53. The Commission considered recent developments related to global, regional and bilateral forest-related agreements and arrangements on the basis of Secretariat Note FO:APFC/2004/8.
54. The Commission commended FAO for informing member countries of the developments in international forest policy deliberations, especially the IPF/IFF/UNFF processes, as well as regional agreements and initiatives. Delegates expressed a range of views about the value and feasibility of various options for international and regional approaches, including legally and non-legally binding options.
55. The Commission recommended that member countries actively participate and provide forestry expertise in the intergovernmental negotiations related to forests, especially the UNFF and the conventions on biological diversity, desertification and climate change.
56. The Commission recognized the need for thorough regional preparations prior to the fifth session of UNFF in 2005, which will decide on future international arrangements on forests. The Commission requested FAO to examine the possibility of organizing an intersessional meeting for this purpose, or to provide other mechanisms to assist countries’ preparations.
57. The Commission recognized the value and practical benefits of existing regional forest-related agreements and initiatives and urged member countries to strengthen their commitment to implement them, including the Code of Practice for Forest Harvesting in Asia-Pacific. FAO and other international organizations were requested to continue support for the effective implementation of these regional mechanisms.
