Auckland, New Zealand
31 October 1995
-
The Working Group
on Criteria and Indicators for the Conservation and Sustainable
Management of Temperate and Boreal Forests (Montreal Process)
held its seventh meeting in New Zealand, October 30-November
4, 1995. This was the first meeting of the Working Group in
follow-up to the Santiago Declaration, which was endorsed by
ten countries at the sixth meeting of the Working Group held
in Santiago, Chile, in February 1995.
-
Following a Maori
welcome, the meeting was opened by the Governor-General, Her
Excellency, Dame Catherine Tizard.
-
The meeting welcomed
the endorsement by Argentina and Uruguay of the Santiago Declaration
in July and October 1995, respectively. The Montreal Process
now includes the following 12 countries which together represent
about 90 percent of the world’s temperate and boreal forests,
as well as some tropical forest areas; Argentina, Australia,
Canada, Chile, China, Japan, Republic of Korea, Mexico, New
Zealand, Russian Federation, the United States of America and
Uruguay.
-
Participants
included representatives of 11 Montreal Process countries as
well as representatives of the Helsinki Process, Amazon Cooperation
Treaty, a number of other countries, intergovernmental and non-governmental
organisations, and New Zealand forest interests. A list of participants
is attached.
-
The meeting elected
the following officers: Chairperson, Dr John Valentine (New
Zealand); Vice-Chairperson, Dr Se-Kyung Chong (Republic of Korea);
Rapporteur, Dr Joan Mosley (New Zealand).
-
The Santiago
Declaration and the comprehensive set of criteria and indicators
annexed to it have been translated and distributed in seven
languages: Chinese, English, French, Japanese, Korean, Russian
and Spanish.
-
The meeting welcomed
presentations and status reports on: sustainable management
of forests through UNCED to the Commission on Sustainable Development
and the Intergovernmental Panel on Forests, the Food and Agriculture
Organisation’s role in sustainable forest management, the International
Tropical Timber Organisation’s role in sustainable forest management,
the Montreal Process, the Helsinki Process, the Amazon Cooperation
Treaty, the Forest Stewardship Council, the United States forest
industry’s Sustainable Forestry Initiative, and the work to
establish the applicability of the International Organisation
for Standardisation’s 14000 environmental management series
to sustainable forest management. The meeting was also informed
about the New Zealand forestry sector as well as the New Zealand
Forest Accord and the Principles for Commercial Plantation Forest
Management.
-
The meeting welcomed
reports from Montreal Process countries on national implementation
of criteria and indicators. These reports indicated that countries
were at different stages of implementation. Countries are now
reviewing existing data against the Montreal Process criteria
and indicators with a view to determining data collection needs
and refining the specific application of the indicators based
on country conditions. Possible research requirements are also
being identified and addressed. A flexible approach will likely
to be needed in developing ways to implement the collection
and analysis of data on indicators.
-
The meeting also
welcomed reports on national implementation of criteria and
indicators under the Helsinki Process from France, Germany and
the United Kingdom, as well as reports on forest activities
from Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea and South Africa.
-
Montreal Process
countries underscored the importance of future cooperation among
countries on national level implementation of criteria and indicators,
including among neighbouring countries, or those with similar
forest conditions. In this regard it was agreed that each country
would report on its approach to data requirements, including
collection, and its approach to reporting on each indicator
at the next meeting of the Montreal Process. On this basis,
the next meeting would consider how best to advance comparability
among Montreal Process countries on country approaches to measuring
and reporting on indicators. Consideration would also be given
at the next meeting to preparing a format and timetable for
a first approximation report for the Montreal Process as a whole,
preparatory to the final session of the Intergovernmental Panel
on Forests in March of 1997.
-
The meeting exchanged
views on the relationship between national level criteria and
indicators and certification. The Montreal Process countries
reaffirmed that the criteria and indicators have been developed
for the assessment of sustainable forest management at the national
level. While internationally agreed criteria and indicators
could also help clarify ongoing dialogues related to international
trade in forest products as noted in Section 1.2 of the Annex
to the Santiago Declaration, they are not intended to be used
directly for certification at the forest management unit level.
-
The Montreal
Process countries will seek to meet on the margins of one or
more of the upcoming international forestry related meetings
if it appears that most countries will be represented. Canada
as liaison office will consult with countries on their plans
and preferences in advance of IPF related meetings.
-
Montreal Process
countries will seek to report on work in progress, at the Intergovernmental
Seminar of Experts on Criteria and Indicators for Sustainable
Forest Management to be hosted by Finland, August 19-21, 1996.
-
It was agreed
that the procedure, as followed by Argentina and Uruguay, for
a country to join the Montreal Process is a diplomatic one.
An interested country should by diplomatic channels inform the
Government of Chile that its government endorses the Santiago
Declaration. Chile will inform Canada as the liaison office,
which will inform the other Montreal Process countries.
-
Australia graciously
offered to host the eighth meeting of the Working Group in June,
1996, immediately following the international Conference on
the Certification and Labelling of Sustainably Produced Forest
Products which will be hosted by Australia in Brisbane on May
27-30, 1996. Australia will inform Canada of specific details
of dates and venue in due course.
-
The Working Group
welcomed the willingness of Canada to continue to serve as the
liaison office for the Montreal Process.
Top
of Page 
Attachment
7th Meeting of the
Montreal Process Working Group
Auckland, New Zealand
30 October - 4 November 1995
List of Participants: Please
see "Who is Involved: Montreal
Process Contacts"
|
