Delhi,
India
July 28, 1994
CHAIRMAN'S SUMMARY
OF DELIBERATIONS
Opening Remarks
and Overview
The meeting of
the Working Group, hosted and chaired by Jag Maini (Canada), was
held in Delhi on July 28, 1994. The draft agenda, list of participants
and working documents are attached as appendices.
On behalf of Christian
Barthod (France) and Bernardo Zentelli (UNCSD), the Chairman extended
apologies for their inability to attend. It was also noted that
China, the Business Council for Sustainable Development (BCSD),
World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and the World Conservation Union
(IUCN) were not able to join the session.
Jag Maini informed
the group that Mr. Takashi Fujiwara of Japan has accepted a new
assignment and, regrettably, would no longer be participating
in the criteria and indicators exercise. He welcomed Mr. Fujiwara's
replacement, Mr. Susumu Kawakita, along with other members who
were present for the first time.
The Chairman recalled
the informal meeting in Kuala Lumpur that led to the establishment
of the working group which first met in Geneva June 21-22. At
that time, the participants agreed to hold a second session in
Delhi, following the Indo-UK workshop, in order to maintain contact
and momentum. It was also agreed that the Working Group would
review working definitions of a few terms commonly used in international
discussions on criteria and indicators of sustainable forest management.
With regard to the draft agenda, participants felt that it reflected
the items they suggested in Geneva.
Some discussion
ensued on the tight timeframe for completing a preliminary set
of criteria and indicators in the context of the April 1995 meeting
of the UN Commission on Sustainable Development and the necessity
to work toward harmonization between the various initiatives,
while taking into account national positions. Also, views were
sought on how the documents, tabled by Japan (appendices III,
IV and V) and the United States (appendix VI), would be used to
move the process forward.
Some participants
noted that, while the Helsinki Process was supported politically
and conducted under the auspices of the Ministerial Conference
on the Protection of Forests in Europe, no similar intergovernmental
mechanism was sponsoring this Working Group's activities. Rather,
this process was the result of like-minded countries simply agreeing
to work together. The Chairman then asked for a round table exchange
of information on the political support and commitment in countries
and organizations with regard to national and international efforts
on criteria and indicators for sustainable forest management.
The round table
exchange revealed that in all participating countries, there was
strong political commitment to develop criteria and indicators
for sustainable forest management. Further, all intergovernmental
organizations present expressed the importance of the need to
formulate scientifically based criteria and indicators to assist
their programs and activities.
Following the discussion,
the Chairman noted that there was general agreement with the Japanese
proposal and summarized the key points: develop a consolidated
view, i.e., a framework of criteria and indicators based on discussions
to date and decide on a workplan over the next few months. Next,
the United States was invited to present the draft core set of
criteria and indicators.
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As a result of deliberations,
the participants generally agreed on the following:
-
The US paper,
with some modifications, was adopted as the group's working
draft. Based on the comments received at the meeting, the revised
version will form the basis of discussions at the US-sponsored
session in Olympia in September '94. Additional comments should
be submitted to Stephanie Caswell as soon as possible, by facsimile,
at (202) 736-7351. Alternatively, her address is: Bureau of
Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs,
Room 4325, U.S. Department of State, Washington, D.C. 20520.
-
The introduction
of the document tabled by the US was well received and the participants
made additional suggestions, including:
- public participation and awareness,
as key components, should be emphasized in the introduction
and highlighted as indicators in relevant criteria;
- emphasis should also be made
in the first part of the paper to reflect that the criteria
and indicators are intended to apply to forests at the national
level;
- a statement should be incorporated
on the need for and the use of criteria and indicators;
- the scope of the criteria should
be further defined through the elaboration of appropriate indicators;
and
- the document should be written
in terms that are easily understood by the political and policy
communities as well as the public.
-
There was general
agreement on the following seven criteria:
- conservation of biological
diversity
- maintenance of productive capacity
of forests
- maintenance of forest ecosystem
health and vitality
- soil and water conservation
- maintenance of forest contribution
to global carbon cycles
- long-term output of multiple
socio-economic benefits
- legal, policy and institutional
framework
-
A few more definitions
of terms will be added to the proposed list tabled by Canada,
once the group has reviewed what Russia and Canada have done
in this area. The terms will be treated as working definitions
only, not to be negotiated.
-
The revised version
of the Working Group's draft document will be discussed at the
US-sponsored meeting in Olympia, Washington, scheduled for September
7-10, 1994. The decision to arrange a follow-up meeting in Hull,
Canada, in conjunction with the Malaysia-Canada sponsored Intergovernmental
Working Group on Global Forests (IWGGF) to be held October 10-14,
1994, will be made after the outcomes of the Olympia meeting
are assessed.
-
The Working Group
agreed in principle to organize a meeting in Yokohama, Japan
in conjunction with the ITTO Council session, planned for November
17 & 18. Accordingly, ITTO will be requested that their
invitations also include reference to a meeting of the Working
Group on criteria and indicators that will follow the Council's
meeting so that due consideration can be given to sending the
appropriate delegates to the ITTO and Working Group,s meetings.
-
While the question
of monitoring was clearly seen as an important extension of
the criteria and indicators exercise, for the moment, members
agreed to exchange information on their individual country or
organization initiatives and requested Japan to serve as the
focal point on this item and to lead future development of ideas
and approaches.
-
Chile graciously
offered to host a meeting if one is required, perhaps in January
1995.
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Appendix
WORKING GROUP ON
CRITERIA AND INDICATORS FOR CONSERVATION AND SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT
OF TEMPERATE AND BOREAL FORESTS
DRAFT AGENDA
Thursday 28 July
1994
0900 - 1630
Mumtaz Mahal Conference
Room
Taj Palace Intercontinental
2 Sardar Patel Marg
Diplomatic Enclave
New Delhi
(Tel: 91-11-301-0404)
| 0900 |
Introduction. |
| 0915 |
Discussion of
working definitions for criteria and indicators of sustainable
management of temperate and boreal forests. |
| 1030 |
Refreshments |
| 1050 |
Continued disucssion
of definitions. |
| 1230 |
Lunch |
| 1330 |
Discussion of
future plans for work in the context of various initiatives
related to forests, including CSD '95. |
| 1500 |
Refreshments |
| 1520 |
Continued discussion
and determination of next meeting of the WG. |
| 1630 |
Adjournment |
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