| European
Tropical Forest Research Network |
ARD AND USAID EXAMINE LINKS BETWEEN FORESTS AND CONFLICT
ARD has been working with USAID’s Asia and Near East Bureau on examining the links between forests and conflict. ARD and USAID/ANE’s Technical Support Office have developed a list-serve to distribute documents on this subject from their own projects and others. These documents can be found online at http://www.ard-biofor.com/asiaconflict.htm. If you would like to join this list-serve, please notify Tracy Simmons (tsimmons@ardinc.com). A brief description of the issue and the project’s background follows.
Forest Conflict: A Critical Development
Issue
Conflict that is financed or sustained
through the harvest and sale of timber, or
that emerges as a result of competition over
timber or other forest resources hinders
equitable development, impoverishes local
communities and contributes to instability
in many countries in Asia. Strong links exist
between conflict over timber and poor,
inequitable systems of governance. The
situation is further exacerbated by
ambiguous resource tenure and loose
financial oversight, which can generate
incentives for powerful individual actors to
engage in conflict timber activities.
USAID/ANE/TS developed two projects, “Conflict Timber: Dimensions of the Problem in Asia and Africa,” and “Managing Conflict in Asian Forest Communities” examining causes and effects of forestrelated conflict. ARD, Inc. was contracted to develop country case studies and analytical overviews.
CEESP WORKING GROUP ON ENVIRONMENT AND SECURITY
The CEESP Working Group on Environment and Security was established in 2000 as a voluntary network of experts on the links between conflict, disaster and environmental management. With the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) acting as secretariat to the Working Group, CEESP is seeking knowledge in four key areas:
Natural Resources, Livelihoods and
Security
http://www.iisd.org/natres/security/nrls.asp
What are the links between natural
resources, peoples’ livelihoods and
conflicts? An IUCN/IISD book, with a broad
sweep of case studies from around the
globe, was published in 2002.
Trade, Aid and Security – The Role of
Natural Resources
http://www.iisd.org/natres/security/esdc.asp
Launched in the wake of the international
campaign against ‘blood diamonds’
fuelling conflict in West Africa, this initiative
seeks to identify how aid should be targeted
and trade rules structured to ensure that
international commerce in valuable natural
resources leads to peace and not to conflict.
Climate Change, Vulnerable Communities
and Adaptation
http://www.iisd.org/natres/security/ccvca.asp
Given the links between resource
degradation and vulnerability to disaster,
can conservation of natural buffer systems
reinforce livelihoods and shield
communities from extreme climatic events?
An international task force led by IUCN, IISD
and the Stockholm Environment Institute
(SEI) is seeking the answers through
research.
Environment, Business and Conflict
http://www.iisd.org/natres/security/ebc.asp
What role do companies – particularly in
the extractive sectors – play in exacerbating
livelihood insecurities and creating or
fuelling conflict? Linking with partners in
Finance, Mining and Oil & Gas, this
emerging initiative seeks to develop tools
for risk management that also benefit social
stability.
We invite your participation as an associate member in the challenging endeavor of turning an emerging knowledge base into tools for decision making, conservation practice and conflict prevention. Participation is on an individual basis and does not require organisational affiliation.
Associate members may also be invited to join a Working Group engaged on a particular issue, or to contribute articles or reflections on key issues as part of a larger project. They may be invited to submit articles for publication by IUCN, and will receive the CEESP semi-annual magazine ‘Policy Matters’. Associate members will periodically be asked to comment on a particular project concept or document, posted on the IISD Environment & Security website in draft form. They may also be asked to recommend others for particular projects, or to identify new members to fill gaps in representation or expertise.
To join, please include a form with a copy of your CV or details of relevant work experience.
For requesting application form and more
information, contact:
Jason Switzer,
E-mail: jswitzer@iisd.ca
Fax: +41 22 9799093
The new CEESP mandate is now available
at the IUCN website (http://www.iucn.org/themes/ceesp).
We would appreciate comments of members of CEESP and IUCN as well as any other interested parties. Let us know if you are interested in working with us to achieve this ambitious programme! Please send all comments to ceesp@iucn.org
KEEP UP TO DATE WITH POLICY DEVELOPMENTS ON ILLEGAL LOGGING AND THE TRADE IN ILLEGAL TIMBER
The website http://www.illegal-logging.info was established to act as a central point of information on all aspects of the international debate on illegal logging and the trade in illegal timber. The site is maintained by the Royal Institute of International Affairs at Chatham House, an independent research institute based in London.
