1. The Latin American and Caribbean Forestry Commission (LACFC) of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) held its 23rd Session from 18 to 22 October 2004 in San José, at the kind invitation of the Government of the Republic of Costa Rica. The session was attended by delegates from 25 member countries and observers from 13 United Nations system, international, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations.
2. Mr Jorge Luis Menéndez, serving Chair of the LACFC, presided over the opening session. Mr M. Hosny El-Lakany, Assistant Director-General of the Forestry Department, FAO, welcomed the participants on behalf of the Director-General of FAO, Dr. Jacques Diouf. Mr. Alan Flores, Deputy Minister for Environment and Energy, also expressed words of welcome on behalf of the Government of the Republic of Costa Rica, before declaring the session open and inviting participants to listen to a recorded message from His Excellency Abel Pacheco de la Espriella, President of the Republic of Costa Rica. H.E.Flavio Perri, Ambassador of Brazil to FAO, and Chair of the 16th Session of the FAO Committee on Forestry (COFO), was also present and addressed a few words to the participants.
3. Mr El-Lakany thanked the Government of Costa Rica for the excellent preparations for the session. He indicated that the Regional Forestry Commissions provided FAO and participating countries with an excellent platform to examine emerging forestry policy issues in the Region and to identify common problems, seek solutions and promote collaboration. He stated that the thrust of the session would be to reinforce the forestry sector's response to the Region's most pressing problems, which included the loss and degradation of natural forests, the conservation of watersheds and the generation of income from wood and non-wood forest products for poor rural communities. He drew special attention to the agenda item on the progress of the Forestry Sector Outlook Study for Latin America and the Caribbean, which would help steer forestry policy towards 2020. He finished by mentioning that FAO was stepping up its activities on forest fire, which was undoubtedly a subject of considerable interest to the countries of the Region.
4. Mr Alan Flores welcomed the meeting’s delegates and observers. He stated that the following five days would provide the Ministry of Environment and Energy, as the government institution responsible for forest development in Costa Rica, with an opportunity to examine, discuss and develop actions needed for the sustainable management of forests at the regional level, which constituted a major challenge and was the objective towards which the governments should direct their efforts. He stressed that the meeting’s discussions should look at the way forests can contribute to poverty reduction and stated that the session provided an opportunity to identify shortcomings and deficiencies in common understanding and to implement a sustainable form of forest management that reflected the needs of members’ populations. This meant that local communities should be further involved and should participate in decisions on how forests were managed and how resulting costs and benefits were distributed. He warned that no effort to overcome poverty would be successful without the appropriate sustainable use of natural resources, as it was essential to have livelihoods that were sustainable. He called for a commitment to redouble efforts to manage forest harvesting through socially acceptable procedures that promoted the environmental and economic value of forests and that fostered cooperation among the different stakeholder groups.
5. In his recorded message to the Commission, His Excellency Abel Pacheco de la Espriella, President of the Republic of Costa Rica, thanked FAO and the member countries for having accepted his country's invitation to host the event. He highlighted the close link that existed between the deterioration of ecosystems through mistaken and improper use and the increase in poverty in affected areas. He was referring essentially to the incidence of deforestation in the Region and to the threat that this represented for the continued existence of humanity on Earth. In his review of Costa Rica's efforts to reverse the process of destruction of its forest cover, he pointed out that progress could be enhanced through: a) an international policy agreement to address the issue of forests in an integrated manner, as well as their contribution to alleviating poverty; b) using some of the US$956 billion that had been allocated to military expenditure in 2003; and c) greater recognition by users of the environmental goods and services that forests provide. He concluded by making a general call for a declaration of peace with nature.
6. The Provisional Agenda was adopted without change.
7. In accordance with Articles II-1 and II-5 of its Rules of Procedure, the Commission elected a Chair, three Vice-Chairs and a Rapporteur. The following members of the Commission were unanimously elected:
Chair: Raúl Solórzano (Costa Rica) Meso-America Subregional Group
Vice-Chairs: Juan Claudio Rodríguez (Chile), Southern Cone Subregional Group
Renzo Silva (Venezuela), Amazon Subregional Group
Héctor Miguel Abreu (Dominican Republic) Caribbean Subregional
Group
Rapporteur: Atilio Ligrone (Uruguay)
Mr. Carlos Marx R. Carneiro, Senior Forestry Officer, FAO Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean, acted as Secretary.
