1. At the kind invitation of the Government of Portugal, the AFWC/EFC/NEFC Committee on Mediterranean Forestry Questions, Silva Mediterranea, held its fifteenth session in Faro from 16 to 20 March 1992. The session was attended by delegates from 18 member countries of the Committee and the European Economic Community: Algeria, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Egypt, France, Greece, Iran (Islamic Republic of), Israel, Italy, Jordan, Lebanon, Malta, Morocco, Portugal, Spain, Tunisia, Turkey and Yemen; by representatives of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco), the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the World Bank; and by observers from the International Centre for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies (ICAMAS), the International Union of Forestry Research Organizations (IUFRO) and the International Forestry Students Association. The full list of participants is shown in Annex B.
2. The session was chaired by Mr. M. Riad, Vice-Chairman of the Committee. Mr. J. P. Lanly, Director of the Forest Resources Division of FAO's Forestry Department, represented the Director General of FAO. Mr. M. Malagnoux (FAO) acted as Secretary.
3. Mr. Riad welcomed the participants and thanked the Portuguese authorities for their hospitality and for the organization of the session. A message was read from the Chairman of Silva Mediterranea, Mr. G. Sakkas, who had been unable to attend; and a minute's silence was observed in memory of Mr. B. Ben Salem, former Secretary of the Committee, who died in August 1990.
4. Mr. F. Mota, Director-General of Forestry in Portugal, welcomed all the participants on behalf of the host Government. He stressed the role of Silva Mediterranea as a framework for cooperation in forest conservation and development among the countries of the region and confirmed his country's resolve to cooperate with the other Mediterranean countries within this framework. Cooperation in forestry between Mediterranean countries was all the more necessary in that they were faced with common problems of desertification, erosion and forest fires. Mr. Mota emphasized the importance of increased collaboration with non-governmental organizations, and in conclusion called for the use of the Mediterranean Forest Action Programme as a common platform for the formulation and funding of forestry strategies adapted to each country and hoped that this session would mark the effective start of implementation of the programme.
5. Mr. Lanly welcomed the participants on behalf of the Director-General of FAO and thanked the Portuguese Government for the excellent arrangements made for the organization of the session. FAO was very pleased at the high number of delegates from member countries and representatives from international organizations attending, which showed not only the vitality of the Committees but also the ever-growing need and desire for cooperation between countries of the region. In conformity with the recommendation made at the Committee's previous session, a first summarized version of a Mediterranean Forest Action Programme, aimed at helping countries in their forestry planning and efforts and strengthening and harmonizing international cooperation in support of national programmes, had been prepared and would be presented at this session. Mr. Lanly recalled the importance of the discussions now taking place at world level in connection with the preparation of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development - the "Earth Summit" (Rio de Janeiro, 1-12 June 1992) - regarding on the one hand the adoption of a "statement of principles for a global consensus on the management, conservation and sustainable development of all types of forests", and on the other hand the preparation of the forestry part of "Agenda 21", an action programme for the entire international community from now to the year 2000 and beyond. Since 1992 was the year of the "Earth Summit", the agenda also included an item on the role of forests and forestry in protecting the environment. As at its previous sessions, the Committee would also be invited to review the activities of its research networks and orient their future activities. in conclusion, Mr. Lanly thanked Unesco and ICAMAS for their continued and effective support for the Committee's work.
6. Mr. R. Morandini, Italy) recalled the history of Silva Mediterranea, the idea of which was first launched at the ninth International Congress on Agriculture and Forestry in 1911. It was finally set up in 1922 under the title "International Mediterranean Forestry League", and in 1948 was transformed into a statutory body of FAO.
7. The provisional agenda was adopted without change (Annex A). The list of documents prepared by the Secretariat on the various agenda items is given in Annex C.
8. In conformity with the provisions of Article II.5 of its Rules of Procedure, the Committee unanimously elected Mr. Mongi Ben M'Hamed (Tunisia) as Rapporteur.
9. The Committee noted document FO:SCM/92/2 summarizing the actions taken by FAO in response to the recommendations addressed to it at the Committee's previous session. An up-to-date list of national coordinators and focal points of the networks would be finalized and distributed after the session. A condensed version of the Mediterranean Forest Action Programme had been distributed to the members of the Committee as document FO:SCM/92/9 and would be discussed at the session. Finally, a document on the situation of the various non-wood forest products in the Mediterranean region and on certain measures to be taken in this field would be available to delegations at this session.