The site includes latest news stories, documents from and links to research institutes, governments, international institutions and NGOs working on the topic, and a series of concise briefings on all aspects of national and international efforts to stem illegal forest practices and the associated trade in forest products.
The site also allows you to sign up to an email mailing list, which we use to inform you about the latest reports from Chatham House, and the regular meetings we hold as updates on the latest policy developments on illegal logging and the trade in illegal timber.
Four new reports on aspects of the EU’s Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) Action Plan have just been released by Chatham House (Royal Institute of International Affairs). All these papers are available free for download from http://www.illegal-logging.info:
Click on http://www.illegal-logging.info to see more.
Duncan Brack
Associate Fellow, Chatham House
Sustainable Development Programme,
Royal Institute of International Affairs
E-mail: illegal-logging@chathamhouse.org.uk
Website:
http://www.riia.org/sustainabledevelopment
PANEL DISCUSSION ON ILLEGAL LOGGING
In conjunction with the 3rd IUCN World Conservation Congress, the International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO) and IUCN recently convened a panel discussion on combating illegal logging. For a summary of the discussion, and to download the presentations of speakers from government, the private sector and civil society, go to http://www.itto.or.jp .
Contact
:
Alastair Sarre
Editor and Communications Manager,
International Tropical Timber Organization,
International Organizations Center - 5th
Floor; 1-1-1, Pacifico-Yokohama, Minatomirai
Nishi-ku Yokohama 220-0012,
Japan
Phone: + 81 45 2231110
Fax: + 81 45 2231111
E-mail: editor@itto.or.jp
Website: http://www.itto.or.jp
FOREST CONFLICTS STUDIES AT WAGENINGEN UNIVERSITY
Within the framework of the research programme on ‘Forest and nature conservation in a governance perspective’ of the Forest and Nature Conservation Policy group, Wageningen University, the following two PhD studies on forest conflicts are in progress:
The studies are carried out in cooperation with the Tropenbos Ghana programme and CIFOR respectively. For more information see: http://www.dow.wur.nl/fnp
Wageningen University
Forest and Nature Conservation Policy
Group
P.O.Box 47,
6700 AA, Wageningen,
The Netherlands
CLIMATE NETWORK AFRICA APRIL 2004
The proceedings “Climate Network Africa April 2004” (97 pages) covering the workshop/dialogue with East African legislators on climate change and sustainable development issues are now available. With WSSD +2 coming up shortly the proceedings of this workshop with East Africa parliamentarians assumes special significance.
Africa, which contains many of the poorest and least developed countries in the world, has been responsible for releasing a relatively minor proportion of the green house gases, like CO2 and methane, that contribute to global warming. However, climate change projections suggest that it will be one of the areas worst affected by global warming, which is likely to pose significant threats to sustainable development on the continent. These are likely to include increased rainfall variability contributing to more severe droughts, and more severe flooding, land degradation, threats to food security, health problems and shortages of hydro electric power.
The goal of the workshop was to enhance effective implementation of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) by informing the legislators about ways to integrate climate change considerations into social, economic and environmental policy, legislation and action. Specific objectives included defining East African priorities, establishing a parliamentary committee on environment for the three East African countries, harmonising policies across the countries and promoting ratification of the Kyoto Protocol and the establishment of Designated National Authorities to oversee its implementation.
To access the proceedings, in pdf format, go to: http://www.sarpn.org.za/documents/d0000889/index.php
Richard Humphries
Co-ordinator
Southern African Regional Poverty Network
(SARPN)
Pretoria,
South Africa
Phone: + 27 12 3022707 (please note new
number from 1 August 2004)
Fax: + 27 12 3022284
HUMAN DIMENSIONS OF GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE: CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS, BERLIN 2002
The Proceedings of the 2002 Berlin Conference on the Human Dimensions of Global Environmental Change “Knowledge for the Sustainability Transition. The Challenge for Social Science” are now available online. The Proceedings, edited by Frank Biermann, Sabine Campe and Klaus Jacob, comprise a peer-reviewed selection of the 30 best papers presented at the 2002 Berlin Conference, which was attended by 220 participants from 29 countries. The conference was endorsed by two IHDP core projects, Institutional Dimensions of Global Environmental Change (IDGEC) and Industrial Transformation (IT).
