EU Presidency Statement - UN Forum on Forests

Summary: March 5, 2002: Statement by the Presidency on Behalf of the European Union on the preparations for the HLMS at the 2nd Session of the UN Forum on Forests (4-15 March, 2002) (New York)

Mr. Chairman:

1. The European Union welcomes the information paper entitled "Possible Elements for a Ministerial Message from UNFF2 to WSSD, and thanks the Secretariat for the efforts made to prepare a draft so early in our work.

2. However, we consider it essential that a Ministerial Statement should be political in nature and should contain concrete commitments. We do not find the current text sufficiently ambitious nor do we think that it has a broad enough scope. It seems to be directed only at Johannesburg while we think Ministers will want to draw attention to the UNFF process itself and to both WSSD and the forthcoming COP6 of the CBD. Indeed we would want the text to take the form of a Ministerial Declaration.

3. We think this declaration should highlight the linkages between forests and their sustainable management on the one hand, and sustainable development including water, energy and poverty eradication on the other.

4. We would expect to see the following points covered in the Declaration.

Recognition of the importance of the UNFF process as such and Ministerial guidance designed to reinforce the process.
Encouragement of coordination, cooperation and synergies between the different global, international and regional forest- related instruments.
Support for the integration of forests into other sectors such as land use, infrastructure programmes and natural resources policies.
Concern at the continuing alarming rate of worldwide deforestation and forest degradation.
An emphasis on the urgency of applying on the ground the progress made since Rio of our understanding of the causes and consequences of forest destruction. Implementation of the IPF/IFF proposals for action at the national level and provide the UNFF with the relevant information about it.

4. The Declaration should adopt specific criteria for reviewing the effectiveness of the international arrangement on forests since it is essential that the review of the UNFF should be based on political agreement.

5. The European Union would like the Declaration to include reponses to the questions included in the interesting Secretariat briefing notes on critical issues included of February 19th .

6. In the view of the EU the Declaration should make specific commitments on those issues we highlighted in our our opening statement, namely:

Ministerial commitment to national implementation of the IPF/IFF proposals for action thus promoting sustainable forest management, including cross?sectoral coherence in the framework of national forest programmes;
Commitment to UNFF's role, mandate and functions, as outlined in the ECOSOC Resolution, and to making UNFF a success in accordance with the criteria to be adopted at this session
Endorsement of the UNFF "Plan of Action" (PoA) adopted at the first session of UNFF and welcome the "Multi-Year Programme of Work" (MYPOW), and jointly with high level representatives of CPF members endorse also the "UNFF decision on the initiation of the work with the CPF";
Facilitating the necessary human, technical and financial resources nationally and by international cooperation considering the results of the future Financing for Development conference and the role played by ODA in support of nfps including national financing strategies and capacity building.

7. The message to the WSSD, should emphasize the multipurpose role of forests and their significance in sustainable development and poverty eradication. This message should urge the WSSD to explore solutions to the current problems such as illegal logging and to position forest-related issues in both international and national agendas, issues closely linked to the sustainable economic, ecological, social and cultural development. The message also needs to stress that synergies between forest related international fora and organisations should be strengthened;

8. The message to the 6th Conference of the Parties of the Convention on Biological Diversity, should welcome the preparation of a revised, action oriented CBD work programme on forest biological diversity for adoption at COP 6, which would inter alia help in implementing the IPF/IFF Proposals for Actions relevant to forest biological diversity;

9. Ministers should also encourage effective cooperation and coordination between the CBD and UNFF, through the secretariats identifying areas of mutual interest contained in their respective work programmes, and collaborating on work in these areas taking into account the outcome of the Accra Workshop;

10. Ministers should highlight the need for cross-sectoral cooperation and coherence among CPF members, regional processes and governments regarding policies and practices affecting forests, both at national and international level.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Ref: PRES02-022EN
EU source: EU Presidency
UN forum: ECOSOC (Economic and Social Council), (including functional Commissions)
Date: 5/3/2002

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