MEDIA RELEASE
U.N. FORUM ON FORESTS - MAJOR GROUPS
Major Groups Call on Governments for Urgent Action
New York, April 23 – Major Groups took the lead on a multi-stakeholder
dialogue at the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF) 7th Session being
held in New York and called on Governments to undertake immediate action on
behalf of civil society. They told the UNFF that the status quo is
unacceptable and expressed alarm at the unprecedented rate of forest
disappearance which is having tremendous impacts on people and the
environment. They said that it is time to move the dialogue to action and
called for a member country to host a Major Group-led initiative in 2008
that would allow more substantial discussion on Major Groups’ engagement in
the multi-year programme of work (MYPOW). Nations are convened at the UN
Headquarters to discuss a non-legally binding instrument (NLBI) on all types
of forests and the MYPOW for the period 2007-2015.
Breaking with tradition, the Major Groups worked in partnership with the
Forum’s chairman to encourage a better dialogue. Hans Hoogeven, UNFF
Chairman, and Lorraine Rekmans, Indigenous Peoples’ Major Group, jointly
facilitated the discussion. Rekmans noted that Major Groups, as
representatives of civil society, are participating in the UNFF, are
contributing time and resources, and want definitive and immediate action.
While the Major Groups were poised as partners, the NLBI has been mostly
silent on their involvement, Rekmans said. By contrast, certain parts of
that text referred specifically to partnerships. If that partnership were to
be looked upon as a marriage, then the major groups were indeed the
neglected wife but that they intended to reconcile the relationship in a
positive way. Major Groups were calling for innovative approaches to enhance
stakeholder engagement in policy deliberations and in implementation of
sustainable forest management (SFM) at all levels.
Representatives of the following Major Groups addressed today’s meeting:
Indigenous Peoples, Business and Industry, Non-Governmental Organizations,
Farmers and Small Forest Landowners, Science and Technology, Children and
Youth, and Women. The dialogue focused on three major themes: participation
by Indigenous Peoples and local communities, private sector investment in
SFM, and Major Group involvement in the implementation of the multi-year
programme of work.
The Indigenous Peoples Major Group noted that many indigenous groups had a
distinct legal status within their Member States which made it difficult for
them to work legally when some States refused to recognize them. The
distinctiveness of indigenous people must be recognized in NLBI. Indigenous
peoples are intimately connected to the land—many of them are forest people
and their survival depends crucially on their knowledge of the natural
world.
The Business and Industry Major Group said companies stress the importance
of the Forum and the important role that the private sector could play in
funding and supporting sustainable forest management. Some countries are
supporting much of the science that has led to the development of
plantations and have major mutually beneficial international research
projects. Delegates were told to look at public-private sector development.
Some countries have gone a long way on certification, which has been very
important in supporting markets in both domestic and export forestry.
Business highlighted the need to stop illegal logging.
The Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) Major Group said that new
decision-making processes are needed; otherwise the same decision makers
would continue to make decide how new money will be spent. NGOs want
expanded involvement of the Major Groups. UNFF needs a different focus for
the different elements of the private sector. Greater application and
enforcement of existing laws must be directed at industry to help with SFM
and provide a level playing field for business. Action on illegal logging
has been woefully inadequate. NGOs will continue to work with industry and
focus on Forest Stewardship Council certification schemes that require civil
society and Major Group involvement. Governments should assist by mandating
some form of certification.
The Farmers and Small Landowners Major Group noted that, while some initial
incentives are important, in the long run, SFM would be able to take care of
itself without subsidies. Certification was a market-led initiative and
should remain so; however, some government involvement in certification
schemes is critical. Forest owners have also developed certification schemes
and there are also many examples of mutually supportive public-private
partnerships. In terms of the NLBI, partnerships often lack the recognition
and resources for effective implementation. It is crucial to have a
mechanism that allows for effective recognition of public-private
partnerships.
The Science and Technology Major Group said the portfolio approach recently
introduced in a paper by the World Bank is an interesting proposal. It
discusses the possibility of public-private partnership and new and
different obligations and responsibilities for both receiving and investing
partners. Forestry activities in developing countries generated much
enthusiasm in the 1960s as it was thought that private investment would
provide funds needed for expanding the forest sector in developing
countries. That great hope has vanished. The new private sector contracts
embedded in the portfolio approach need to be looked at critically to assess
its potentials and pitfalls. It is also necessary to see how science and
technology can come into play with the private sector providing its own
scientific and technological knowledge. Another issue was ensuring the
capacity of the people to build upon initiatives after private investment
disappears.
The Children and Youth Major Group emphasized the need for real commitment
to SFM. They said that the UNFF will be a success if both Governments and
society can look each other in the eyes and believe that global
implementation of SFM has started. A strong NLBI must demonstrate how global
objectives on forests could be reached and what resources are available to
that end. Major Groups must be involved in the instrument’s development,
implementation and evaluation.
