34. On the basis of Secretariat Note FO:APFC/2008/5, the Commission reviewed APFC and FAO-supported activities carried out during the past two years, including follow-up to the recommendations of the twenty-first session of the Commission, and priorities for future work.
35. The Secretariat clarified that many regional activities supported by FAO were carried out within the framework of APFC. Activities generally had been concentrated in three areas: (a) activities designed to promote improvement in forest management for multiple benefits; (b) activities in the areas of economics, policies and institutions; and (c) activities designed to foster greater involvement of people in forestry.
36. The Commission noted its satisfaction with the work programme that had been implemented and commended FAO on the number and quality of initiatives being undertaken in the region.
37. The Commission expressed particular appreciation for FAO support related to national forest programmes, invasive species, codes of practice for forest harvesting, sericulture, livelihood development and poverty-reduction activities, and rehabilitation of tsunami-affected areas.
38. The Commission acknowledged the importance of policy-related initiatives and requested FAO’s continued support for executive training in forest policy, forestry education networks, the regional forest policy initiative, follow-up to the second Asia-Pacific Forestry Sector Outlook Study, national forest programmes, and monitoring, assessment and reporting for sustainable forest management activities.
39. The Commission noted increased costs associated with implementation of sustainable forest management and requested FAO to study mechanisms that might enable the realization of “green premiums” for sustainable forest management.
40. The Commission emphasized the importance of activities that maintain and strengthen capacities in forestry agencies, and in the broader forestry sector, including local communities. The Commission urged FAO to maintain a strong emphasis on capacity building and requested specific assistance to strengthen national capacities for dealing with climate change issues.
41. The Commission recognized the scarcity of FAO and APFC resources and the need to maximize the efficiency of initiatives. The Commission urged FAO to carefully assess priorities and potential synergies so that activities could be focused on the most critical issues.
