Monitoring Forest Resources for SFM in the UNECE Region UNECE/FAO Team of Specialists (Work Area – FRA and C&I for SFM) Monitoring Forest Resources for SFM in the UNECE Region

ToS was established/ approved By Joint session of the Timber Committee (UNECE) and FAO European Forestry Commission, Geneva, 5-9 October 2004 (proposals from the Strategic Review of the UNECE/FAO Integrated Work Programme, and 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 region 2.2 Regional contribution to global FRA 2.3 Support to development of national systems 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, MCPFE, COST E43, et al).

ToS work frames … Duration: From 2005 to 2008 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…

(nearest: within the next 18 months after the ToS establishment) Expected major output (nearest: within the next 18 months after the ToS establishment) Outline (Enquiry) for Country Reporting on the pan-European Criteria and Indicators for Sustainable Forest 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

(details are to be reported later) 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)

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

ToS meeting is invited (cont.)… to suggest additional relevant issues to be addressed by the Team of Specialists (in general, and specifically); to discuss and provide an advice on the resource/ financial support of the ToS activities.

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

Thank You ! Questions, Comments ?…