48. In the wake of the Committee's proposal at its fifteenth session (paragraph 68 of the report), the Secretariat had reviewed the forest administrative structures in Mediterranean countries and prepared Secretariat Note FO:SCM/94/11, which was presented by Mr. 0. M'Hirit (Morocco). This note had no claim to a universally applicable solution, as a country's forest administration depended on several factors, but tried to set out the differences and similarities of
the structures. It took note of the relationships and interactions between forest policies and administrative structures, the trend in the forestry sector in the face of ongoing changes, the organization of forest administrations and, finally, international cooperation-in this area.
49. Countries were expected to complete this note by providing information on their own administrative structures in their national reports. The 14 member countries represented, as well as Albania, presented a summary of their national reports, laying stress on their forestry sectors' administrative structures. These reports were made available to participating countries. All of the presentations bore witness to the wide variety of situations highlighted in the Secretariat Note.
50. The Committee noted with satisfaction that, whatever the solutions adopted, the traditional forestry functions had remained grouped within a coherent structure and that in general the forest's production and environmental functions were not placed under separate ministries. However, it underlined the usefulness of coordinating mechanisms in some cases.
51. With regard to decentralization, the Committee underlined the need for a clear definition of forestry responsibilities transferred from central to local level and for the local structures to be appropriately empowered.
52. The Committee stressed that the importance attached to the forestry sector in a given country was proportional to budgetary allocation, which remained insufficient in many countries, and to the relative position of the forest management structure in the national administration. Finally, it emphasized the need to develop indicators of administrative performance and reform effectiveness.