Core themes of the conference include:
The complete table of contents and all individual contributions are now available at http://www.glogov.org/front_content.php?idcat=92
Also, an excellent sample of the many interesting papers of the 2001 Berlin Conference “Global Environmental Change and the Nation State” has now appeared as a special issue of the journal Global Environmental Politics, vol. 4, no. 1 (2004).
Contact:
Anna Schreyögg
Editorial Assistant
Global Governance Project
c/o Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact
Research
P.O. Box 60 12 03
14412 Potsdam
Germany
Phone +49 331 2882668
Fax +49 331 2882640
E-mail glogov@glogov.org
Website: http://www.glogov.org
UNDP’S BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION ACTIVITIES IN TANZANIAN MOUNTAIN AREAS
United Nations Development Programme’s (UNDP) support to the environment sector in Tanzania is about 2 million Euros per year and includes nine projects. Many of the projects are funded in partnership with the Global Environment Facility (GEF) while some are supported in partnership with other development partners such as France, Denmark, DFID, Norad etc. All these projects are implemented with national partners – either the Government of Tanzania or civil society organisations.
The UNDP supports, among others, biodiversity conservation projects at Mt. Kilimanjaro and in the Eastern Arc Mountains forests in Tanzania. The Eastern Arc Mountains Forest Conservation and Management Project (EAMFCMP) is currently in the process of formulating a conservation strategy for the Eastern Arc Mountains of Tanzania. The Mountains are globally recognized as being of exceptional importance for the conservation of biological diversity. In addition, the Mountains are of national importance as they are the sources of major rivers in eastern Tanzania, providing up to 60% of the country’s urban drinking water, associated hydroelectric supplies, and water for irrigation.
The UNDP Small Grants Programme supports the Amani Butterfly Project and biodiversity conservation of Mt. Kilimanjaro. The Amani project has been training men and women living near to the Amani Nature Reserve in the East Usambaras to farm butterflies for sale. The project managed by the Tanzania Forest Conservation Group, aims to encourage people to promote the conservation of the East Usambara forests as they depend on the forests as a source of food plants for the butterflies (more information at: http://www.amanibutterflyproject.org). An aerial survey of the threats to Mt. Kilimanjaro’s forests showed that continued degradation of the natural resources will lead to loss of critical products and services (hydropower, tourism etc.) provided by the mountain.
For more information please contact:
Dr. Tapani Tyynela
E-mail: tapani.tyynela@undp.org
Mr. Nehemiah Murusuri
E-mail: nehemiah.murusuri@undp.org
Dr. Felician Kilahama
tfcmp@intafrica.com
Website: http://www.tz.undp.org
WORKSHOP ON HARMONIZATION OF NATIONAL REPORTING TO BIODIVERSITY-RELATED CONVENTIONS
In September 2004, the UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEPWCMC), in cooperation with the governments of Belgium and the United Kingdom, convened a workshop in Haasrode, Belgium, on harmonization of national reporting to biodiversity-related conventions. The workshop followed up on UNEP- convened pilot projects in four countries, which examined different approaches to harmonization of national information management and reporting to conventions:
At the workshop, representatives of the five global biodiversity-related conventions (CBD, CITES, CMS, Ramsar Convention, World Heritage Convention), two agreement secretariats, eight countries, the European Commission and several international organisations discussed the obstacles to harmonization as well as the opportunities that the pilot projects had identified. The workshop resulted in a number of recommendations to national governments, the conventions and organisations, including the following: • coordination on the management of information at the national level is crucial; • the focus needs to shift to outcomeoriented reporting.
Multilateral Environment Agreements (MEAs) should consider developing thematic clusters, relevant to more than one MEA, on which countries could report on (e.g. inland waters, invasive species, and protected areas) . The capacity of developing countries needs to be strengthened to implement a harmonized approach to information management and reporting in order to reduce the reporting burden. Regional organisations could play a crucial role in supporting harmonization on the national level.
The workshop report, with the workshop documentation and presentations, is available at http://www.unep-wcmc.org/conventions/harmonization/workshop.htm or from Peter Herkenrath at UNEP-WCMC.