8. The Secretariat introduced document FO:LACFC/2004/2 "State of Forestry in the Region: 2002-2004".
9. The Secretariat indicated that, in contrast to previous sessions of the Commission, this Secretariat Note was very brief because one of the main items on the agenda was the Forestry Sector Outlook Study for Latin America and the Caribbean, which included a broad presentation of the state of forestry in the Region. To avoid repetition, instead of providing a broad description of the state of the forestry sector in the Region, the purpose of the Secretariat Note was to invite delegates to inform the Commission of main developments in their respective countries during the past two years.
10. Delegates from 21 countries reported on their main forest-related activities during this period.
11. These generally related to: review and formulation of forest policies; forest legislation; institutional changes; formulation, review or implementation of national forest development plans; forestry information systems; participatory forest development; payment for forest-generated environmental services; incentives for afforestation and forest management; strategic alliances among forestry sector actors; actions against illegal forest extraction; monitoring of forest utilization; code of good forestry practices; participation of civil society in forest-related decisions; forest fire and pests; and conversion of agricultural land into forest plantations.
12. The Secretariat introduced document FO:LACFC/2004/3 "Review of FAO Regular and Field Programmes, including follow-up to the recommendations and requests of the 22nd Session of the Commission".
13. The Commission noted with satisfaction the progress that had been made in the implementation of the FAO Forestry Regular Programme.
14. The Commission was also informed of the FAO Field Programme during 2002-2003 and of the 23 percent reduction in projects involving the participatory management of forest resources because of the completion, during the period, of six corresponding projects of the FAO/Government Cooperative Programme (GCP) and the multi-donor Forests, Trees and People Programme (FTPP). While GCP-funded projects had declined, there had been a respective increase of 74 and 45 percent for projects financed from unilateral trust funds and funds supplied through the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). While the number of FAO Technical Cooperation Programme (TCP) projects had remained unchanged at 10 national projects and 3 regional projects, this programme financed from FAO Regular Programme resources had received a fund allocation for the Region that was 50 percent higher than in the previous period.
15. The Commission was also informed of the measures that had been taken in follow-up to the recommendations and requests it had made at its 22nd Session.
16. The Secretariat introduced document FO:LACFC/2004/4 "In-session seminar: Forestry Sector Outlook Study for Latin America and the Caribbean".
17. The Secretariat drew attention to the progress that had been made in the study, which provided an indication of the possible development of the forestry sector until the year 2020, and requested guidance from the Commission on the completion of the study and on its utilization for planning, development of national forest programmes, preparation of strategies and coordination of regional actions.
18. The Commission recommended that FAO should continue to provide support to countries’ efforts to improve their forestry information systems, including national forest inventories and contributions of the forestry sector (wood and non-wood products) to national economies, to support policy decisions in countries.
19. The Commission recommended that FAO should broaden the focus of outlook studies to include: non-wood forest products; the multi-functions of forests; payment for forest-generated environmental services; small- and medium-sized enterprises; forest health; and markets for wood products.
20. The Commission stressed that the role played by indigenous groups and local authorities and communities would continue to grow in the lead-up to 2020.
21. The 23rd Session of the LACFC witnessed the unprecedented participation of civil society representatives, which was an example of the consultative processes undertaken by the national forest programmes and of the increasing importance given by the countries to community forest management. In view of this, the Commission recommended that the issue be subject to further discussion at the next meeting of COFLAC and at COFO, with the objective of identifying mechanisms to strengthen such participation.
22. Thirteen international, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations reported on their forestry activities in the Region.
23. The country delegates recognized the quality of the presentations and the excellent support of their reported activities to sustainable forest development in the Region.
24. The Commission noted that there was a shortage of information on technical cooperation activities carried out both by FAO and by other agencies or institutions in the Region. It therefore recommended that FAO establish a working group at Headquarters, with the objective of improving information sharing among countries and international, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations on forestry activities in the Region.
25. The Secretariat introduced document FO:LACFC/2004/5 "In-session seminar: National forest programmes and international dialogue on forests – Strengthening regional action".
26. This document was supplemented with presentations by other organizations and programmes attending the Session and by the Secretariat itself, which provided further information on subregional support for the implementation of national forest programmes and national mechanisms for forest dialogue and consensus building.
