FAO and FAO secretariats on implementation of activities in Work Area “Forest Resources Assessment and Indicators of Sustainable Forest Management in the Region”,

and more specifically:….


ToS Objectives

• To contribute to the coordination of reporting on C&I for SFM by MCPFE and Montreal process countries;• To support the regional contribution to the global FRA;• To support development of national systems of forest monitoring;• To contribute to the institutional cooperation on monitoring of forests (EU, (EU, MCPFE, MCPFE, COST E43COST E43, et al)., et al).


ToS work frames …

Methods of work: Annual meetings … Communication among ToS members between the annual meetings, communication with country focal points….

Experts – non ToS members are invited when when necessary/ appropriate…

Duration: From 2005 to 2008Duration: From 2005 to 2008


Expected major output

(nearest: within the next 18 months after the ToS establishment)

Outline (Enquiry) for Country Outline (Enquiry) for Country Reporting on the pan-Reporting on the pan-European Criteria and European Criteria and Indicators for Sustainable Indicators for Sustainable Forest ManagementForest Management


ToS parent bodies …

Reporting to: The Joint FAO/UNECE Working Party on Forest Economics and Statistics and annual Bureaux meetings

UNECE Timber Committee and FAO European Forestry Commission

Joint Bureaux


Working Party guidance(details are to be reported later)

Necessity to maintain strong regional FRA-related activities in the global context

Support to regional FRA ToS work

Financial support and capacity building – FRA 2005 workshops, ToS meetings, consultancies, etc…

(document TIM/EFC/WP.2/2005/9, pp. 4-6)(document TIM/EFC/WP.2/2005/9, pp. 4-6)


ToS management

- Leadership: The ToS Leader and his/her Deputy(ies) are to be elected during the first (inaugural) meeting of the Team …

- Membership: Officially nominated and individually invited experts

- Secretariat: UNECE/FAO staff member(s)


Current Agenda Focus

1st meeting, 25-27 April 2005, Geneva

• FRA- and C&I- related developments

• Preparation for reporting to MCPFE 2007/08

• Global FRA 2005 implementation

• Draft Enquiry for MCPFE reporting

• Montreal – MCPFE cooperation …

• Future role of the regional ToS


ToS Values and Merits

Communication Forum for specialists in the specific forestry-related area

Maintaining and development of the international (region-wide) expertise relating to FRA and C&I for SFM aspects

«Think Tank» contributiong to a number of regional and global initiatives, processes and projects (global FRA, MCPFE, MP, EU….)


ToS Values and Merits (cont) Cost-efficient tool (mechanism) for elaborating & checking new ideas

“Independence” from many “formalities” which might be “binding” activities within some other institutions and bodies

Allows to get ideas to be endorsed (approved) by the inter-governmental structures, bodies

“Window of opportunity” for participants …


ToS Values and Merits (cont) Opportunities /possibilities for international networking

Link between specialists and policy people (“reality check”)

Open discussions: that is not a sort of “tough-love diplomacy” manoeuvring …

Special feeling of being a part of an international TEAM


Participants are invited …

- discuss and comment on the New ToS settings;discuss and comment on the New ToS settings;- discuss and comment on its Agenda items ; discuss and comment on its Agenda items ; - to discuss the planning of the new Team of to discuss the planning of the new Team of Specialists activities, and come up with proposals Specialists activities, and come up with proposals for its future work in the global FRA and for its future work in the global FRA and MCPFE 2007/08 contexts;MCPFE 2007/08 contexts;- to provide proposals on the follow-up work to to provide proposals on the follow-up work to the recommendations of the former regional ToS the recommendations of the former regional ToS on Forest Resources Assessment;on Forest Resources Assessment;


ToS meeting is invited (cont.)…

- to suggest additional relevant issues to be to suggest additional relevant issues to be addressed by the Team of Specialists (in general, addressed by the Team of Specialists (in general, and specifically);and specifically);

- to discuss and provide an advice on the to discuss and provide an advice on the resource/ financial support of the ToS activities. resource/ financial support of the ToS activities.


ToS Web-page (to be developed): http://www.unece.org/trade/timber


Thank You !Thank You !

Questions, Comments ?…

monitoring forest resources for sfm in the unece region

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