Peter Herkenrath
UNEP –WCMC
219 Huntingdon Road
Cambridge CB3 0DL
UK
Phone: +44 1223 277314
Fax: +44 1223 277136
E-mail: peter.herkenrath@unep-wcmc.org
Website: http://www.unep-wcmc.org
METAFRO – INFOSYS: AN AFRICAN INFORMATION SYSTEM
Metafro – Infosys stands for Metadata African Organisation - Information System. Originally conceived in 1998 as a research project, today Metafro’s objective is to gather and give access to a variety of information related to Africa in general and Central Africa in particular.
Metafro Information system already contains a lot of valuable information on Central Africa covering topics such as economics, politics, geology, agriculture, botany and much more. 1500 downloadable documents, information on research projects and institutions, library catalogues (containing more than 20.000 references) and several collections can be consulted on the http://www.metafro.be website.
Among our catalogues, the Prelude and Tervuren Xylarium databases are related to the study and use of tropical woods and plants. The Prelude database (http://www.metafro.be/prelude) gathers information on the use of traditional veterinary and human medicinal plants in Sub- Saharan Africa. Initially created at the Catholic University of Louvain (Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium) by Martine Baerts-Lehmann and Jean Lehmann, it has been transferred to the Metafro Information System at the Royal Museum for Central Africa to ensure better conservation and technical management. The Tervuren Xylarium (http://www.metafro.be/xylarium) has been established to serve the different disciplines interested in wood research: technology, ecology, palaeontology, art history, archaeology. With more than 55.000 specimens catalogued, it is the largest of its kind in the world.
KNOWLEDGE REFERENCE ON NATIONAL FOREST ASSESSMENT
An on-line Knowledge Reference on National Forest Assessment has been developed by FAO Forestry Department and IUFRO Division IV. The reference is intended to serve as a world-wide knowledge resource for national forest assessments among foresters, scientists, teachers and other stakeholders, in particular aiming at needs of developing countries. Since informed decisions about forest resources on national level have to be based on systematic inventory and monitoring, the reference can also be seen as a useful tool to support sustainable management of forest resources. The Knowledge Reference contents will continue to be developed. It is currently published in English, but will in the near future be translated into Spanish and French. The reference is coordinated by the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences.
Knowledge Reference homepage: http://www.fao.org/forestry/fra-knowledgeref
The Katoomba’s Group’s Ecosystem Marketplace is the leading provider of information on emerging markets in ecosystem services. It covers markets in carbon, water quality and quantity mitigation banking, and biodiversity conservation. The marketplace delivers high quality up-to-the minute news and analyses from around the globe on market transactions and business opportunities, as well as the latest information on policy, regulation, and science for all environmental markets.
The Marketplace brings you services designed to inform buyers, sellers, and intermediaries of all scales of involvement and market experience:
The website and eNewsletter allow you to easily follow the latest market developments and read analyses on how your sector may be impacted. The biweekly eNewsletter is the first step to staying on top of these rapidly developing markets.
To visit the Ecosystem Marketplace and sign up for the eNewsletter click here: http://www.ecosystemmarketplace.com/
E-mail:
newsletter@ecosystemmarketplace.com
The Katoomba Group
1050 Potomac Street, NW
Washington, DC 20007
USA
Phone: +1 202 2983003
Fax: +1 202 2983014
Toronto, Canada, 1-3 March 2005
Titled “Partnerships towards Sustainability,” the inaugural ForestLeadership Conference will provide opportunities for discussing exciting trends in sustainable forestry and responsible procurement with special emphasis on the development of multi-stakeholder partnerships towards forest sustainability.
The Conference is geared towards a diverse audience of forest sector decision-makers: corporate social responsibility officers, sustainable forestry experts, governmental officials, professional foresters, industry representatives, procurement specialists, First Nations and tribes, community representatives, conservation and other organisations.
The Conference will feature leading North American and international speakers, including at ministerial and CEO level, and will include strategic and field-oriented sessions examining the practical implementation of partnerships on the ground.
Conference Chair is Jean-Pierre Kiekens, Initiator of ForestLeadership, former lecturer at the University of Brussels and former editor of the Forest Certification Watch newsletter.
