The Panel 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;
The Panel 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;
The Panel 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;
The Panel 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;
The Panel urged countries to develop, test and implement appropriate participatory mechanisms for integrating timely and continuous multidisciplinary research into all stages of the planning cycle;
The Panel 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;
The Panel 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;
The Panel 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;
The Panel 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.
The Panel urged countries, as relevant and appropriate, with the support of international organizations and the participation of major groups, where relevant, to prepare in-depth studies of the underlying causes at the national and international levels of deforestation and forest degradation;
The Panel urged countries, as relevant and appropriate, with the support of international organizations and the participation of major groups, where relevant, 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;
The Panel urged countries, as relevant and appropriate, with the support of international organizations and the participation of major groups, where relevant, to provide new factual information on the significance of transboundary pollution.
The Panel urged countries 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;
The Panel urged countries to recognize and enhance the role of forest plantations as an important element of sustainable forest management complementary to natural forests;
The Panel urged countries 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.
The Panel also encouraged countries to undertake, as needed, 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;
The Panel also encouraged countries to undertake, as needed, to develop mechanisms, such as environmental impact assessments, to improve policy formulation and coordination, through an open and participatory process;
The Panel also encouraged countries to undertake, as needed, 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.
The Panel also encouraged countries and international organizations 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;
The Panel also encouraged countries and international organizations 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.
The Panel 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;
The Panel 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;
The Panel 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.
Recognizing that indigenous people and forest-dependent people who possess TRFK could play an important role in sustainable forest management, the Panel:
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;
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;
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;
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;
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;
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;
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;
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;
Urged countries to work with communities and build on their knowledge to establish stronger linkages between traditional and emerging national sustainable forest management systems;
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;
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;
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;
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;
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;
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;
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;
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;
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.
The Panel 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;
The Panel 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;
The Panel 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;
The Panel 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;
The Panel 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;
The Panel 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;
The Panel 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.
The Panel 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;
The Panel 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;
The Panel 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;
The Panel 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;
The Panel recommended countries to consider entering into international agreements, as appropriate, on the reduction of long-range transboundary air pollution.
The Panel 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;
The Panel urged countries with low forest cover:
The Panel urged countries with low forest cover 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;
The Panel urged countries with low forest cover 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;
The Panel urged countries with low forest cover 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;
The Panel urged countries with low forest cover 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;
The Panel urged countries with low forest cover 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;
The Panel urged countries with low forest cover, 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;
The Panel urged countries with low forest cover 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;
The Panel 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;
The Panel 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;
The Panel 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.