The Women’s Major Group said transparency is essential when contracts are
being prepared between the private sector and local communities. Mechanisms
must be shaped to ensure an equitable distribution of resources, especially
when there are agreements with those who are unable to read, write or
negotiate in their own interests. They said the UNFF will be successful if
it finds ways to bring about community-level action and solutions. A
partnership for action towards expanded participation by Major Groups would
allow them to raise the concerns of women and other marginalized groups,
particularly about land tenure and other key topics, while providing
innovative ideas and experiences. A specific proposal was presented for
funding a pilot programme to demonstrate innovative ways to work
collaboratively together, thus demonstrating to Governments the value of
working with Major Groups.
For more information please contact the following;
Children and Youth
Ms. Johanna Gleißner and Mr. Pieter van Midwoud
International Forestry Students' Association
Tennenbacher Str. 4, D-79106 Freiburg, Germany
Tel: +49 761 203 3801 Fax: +49 761 203 3819
Email: pieter@vanmidwoud.nl /
hanna_gleissner@email.de
Mr. Pierre Andipatin, Global Youth Network
P.O. Box 5968, Durban 4000, KZN, South Africa
Tel: +27-31-577-1228 Fax: +27-31-577-5825
E-mail: pierre@youthlink.org
Susan Morre
International Forestry Students’ Association
College of Forestry International Programs
Oregon State University
109A Richardson Hall
Corvallis, Oregon 97333
Email: Susan.Morre@oregonstate.edu
Mr. Xavier Ndona Makusa, Initiatives-Jeunes
E-mail: Xavier_ndona@yahoo.fr
Forest Business and Industry
International Council of Forest Product Associations
Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC)
Suite 410–99 Bank Street, Ottawa, Ontario,
K1P 6B9 Canada
Tel: + 1 613 563-1441 Fax: +1 613 563-4720
Forest Workers and Trade Unions
Mr. Bob Ramsay
Building and Wood Workers' International
Global Wood and Forestry Programme
54, route des Acacias; CH-1227
Carouge Geneva, Switzerland
Tel: +41 22 8273776 Fax: +41 22 8273770
E-mail: bob.ramsay@bwint.org
Mr. Paul Opanga, Project Coordinator
Building and Wood Workers' International
PO Bxo 40658, Nairobi, Kenya
Tel/Fax: +254-20-3751319
E-mail: paul.opanga@bwint.org
Indigenous Peoples
Mr. Hubertus Samangun, International Alliance of
Indigenous and Tribal Peoples of the Tropics
Jalan Setia Kawan Raya No. 39 – 41, Jakarta Pusat 10140
Tel: +62 21 632 7559 Fax: + 62 21 632 6425
Email: hsamangun@yahoo.com
Non-Governmental Organizations
Dr. Andrei Laletin, Friends of Siberian Forests
PO Box 26779 Krasnoyarsk-36, 660036 Russia
Tel: (7) 3912 498404 Fax: (7) 3912 498404
Email: latelin3@yahoo.ca
Non-Governmental Organizations (continued)
Mr. Cliff Wallis
Friends of the Oldman River
615 Deercroft Way SE
Calgary, AB T2J5V4 CANADA
Tel: 1 403 2711408
Email: deercroft@shaw.ca
Private Forest Landowners
Ms. Birte Schmetjen
Confédération Européenne des
Propriétaires Forestiers (CEPF)
Rue du Luxembourg 66 1000 Bruxelles
Tel: +32 2 2190231 Fax: +32 2 2192191
E-mail: birte.schmetjen@cepf-eu.org
Ms. Marike Michel, Global Alliance for Community
Forestry
De Pizza Hut, los Colegios, 50mts Sur y 50 Noreste,
Moravia, Costa Rica
Tel: +52 55 55 50 61 87
Email: foresteriacom@acicafoc.org
Scientific and Technological Community
Dr. Atse M. Yapi, IUFRO-SPDC and FORNESSA
c/o FAO Regional Office for Africa
Box 1628 Accra, Ghana
Tel: +233 21 675 000 ext.3195 Fax: +233 21 668 427
Email: atse.yapi@fao.org
Mr. Sim Heok-Choh, Asia Pacific Association of Forestry
Research Institutions, c/o Forest Research Institute
Malaysia,
Kepong, 52109 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Fax: +60 3 6277 3249
Email: simhc@frim.gov.my
Women
Ms. Jeannette D. Gurung, PhD, Director
Women Organizing for Change in Agriculture and Natural
Resource Management
26 Beckett Way, Ithaca, NY 14850, United States
Tel/ Fax: +1 607 319 0347
Email: jeannettegurung@wocan.org
Ms. Alice Akinyi Kaudia, PhD, IUCN- The World
Conservation Union
P. O. Box 68200-00200 Nairobi, Kenya
Tel: +254 (20) 890605 -12 Fax: +254 (20) 890615
Email: Alice.Kaudia@iucn.org
Ms. Kanchan Lama, Director
Society for Partners in Development
GPO Box 8975 EPC 5181, Kathmandu, Nepal
Tel: +977 1 552 1501
Email: klama@enet.com.np