The key topics to be discussed at the conference are:
Announced in April 2004, ForestLeadership is a non-profit initiative providing forest sector professionals and stakeholders with opportunities to enhance their leadership skills. The ForestLeadership Conference builds on the successful series of Certification Watch Conferences that have attracted prominent leaders in sustainable forestry since 2001.
For more details, including the final program, conference speakers and information on registration, please visit: http://forestleadership.com/rubrique.php3?id_rubrique=8. Subscribe at: http://forestleadership.com/article.php3?id_article=4 to ForestLeadership’s electronic updates to be notified of the details of the conference, as they are announced.
For further information, contact:
The ForestLeadership Conference Team
353 St Nicolas - Suite 101
Montreal, QC, H2Y 2P1
Canada
Phone: +1 514 2744344
Fax +1 514 2776663
E-mail: conference@forestleadership.com
SONGS INSPIRED BY THE TROPICAL RAINFOREST!
Dutch jazz singer and social forester Heleen van den Hombergh melded her passions for forests and music in her project called Rush in the Woods! She performs her music - a mixture of pop, soul and jazz- on a variety of stages and released a CD under the same title. Pieces of her songs -about monkeys, the jaguar, the sloth, the intriguing life in the upper layers of the forests and what happens when a giant tree falls down- can be heard on her website: http://www.heleenvandenhombergh.com. The press reacted very enthusiastically: “she seems a secret treasure that has come down from the highest rainforest tree”...”resembles the best of Joni Mitchell”...
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR FOREST CONSERVATION
Coral Cay Conservation (CCC) believes that conservation should not cost the earth! Therefore, to mark the 20th anniversary of CCC, we are proud to be able to offer a 30% discount on expeditions to one of our tropical forest conservation projects starting January - May 2005. If you are a returning volunteer you’ll get 50% off all expedition costs.
CCC is a not-for-profit, international community-based tropical forest and coral reef conservation group. We send teams of volunteers to survey some of the world’s most endangered coral reefs and tropical forests. Our mission is to protect these crucial environments by working closely with the local communities who depend on them for food and livelihood.
CCC has a new and exciting tropical forest conservation project in Malaysia and an ongoing, award winning project in the Philippines in which volunteers can take part. CCC also offers full fundraising support since many volunteers pay for their participation through sponsorship and grants.
More information can be found at http://www.coralcay.org/index.php.
To reserve your place on a CCC Expedition,
contact the Volunteer Recruitment
Coordinator: by email (lb@coralcay.org) or
phone (+44 208 5457717)
Coral Cay Conservation,
The Tower, 125 High Street
Colliers Wood, London SW19 2JG
UK
Phone: +44 870 7500668
Fax: + 44 - 870 7500667
FOREST POLICY TRAINING FOR PRACTITIONERS AND FOREST SCIENTISTS
The International Union of Forest Research Organizations - Special Programme for Developing Countries (IUFRO-SPDC) has recently developed a new and interesting training programme about linking research with practice.
Informed debate and decision-making in international and national forest policy processes requires input from science and technology. Effective participation of scientists is necessary to adequately integrate scientific knowledge and research results into these processes. In recent years, national forest programmes have emerged as a comprehensive policy and planning framework for the forest sector. National forest programmes (nfp) provide an appropriate platform for continuous dialogue and mutual learning among various forest stakeholders including forest scientists. However, experiences so far have shown that there is still a lack of scientific involvement in policy processes. Capacity building for forest scientists can contribute to enhance such involvement and to mobilise and motivate scientists to play a more active role in nfp processes.
In its effort to contribute to strengthening of the interface between science and policy, IUFRO-SPDC in co-operation with international forestry agencies has developed a new policy training programme for forest scientists from developing and economically disadvantaged countries. The training programme encourages participation of practitioners and forest scientists. It aims to promote multistakeholder learning through joint recognition of and debate on complex forest-related policy issues. Particular emphasis is given to effective interaction between science and policy as an integral component of the learning process. The first training workshop was held in Jakarta, Indonesia, in September 2004.
Depending on interest and demand, it is intended to implement training workshops of this kind on regular basis in Africa, Asia and Latin America. Scientists and practitioners from these regions who wish to further develop their competence in forest policy and national forest programmes are encouraged to express their interest by writing to IUFRO-SPDC at kleine@iufro.org or schimpf@iufro.org.
