Decentralization in the forest sector should not be implemented in isolation from a general national forestry strategy such as national forest programs.

A large number of countries have national forest programmes or equivalent processes that take account of relevant IPF IFF proposals.

In addition, considerable efforts are being made to improve natural forest management and recover forest loss through the Forestry Incentives Programme of the National Forestry Institute (INAB).

The proposals for action have effectively shaped the national forest programmes and their equivalents in many countries, and these national forest programmes have become national institutional frameworks for achieving sustainable forest management.

Implementation of national forest programmes.

One major group points out that national forest programmes are a constructive tool for translating relevant IPF IFF proposals to the national level.

However, they are likely to differ in forest rich and forest poor countries.

CPF members explain that they have facilitated national forest programmes in a number of important ways, including through the National Forest Programme Facility and the Programme on Forests (PROFOR).7

Inside the green line is national forest.

Reaffirming the special needs and requirements of countries with fragile forest ecosystems, including those of low forest cover countries,

Article 1 of the Covenant

(d) Making sustainable forest management a higher priority, inter alia, through integrating the National Forest Programme or other national forest strategies into national planning strategies, including poverty reduction strategies where they exist

In the rural areas of developing countries, forests and the forest industries may enhance employment and income generation.

Formulation and implementation of national forest programmes

Action by CPF members has included the National Forest Programme Facility, the work of PROFOR and capacity building.

15 30 17 30 Propositions for consideration by UNFF member countries Closing

Despite substantial progress in the formulation and implementation of national forest policies, deforestation and forest degradation continue at an alarming rate.

Most countries give details of their national forest programmes (or similar frameworks) and explain that the IPF IFF proposals were taken into account during their development.

To analyse the implications of decentralization in key aspects of forest management for the development of national forest programmes (nfps) and to identify strategies that would allow such programmes to effectively address this issue.

At the national level, important developments have included the formulation and implementation of national forest programmes and reforms in national legislation dealing with forests, land use and natural resources, as well as decentralization and the devolution of forest management to communities.

(c) Countries with arid and semi arid areas, forested areas and areas liable to forest decay

CPF members have also taken action to make the IPF IFF proposals more readily understandable in national and regional contexts.

Countries point out that a number of donor countries have supported national forest programme processes and other programmes that implement IPF IFF proposals through bilateral or multilateral cooperation.

The joint CPF initiative on streamlining forest related reporting aims to relieve the burden placed on countries by international bodies for forest related reports.

(d) Encourage cross sectoral coordination, nationally and internationally, between the forest sector and other sectors, so as to identify and reduce impacts on forests from decisions taken outside the forest sector

In many countries, forests and forest management have a low priority in economic, social and political agendas.

(d) Develop and establish positive incentives, in particular for developing countries as well as countries with economies in transition, to reduce the loss of forests, to promote reforestation, afforestation and rehabilitation of degraded forests, to implement sustainable forest management and to increase the area of protected forests

CPF members state that, increasingly, national forest programmes are seen as an effective tool for cross sectoral and participatory policy making and for translating international forest related commitments into practice.

undertake pilot projects to demonstrate the contribution of forests, for example, Model Forests and watershed management create an improved environment for increased private sector funding.

Some point out, however, that deforestation and forest degradation continue to occur and that an effective legally binding agreement will improve international governance of forests.

It could also be specified that the framework would build upon the Forest Principles , the provisions of chapter 11 of Agenda 21,4 the IPF IFF proposals for action and the work of the Forum and other relevant international, regional and national instruments or initiatives.

(d) Facilitating cross sectoral coordination nationally and internationally between the forest sector and other sectors in order to reduce negative impacts on forests of decisions made outside the forest sector and to provide broad guidance and assist the development of national policies and legislation.

12 15 12 45 Introduction to Working Groups (Blaser)

Participants highlighted a number of issues as relevant to the actual situation of financing for forests, including

(f) Fostering access where appropriate by households and communities to forest resources and markets

Forest applications include forest area estimation and mapping, forest monitoring, forest fire assessment and forest management.

... poachinginroyalforests and high treason.

The Mauritius Strategy makes specific reference to the intergovernmental forest policy process, including the Intergovernmental Panel on Forests Intergovernmental Forum on Forests proposals for action, affirming in a separate paragraph the strong commitment of small island developing States to sustainable forest management and the work of the Forum.

Some progress has been made to achieve the integration of the principles of sustainable forest management into country policies and programmes, such as national forest programmes or similar strategies.

c) Countries with arid and semi arid areas, forested areas and areas liable to forest decay d) Countries with areas prone to natural disasters

It relates to proposals for action of the IPF IFF calling for

Some of these are

19 30 21 00 CIS and Eastern Countries exchange (Juszczac, Blaser)

The project will produce geometrically corrected remote sensing data, optimized for forest applications, for national and subnational forest departments and the National Tropical Forests Action Programme units to establish and or strengthen the capacity of developing countries to assess and monitor their forest resources.

The project will produce geometrically corrected remote sensing data, optimized for forest applications, for national and subnational forest departments and the national tropical forest action programme units to establish and or strengthen the capacity of developing countries to assess and monitor their forest resources.