27. The Commission took note of actions in the Region to promote and strengthen national forest programmes, of growing coordination between them and of the activities undertaken by FAO in support of these programmes.
28. With regard to the intergovernmental dialogue on forests, the Commission heard a brief summary of the process and of progress made since the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) until the current process with the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF) and the Collaborative Partnership on Forests (CPF). It also heard analyses made this year of the still unresolved difficulties in actually implementing the proposals for action for sustainable forest management that had been put forward by the Intergovernmental Panel on Forests (IPF) and the Intergovernmental Forum on Forests (IFF). It was also informed of preparatory actions for the decisions to be taken regarding UNFF in 2005.
29. The Commission observed that national forestry authorities received insufficient information on the progress and results of the intergovernmental dialogue on forests. It therefore requested more effort from all parties and that FAO undertake the compilation and dissemination of the results of the dialogue to improve this situation.
30. The Commission noted that many countries lacked the experience or capacity to effectively develop a national consensus, involving representatives of all forest stakeholders, for the intergovernmental dialogue on forests. It therefore sought support from the National Forest Programme Facility to deal with these matters within the framework of such programmes.
31. The Commission considered the national forest programmes to be the ideal vehicle for integrating national and local activities with actions agreed by intergovernmental dialogue.
32. The Commission considered the LACFC to be an important platform for discussion of regional forest matters and for the provision of input into the global forest dialogue. It was also well placed to translate global commitments into national and regional actions.
33. The Commission requested COFO to seek new and additional resources to finance the implementation of the activities prepared by the Subregional Groups.
34. The Commission noted that, under this agenda item, the Subregional Groups were expected to report on their previous workplans and to prepare new workplans with priorities and activities that could be realistically accomplished before the next LACFC session. Below is a brief summary of the respective workplans for 2004-2006, which are provided in full in Appendix D.
Meso-America Subregional Group
35. The Meso-America Subregional Group proposed the following activities:
• Define, disseminate and consolidate a shared perspective to facilitate a development process that reflects relevant international commitments and recommendations.
• Identify and develop regional support projects for national forest programmes that help address the priority forest issues of the countries of the Region.
• Facilitate the formulation or updating of national forest policies and plans in the countries of the Region, and put these into effect through dynamic processes that involve all relevant sectors.
• Strengthen the participation of the countries of the Region in the intergovernmental dialogue on forests and foster an effective use of associated international cooperation resources.
• Support actions for the control of illegal extraction and trade of wood and non-wood forest products, through the definition and implementation of a control strategy.
• Have national information systems include records of economic data that help identify the contribution of the forestry sector (wood and non-wood products) to a country’s GDP.
• Recognize community forestry as a regional strategy for reducing environmental and social vulnerability and combating poverty.
Southern Cone Subregional Group
36. The Southern Cone Subregional Group proposed the following activities:
• Strengthen forestry information systems for the elaboration of criteria and indicators for sustainable forest management in the Subregion (Montreal Process).
• Design financial strategies and mechanisms for the conservation and sustainable use of forests.
Amazon Subregional Group
37. The Amazon Subregional Group proposed the following activities:
• Develop the primary elements of a subregional information system on forest cover and information on national accounts.
• Promote fora for discussion of the regional implementation of international agreements and reflect on regional agreements, experiences and needs.
• Promote an institutional forum, within countries, for discussion and coordination of the forestry sector and determine its operating principles.
• Identify the conditions required to secure/attract investment and funding for sustainable forest management.
Caribbean Subregional Group
38. The Caribbean Subregional Group proposed the following activities:
• Provide training in fighting forest fire.
• Develop a database system for monitoring forest fire.
• Organize a workshop on producing forest inventories and forest maps.
• Organize a workshop on participatory methods of community forest management.
• Prepare a study on mitigating the impact of hurricanes.
• Organize a technical meeting on criteria and indicators for the sustainable management of forests.
• Organize a technical meeting on the management and monitoring of forest utilization.
39. The Commission recommended that FAO should continue to provide support to countries’ efforts to improve their forestry information systems, including national forest inventories and contributions of the forestry sector (wood and non-wood products) to national economies, to support policy decisions in countries.
40. The Commission recommended that FAO should broaden the focus of outlook studies to include: non-wood forest products; the multi-functions of forests; payment for forest-generated environmental services; small- and medium-sized enterprises; forest health; and markets for wood products.