The next training workshop on “International Forest Related Initiatives and their Implementation in the Context of National Forest Programmes – Linking Research and Science with Practice” will be convened in Brisbane, Australia (2- 5 August 2005). Mid-career scientists and senior managers from institutions in developing and economically disadvantaged countries are encouraged to attend. Please consult the website for more information, or write to Michael Kleine.
Michael Kleine
IUFRO-SPDC Coordinator
IUFRO Headquarters
Hauptstrasse 7
A-1140 Vienna
Austria
Phone: +43 1 8770151-22
Fax: +43 1 8770151-50
E-mail: kleine@iufro.org
Website:
http://www.iufro.org/science/special/spdc/
IMA INTERNATIONAL COURSE “RESEARCH PROMOTION FOR DEVELOPMENT”
This innovative one week course explores the links between scientific research, policy formulation, institutional development and action/ implementation for poverty alleviation. The course guides participants through the nature of scientific communication and learning, the process by which research results find a pathway to policy makers and end users and assists participants in developing and implementing strategies to promote the results of their own research projects. Improved advocacy and communication methodologies for uptake are discussed and explored. The combination of the above together with self-managed assessment methodologies to determine impact is innovative and adds value from the early stages of project development. Researchers during this course develop a working promotion strategy that will ensure better uptake for their project findings, building on skills learned and experience gained as the course progresses.
The course is suitable for either project groups, in which case studies can be very specific and promotion strategies developed accordingly, or to individuals where there are opportunities to analyse, develop and exchange ideas with likeminded researchers.
Key areas of study:
Course dates and fees: 25 – 29 April 2005 in Brighton, United Kingdom. The fees are £1,500 per participant, inclusive of bed and breakfast accommodation. Fees also include airport transfers, course materials and a cultural programme.
For more information about this course and other IMA courses, please see the IMA website at http://www.imainternational.com.
IMA International
Randolphs Farm, Brighton Road,
Hurstpierpoint,
West Sussex, BN6 9EL
UK
Phone: +44 1273 833030
Fax: +44 1273 833230
E-mail : post@imainternational.com
FIELD FACILITATORS GUIDELINES FOR SMALL-SCALE FOREST ENTERPRISES
The FAO website now contains Field Facilitators Guidelines for communitybased tree and forest product enterprises. These small–scale forest enterprises are designed with the help of participatory methodologies such as Market Analysis and Development (MA&D) and operate within the framework of Participatory forestry mechanisms that enable those people with a direct stake in forest resources, to be part of decision-making in all aspects of forest management. For more information, see the Webpage of small-scale forest enterprises at http://www.fao.org/forestry/site/10173/en Are these guidelines for you? Do you want to help small entrepreneurs in the field to identify and develop natural resource products-based small-scale enterprises? Then these guidelines are just what you are looking for. Whether you work for governmental or non-government development agencies, the guidelines provide you with easy-to-follow descriptions of practical methods and well-tested field tools which you can use to turn villagers into successful small-scale entrepreneurs. Don’t worry. You don’t need to be an expert in business management in order to facilitate this process!
The Field Facilitators Guidelines are published in English, French and Spanish. They can be accessed and downloaded from the FAO website.
English: FIELD FACILITATORS
GUIDELINES (2004)
http://www.fao.org/documents/show_cdr.asp?url_file=/docrep/007/ae419e/ae419e00.htm
PDF: ftp://ftp.fao.org/docrep/fao/007/ae419e/ae419e00.pdf
French: FICHES CONSEIL AU
FACILITATEUR DE TERRAIN (2004)
http://www.fao.org/documents/show_cdr.asp?url_file=/docrep/007/ae419f/ae419f00.htm
PDF file: ftp://ftp.fao.org/docrep/fao/007/ae419f/ae419f00.pdf
Spanish: DIRECTRICES PARA
FACILITADORES DE CAMPO (2004)
http://www.fao.org/documents/show_cdr.asp?url_file=/docrep/007/ae419s/ae419s00.htm
PDF: ftp://ftp.fao.org/docrep/fao/007/ae419s/ae419s00.pdf
Contact:
Sophie Grouwels
Community-based Enterprise Development
Officer
Forestry Policy and Institutions Service,
FONP, Forestry Department, FAO
Room C-463
Phone: +39 6 57055299
Fax: +39 6 57055514
E-mail: Sophie.Grouwels@fao.org
Website: http://www.fao.org
Webpage small-scale enterprises:
http://www.fao.org/forestry/site/10173/en
MA&D Brochure-link: http://www.fao.org/documents/show_cdr.asp?url_file=/DOCREP/005/X4808E/X4808E00.HTM
THE VERIFOR PROJECT (ODI AND PARTNERS)
VERIFOR was one of the successful proposals under the last round of bids to the EC’s ‘Tropical Forestry’ budget line. The project is to be implemented by ODI in association with three international partners: CIFOR (Africa), RECOFTC (Asia) and CATIE (Central and South America), and has a value of €2.4 million over four years (2005-9), 80% funded by the EC.
