(k) Identify and implement measures to enhance cooperation and cross sectoral policy and programme coordination among sectors affecting and affected by forest policies and management, with a view to integrating the forest sector into national decision making processes and promoting sustainable forest management, including by addressing the underlying causes of deforestation and forest degradation, and by promoting forest conservation

Despite substantial progress in the formulation and implementation of national forest policies, deforestation and forest degradation continue at an alarming rate.

(d) Facilitating cross sectoral coordination nationally and internationally between the forest sector and other sectors in order to reduce negative impacts on forests of decisions made outside the forest sector and to provide broad guidance and assist the development of national policies and legislation.

The Mauritius Strategy makes specific reference to the intergovernmental forest policy process, including the Intergovernmental Panel on Forests Intergovernmental Forum on Forests proposals for action, affirming in a separate paragraph the strong commitment of small island developing States to sustainable forest management and the work of the Forum.

Some progress has been made to achieve the integration of the principles of sustainable forest management into country policies and programmes, such as national forest programmes or similar strategies.

Stronger coordination of forest policies

Major groups note that the work of the Forum has enhanced forest policy development, which has expanded well beyond traditional forestry policy issues, and that new ideas introduced at the Forum can be quickly transmitted to countries.

For example, the FAO Regional Forestry Commissions have helped extend the global forest policy dialogue to the national level, by bringing together heads of the national forestry agencies, in the respective regions, to discuss policy and technical issues of interest.

Coordination of forest policies is needed to ensure some degree of consistency among the different international policies and programmes that directly or indirectly concern forests and the forests products sector.

There are a number of existing international arrangements that have succeeded in strengthening long term political commitment to sustainable forest management and led to significant improvements in national forest policies, legislative frameworks and standards in line with the principles of sustainable forest management.

It relates to proposals for action of the IPF IFF calling for

The global forest crisis continues unabated despite more than 10 years of global forest policy dialogue in the Intergovernmental Panel on Forests (from 1995 to 1997), in the Intergovernmental Forum on Forests (from 1997 to 2000) and, finally, in the United Nations Forum on Forests (from 2000 onward).

(a) Develop, implement, publish and, as necessary, update national forest programmes or other strategies for sustainable forest management which identify actions needed and contain measures, policies or specific goals, taking into account the relevant proposals for action of the Intergovernmental Panel on Forests Intergovernmental Forum on Forests and resolutions of the United Nations Forum on Forests

Stakeholders at the international, regional, national and subnational levels have attached importance to criteria and indicators as providing a framework for policy formulation and monitoring of sustainable forest management and national forest programmes.

serve as a forum to exchange information and experiences, foster partnerships and monitor progress mobilize financial and technical support towards the development and implementation of national forest policy and programs, including cross sectoral initiatives.

Decentralization in the forest sector should not be implemented in isolation from a general national forestry strategy such as national forest programs.

Nevertheless, in the future the international arrangement on forest could focus in greater detail on how best to realize the potential contribution of forests to poverty eradication and food security, helping to ensure that this is fully reflected in national forest policies as well as wider development policies, such as poverty reduction strategy papers.

The Executive Secretary stressed that any policy on sustainable forest management must aim at preserving existing forests and ensure that reforestation and afforestation policies were addressed and promoted.

A large number of countries have national forest programmes or equivalent processes that take account of relevant IPF IFF proposals.

09 00 10 00 Field trip reports and discussion (Chair Blaser)

(f) Promote complementarity among national forest programmes and action plans under the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development related Conventions to further mainstream sustainable forest management in cross sectoral policies

CPF members state that, increasingly, national forest programmes are seen as an effective tool for cross sectoral and participatory policy making and for translating international forest related commitments into practice.

In many countries, forests and forest management have a low priority in economic, social and political agendas.

Improved coordination of policies and the development of a harmonized framework for national commitments towards achieving sustainable forest management, including international goals and targets and strong national reporting mechanisms on implementing sustainable forest management will help establish a level playing field for the forest products sector and will greatly assist public and political recognition of steps on the road to sustainable forest management.

20 Self determination requires a domain of equitable and autonomous decision making.

In addition, considerable efforts are being made to improve natural forest management and recover forest loss through the Forestry Incentives Programme of the National Forestry Institute (INAB).

Forest landscape restoration is relevant to a wide range of IPF and IFF proposals for action and the UNF programme of work.

(c) Strengthen the vertical linkages between forest policy development and dialogue at the global, regional, national and local levels.

This would influence other national development policies and bring greater political attention to the management, conservation and sustainable development of forests.

In some countries, the programmes are developed at the subnational level because significant forest policy responsibilities have been decentralized.

The future of forests is indeed linked to a good balance within the rural policies of any country.

Reforestation and afforestation in the context of sustainable forest and drylands management are seen as important elements in combating desertification, as appropriate synergy and complementarity between NAPs and national forest programmes in drylands, or similar policy frameworks, must be ensured when planning and implementing forest related activities.

82. Analysis of forestry resources utilization in both developed and developing countries has been the focus of a UNU WIDER study entitled The forest in the South and the North transition from deforestation to sustainable forest policies in redressing global warming .

Countries report a positive trend towards increasing stakeholder participation, stimulated both by the emphasis in the IPF IFF proposals and by more general national policies that promote such participation.

undertake pilot projects to demonstrate the contribution of forests, for example, Model Forests and watershed management create an improved environment for increased private sector funding.

The proposals for action have effectively shaped the national forest programmes and their equivalents in many countries, and these national forest programmes have become national institutional frameworks for achieving sustainable forest management.

Implementation of national forest programmes.

The coalition also facilitates the informed participation of non governmental organizations and indigenous peoples' organizations in these processes, including the Intergovernmental Panel on Forests, the Intergovernmental Forum on Forests, the United Nations Forum on Forests, the Convention on Biological Diversity,1 the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change2 and other relevant forest policy processes.

The work of the partnership contributes to implementation of the IPF and IFF proposals for action, as well as the work programmes of the Rio conventions, ITTO, Tehran Process on LFCCs, the Johannesburg Programme of Action and Millennium Development Goals, and other national, regional and international policy processes.

There is also a need to ensure that the true value of forests is fully recognized, including their non market and public good value, and that wider national development policies take proper account of the potential contribution of forests.

One major group points out that national forest programmes are a constructive tool for translating relevant IPF IFF proposals to the national level.

However, they are likely to differ in forest rich and forest poor countries.

Forest ownership in the US is diverse it includes extensive private forests, federally managed forests and public forests managed by state and local governments as well as forests owned by native Indian tribes.12

Stressing the need to strengthen political commitment and collective efforts at all levels, to include forests in national and international development agendas, to enhance national policy coordination and international cooperation and to promote intersectoral coordination at all levels for the effective implementation of sustainable management of all types of forests,

CPF members explain that they have facilitated national forest programmes in a number of important ways, including through the National Forest Programme Facility and the Programme on Forests (PROFOR).7