41. The 23rd Session of the LACFC witnessed the unprecedented participation of civil society representatives, which was an example of the consultative processes undertaken by the national forest programmes and of the increasing importance given by the countries to community forest management. In view of this, the Commission recommended that the issue be subject to further discussion at the next meeting of COFLAC and at COFO, with the objective of identifying mechanisms to strengthen such participation.
42. The Commission recommended that FAO establish a working group at headquarters, with the objective of improving information sharing among countries and international, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations on forestry activities in the Region.
43. The Commission noted that many countries lacked the experience or capacity to effectively develop a national consensus, involving representatives of all forest stakeholders, for the intergovernmental dialogue on forests. It therefore sought support from the National Forest Programme Facility to deal with these matters within the framework of such programmes.
44. The Commission noted the importance of trade and trade agreements relating to wood and non-wood forest products in the Region and recommended that FAO follow up on this matter in order to assess the potential impact on the sector.
45. The Commission requested COFO to seek new and additional resources to finance the implementation of the activities prepared by the Subregional Groups.
46. The Commission highlighted the close relationship between criteria and indicators, the certification and the trade of forest products and recommended that FAO follow up on this matter in order to determine possible consequences.
47. Noting the high incidence of forest fire that caused serious damage in the Region, the Commission agreed to draw to the attention of the 17th Session of COFO the outcome of the Pan-American Conference on Wildland Fire which would be held immediately following the 23rd Session of the LACFC. It also noted with satisfaction that the forthcoming Ministerial Meeting on Forests to be held at FAO Headquarters in March 2005 would address international agreement on the management and control of forest fire.
48. The Commission recommended that countries should integrate forests into their national development plans and poverty reduction strategies. The Commission recommended that COFO should underscore the role of forests in achieving the Millennium Development Goals, and that the members of the LACFC should coordinate efforts to this end, through the working plans of the Subregional Groups.
49. In view of the importance of forests in the Region and of FAO’s role in providing country support, the Commission recommended that the FAO Forestry Department should be strengthened.
50. The Secretariat of the North American Forest Commission (NAFC) informed the Commission about its modality of work as well as its constitution and role.
51. The Commission learned that the NAFC operated through seven working groups on the following specific topics: fire management, forest insects and diseases, forest inventory and monitoring, forest genetic resources, atmospheric change and forests, forest products and silviculture.
52. The LACFC participants expressed their appreciation of the presentation and identified numerous similarities in the thematic areas addressed by both Commissions.
53. The Commission therefore recommended that greater efforts be made to forge a closer and more permanent relationship of coordination and exchange of information between the two Commissions.
54. The Session also featured seven informal side meetings on topics of interest to the Region, which were attended by participants of some delegations. Appendix E provides a brief summary of the discussions at the meetings.
55. The Commission, aware of FAO´s initiative to develop a regional code of practice for reduced impact forest harvesting in tropical moist forest in Latin America and the Caribbean, recommended that the norms be extended to all the forests of the Region, given that some countries have large areas of forests which are not tropical. Moreover, the Commission underlined the need to take into account existing codes and those that are being formulated by other bodies and initiatives.
56. The delegate of Argentina communicated that they were co-organizing with Chile the 22nd Meeting of the International Poplar Commission, that will be held in Chile from 28 November to 9 December 2004.
57. The delegate of Venezuela informed the Commission that the IV Venezuelan Forestry Congress would be held from 20 to 24 November 2004.
58. Various delegates of the Central American and Mexican Subregional group requested that the designation of their group be changed to “Meso-America Subregional group”.
59. The Commission requested FAO to organize a meeting of the heads of forestry services of the countries in the Region to be held before the UNFF in May 2005 in order to build consensus concerning the agenda.
60. The Secretariat informed the Commission of the formal offer of the Government of the Dominican Republic to host the 24th Session of the LACFC in 2006. The Commission received with appreciation this offer. In addition, the delegation of the United States of America expressed its interest in hosting the 25th Session of the Commission in 2008 in Puerto Rico, in conjunction with the meeting of the North American Forest Commission.
61. The draft report was approved by the Commission with minor amendments and some clarifications.
62. The meeting was closed by Mr. M. Hosny El-Lakany, Assistant Director-General, Forestry Department, FAO, and by H.E. Carlos Manuel Rodríguez, Minister for the Environment and Energy, Costa Rica.