Forest applications include forest area estimation and mapping, forest monitoring, forest fire assessment and forest management.

The forest ecosystem and forest resources

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).

Combating deforestation and forest degradation

While forest biodiversity continues to decline as a result of deforestation, forest degradation and associated fragmentation of forest habitats, strong efforts are now being made to reverse this trend by restoring the forest functions in degraded forest landscapes.

IPF and IFF agreed on over 270 proposals for action for sustainable forest management.

Forests disappearing, deserts where once there was forest.

Implementation of the proposals for action of IPF IFF

(k) Trees outside forests as well as urban and peri urban forests

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

In addition, there should be emphasis on another key area of concern for the sector, besides deforestation and forest degradation, namely, the lack of recognition of indigenous peoples and communities that live in and depend on forests.

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

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

b Confederation of European Forest Owners, FERN Forest Peoples' Programme, and workers and trade unions.

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.

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).

In order to reverse this trend, it will therefore be necessary to increase forest management and reafforestation and to control the most important factors contributing to forest loss (excessive tree felling, unsuitable planting practices and forest fires among others).

For example, the integration of local and indigenous communities in sustainable forest management has strengthened the implementation of the IPF IFF proposals for action.

Much knowledge of forest ecology, especially biodiversity, exists amongst peoples who live in and around forests.

Forest conservation and protection of unique types of forests and fragile ecosystems

need for a new narrative' for forestry to mobilize support for the forest agenda.

Forests are reservoirs of raw material that are used by the industry and contribute to human welfare.

A forest may consist either of closed forest formations where trees of various storeys and undergrowth cover a high proportion of the ground or open forest.

Deforestation

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

(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

Reverse the loss of forest cover worldwide through sustainable forest management, including protection, restoration, afforestation and reforestation, and increase efforts to prevent forest degradation

However, the alarming rate of deforestation continues to warrant international attention and there is a need to renew the pledge to combat deforestation and restore forest functions (such as production, protection and conservation) at the landscape level, by rehabilitating degraded lands with, inter alia, forest plantations, and to improve the livelihoods of poor people living in and around forests worldwide as a priority.

Some 270 proposals for action were identified by IPF and IFF.

Forest fiscal reform provides opportunities to increase revenues generated from forest resources.

C. Greater recognition of sustainable forest management and forest products trade

Recognizing the impact of climate change on forests and sustainable forest management, as well as the contribution of forests to addressing climate change,

Action by CPF members has included the National Forest Programme Facility, the work of PROFOR and capacity building.

Forest operations and the forest industry provide employment and income to millions of workers and forest dwellers.

(y) Enhance access by households, small scale forest owners, forest dependent local and indigenous communities, living in and outside forest areas, to forest resources and relevant markets in order to support livelihoods and income diversification from forest management, consistent with sustainable forest management.

Furthermore, deforestation is often linked with a failure to recognize the full value of forests.

(a) Principal function Implementation of IPF IFF proposals for action

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

strengthen the CPF to enhance the capacity of CPF members towards the implementation of sustainable forest management and proposals for action strengthen the capacity of the CPF to search for resources, such as the role played by IPCC for activities related to climate change strengthen guidance to the CPF and its members.

D. Catalysts and obstacles in the implementation of the proposals for action of IPF IFF

The Council also decided that the international arrangement on forests should facilitate and promote the implementation of the proposals for action put forward by the Intergovernmental Panel on Forests (IPF) Intergovernmental Forum on Forests (IFF), that the arrangement would be reviewed after five years and that the review would also address the institutional framework of the Forum, including its position within the United Nations system.

Ministers participating at the high level segment may also wish to send a message to the High level Plenary Meeting of the sixtieth session of the General Assembly about renewing the pledge to make progress towards sustainable forest management by reducing the rate of net deforestation, maintaining forest functions, restoring degraded and unmanaged forest landscapes, conserving natural forests and improving the livelihoods of poor people living in and around forests worldwide.

(d) Voluntary guidelines based on the Rio Forest Principles3 to support the implementation of the IPF IFF proposals for action on the ground

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

CPF members have also taken action to make the IPF IFF proposals more readily understandable in national and regional contexts.