EU Presidency Statement - UN Forum on Forests

Summary: June 12, 2001: The First Session of the United Nations Forum on Forests. Agenda Item 4. Statement by Ambassador Karl-Erik Norrman, Head of Delegation of Sweden on behalf of the European Union (New York)

Mr Chairman, excellencies and honourable delegates,

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union. The Central and Eastern European countries associated with the European Union; Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, and the associated countries Cyprus, Malta and Turkey align themselves with this statement.

First of all I would like to thank the Secretariat and the Bureau for the efforts they have undertaken to provide us with the Note from the UNFF Secretariat "Initiation of of the UNFF's work with the Collaborative Partnership on Forests".

The Collaborative Partnership on Forests (CPF) is a vital part of the new international arrangement on forests. The EU wants to stress the two main tasks of the CPF that are underlined in the ECOSOC resolution; to support the UNFF and contribute to its MYPOW and to enhance cooperation among its organisations. The CPF should collaborate in an open, transparent and flexible manner, based on a lead-agency approach with cooperation both among CPF members and between the CPF and other partners.

It is also vital that the CPF supports the work of the UNFF in the promotion of the management, conservation and sustainable development of all types of forests and in the strengthening of political commitment to this end.

The EU welcomes the fact that the Secretariats of UNFCCC and UNCCD are in the process of joining the CPF and that GEF has already taken this important step. With regard to the membership of the CPF, the EU supports a limited expansion to about a dozen members. Based on the successful experience gained from the ITFF, future potential members should have the capacity to contribute through their programmes and substantive resources to facilitate implementation of the IPF/IFF Proposals for Action.

The EU also welcomes the CPF policy document. However, the EU asks the CPF to reconsider its mission statement, so that it better reflects the need to make enhanced cooperation and coordination among international organisations, institutions and instruments one of CPF's main priorities.

The EU also supports the establishment of a CPF Network that aims at facilitating cooperation, interface and communication with a wide range of other partners. The CPF Network will be open for participation of interested international and regional organisations, institutions and instruments, including NGOs, private sector entities and other major groups. The CPF Network participants could include for example the appropriate United Nations agencies; regional processes (such as the Ministerial Conference on the Protection of Forests in Europe); World Trade Organization (WTO); international, regional and development banks etc. However, it is not appropriate for those with full participant status in the UNFF, as is the case with the European Community, to be part of the CPF Network. That said, as a major donor the Community looks forward to working with CPF.

We wish to support the statements yesterday by a number of speakers including the Chair of the G-77 regarding consistent messages in the Governing Bodies in CPF organisations. Through their representatives in the Governing Bodies, UNFF members can influence the work of the CPF. In order to do so in a way that reflects the priorities set by the UNFF, Member States of the UNFF would need to provide consistent messages in the Governing Bodies in the CPF organisations.

At each UNFF session, governments and CPF member organisations will have an opportunity to interact directly. The CPF's report on its activities to the UNFF will allow governments to seek information on the activities of the CPF members as well as to provide feedback and guidance on future activities of the CPF. The CPF's report also provides an opportunity for CPF to inform all stakeholders on the state and trends in the world's forests and other forest related issues. It also gives possibilities to identifying emerging issues; informing the UNFF on new findings and results of in-depth analyses; pointing out obstacles in the implementation; and proposing solutions.

The EU shares the Secretariats view that the high-level ministerial segments provides a very important tool for the interaction between the UNFF and the CPF, by facilitating dialogue between ministers and heads of the CPF organisations. Active participation of this kind at the most senior level offers a unique opportunity to further strengthen political commitment and give guidance to the work of the CPF.

At the policy level, referring to paragraph 19 in the Note of the Secretariat, the EU is of the opinion that CPF, under the guidance of the UNFF should undertake joint programming that is consistent with policies, strategies and activities promoted by the UNFF. The CPF should also continue to have regular contacts with NGOs, private sector entities and other major groups.

At the operational level and in the spirit of paragraph 19 in the same Note, it is important that the CPF, under the guidance of the UNFF, should:

Provide expertise and advice to the UNFF related to specific functions and themes of MYPOW, including the Plan of Action; to make, either collectively or by its individual members, inputs and contribution towards the Multi-Year Programme of Work.
Apply the important principle of two-way interaction: guidance by UNFF to CPF, but also input by CPF to UNFF;
Take the responsibility for specific elements of MYPOW as lead agencies;
Assist, by individual member organisations, countries at the national level with the assessment and implementation of IPF/IFF proposals for action through e.g. the National Forest Programme Facility and PROFOR;
Participate in, co-sponsor and organise ad hoc experts groups and international expert meetings in support of the UNFF;
Engage/involve other collaborators to implement specific actions.

Mr Chairman, to facilitate the further deliberation, I will follow the order in the Note of the Secretariat, paragraph 21, which will help the UNFF in drafting a decision on the specific tasks of the CPF.

The EU agrees that the CPF should continue to implement those IPF/IFF proposals for action that were specifically targeted to the CPF member organisations. In addition, the EU urges CPF members to assist and actively participate at the regional and global levels. This could include support for other relevant organisations, regional processes, initiatives, NGOs, Indigenous Peoples Organisations and private sector entities. These organisations could also contribute to specific activities of the CPF, including certain projects, programmes, expert meetings and consultations.

Furthermore, the EU agrees that the CPF should assist countries in implementation of the IPF/IFF Proposals for Action. The CPF members have emphasized the importance of nfps in the national implementation of IPF/IFF Proposals for Action. The EU supports the fact that the CPF has agreed to develop and put in place concrete and coordinated approaches to facilitate national implementation of IPF/IFF Proposals for Action, as a major contribution to the UNFF Plan of Action.

It is also important that the CPF members provide specific tools and information to facilitate the implementation of IPF/IFF proposals for action, at the request of the UNFF.

We agree that the CPF should assist the UNFF in the monitoring, assessment and reporting on progress related to the UNFF's objectives, in particular by undertaking the works set out in paragraph 21 (iv) of the Note of the Secretariat. The EU sees the CPF as having a key role in assisting the proposed ad hoc working group on monitoring and reporting. The CPF will also need to develop its own success criteria in a transparent and participatory way.

The CPF should provide expertise and advisory services to the UNFF. The EU takes notes of and welcomes the willingness of the members of the CPF to contribute to the implementation of the UNFF Plan of Action, as well as to monitor progress. The CPF members should continue to mobilize technical and financial resources and catalyse supporting activities.

Mr Chairman, the EU hopes that its ideas and proposals have been positive and constructive and looks forward to pursuing the matters in dialogue with our partners and under your able leadership.

Ref: PRES01-087EN
EU source: EU Presidency
UN forum: Second Committee (Economic and Financial Affairs, Environment)
Date: 12/6/2001

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