VERIFOR is concerned with the policy, institutional and legal challenges around the issue of illegal logging. It seeks to help tropical producer countries verify that their timber has been legally harvested. In line with the EC’s FLEGT Action Plan, the focus is on the provision of equitable solutions that do not have adverse effects on the poor, and which support the principles of good governance. It addresses the institutional dimensions, and the ways in which national ownership can be built up in a manner compatible with international credibility and legitimacy (rather than, say, technical aids such as methods of log tracking). A central preoccupation is the policy arena and policy challenges. Thus, it goes beyond the issue of criminality and will make a contribution to poverty reduction through national-led processes.
VERIFOR is in two phases. The first leads to a major international conference to review existing verification systems, both within the sector and beyond. The second phase of the Project will build a dialogue with interested parties to design verification systems that are well attuned to country realities and enjoy broad national ownership. The project will end with a second conference to take stock of what has been learned, and to maintain the momentum for range-state options and solutions.
Contact information:
The Project Director is:
Dr. David Brown,
Research Fellow in Forest Policy at the ODI
E-mail: d.brown@odi.org.uk
The Project Administrator is:
Christina Panagiotopoulos
FPEP Administration
ODI
111 Westminster Bridge Road,
London, SE1 7JD
UK
Phone: +44 20 79220352
Fax: +44 20 79220399
E-mail : c.panagiotopoulos@odi.org.uk
Website: http://www.fao.org/FORESTRY/FON/fonp/cfu/MADoENG.pdf
INTERACTIVE FOREST AND NATURE POLICY IN PRACTICE
International Course, IAC Wageningen, The Netherlands, 12 - 30 September 2005
One of the most significant developments in environmental and natural resource policy making over the last decade has been the focus on finding effective alternatives to command and control regulation. The trend towards using less intrusive means to achieve policy goals is a response to policy failures, such as implementation gaps and lack of legitimation, and to a changed understanding of the complexity of societal and environmental problems. As a result, the relationship between the regulators and the regulated has shifted. Governmental actors become facilitators, moderators and partners in participatory processes among a diverse set of non-governmental actors.
This development challenges forest and nature management professionals to take a wider perspective: to look beyond the forest boundaries, taking into account crosssectoral concerns and using multidisciplinary approaches. Professionals accepting this challenge will need to clarify the relevance of forest policy to poverty reduction strategies. They will require experience in using participatory approaches to ensure the involvement of stakeholders in policy development and implementation. If you would like to develop your skills as a ‘new’ professional, this course will interest you.
From 12-30 September 2005 the IAC will organise a three week international course on “Interactive Forest and Nature Policy in Practice: managing multi-stakeholder learning in sector wide approaches and national forest programmes.”
This course adopts a learning perspective to policy development and implementation for sustainable natural resource management. Processes of collaborative learning look beyond stakeholder participation, focussing on the social processes and dynamics that make stakeholder participation effective for managing natural resources. Using the Multi-Stakeholder Processes conceptual framework and reflecting on participants’ own experiences, an active learning environment is created that is fun, stimulating and challenging.
Are you curious about this course or other IAC courses? Please contact us through:
Fax +31 317 495395
E-mail: wouter.hijweege@wur.nl.
You can also visit us at http://www.iac.wur.nl
We appreciate your assistance in communicating this course to colleagues within your organisation and network. Please contact us if you have any questions or suggestions.
Wouter Hijweege
Course coordinator
IAC