In 2004 throughout
the world, including in the UNECE region, illegal
logging and other forms of forest crime continued
to be a major problem: not only are forests harmed
or even destroyed, and government revenue lost, but
the fundamental respect for the rule of law and social
cohesion is weakened and lives are lost. Until recently,
governments have been unwilling to admit the gravity
of the problem, but now "forest law compliance"
is at the top of the sustainable development agenda
in the forest field, worldwide. The Timber Committee
with FAO held the first workshop on the topic in the
region, which identified the main causes and extent
of illegal logging in the region, and prepared a series
of options for countries and international organizations.
Forest fires have been increasing
in severity and frequency particularly in the Balkan
countries in years with adverse meteorological conditions.
A conference on forest fires with a special focus
on the eastern Mediterranean was held in Antalya,
Turkey, in March/April 2004. One outcome was the "Antalya
Declaration" by which participating countries
committed themselves to international cooperation
in fire emergency situations.
The main report of a major study
of the long-term outlook for the region's forest (EFSOS,
European Forest Sector Outlook Study) is being published
and five Discussion Papers are already issued. Its
main conclusions are that the sector's balance will
shift to the east, enough wood is physically available
for expected demand and that the cross-sectoral dimension
is crucially important to sector policy. These conclusions
were discussed at a policy forum on the long-term
challenges to the forest sector in a wider Europe.
Disaster preparedness is highly relevant
to forestry. A seminar in Freiburg (Germany) brought
together practitioners and policymakers to exchange
experience, so that when future exceptional events,
like the hurricane in 1999, hit the forests of the
region, they can immediately refer to previous experience,
and thus respond as precisely and rapidly as possible.
European and North American consumers
are becoming increasingly confused and sceptical by
the fierce competition among schemes to certify that
wood comes from sustainably managed forests. Revisions
to official procurement policies are also changing
market conditions. The Timber Committee monitors recent
developments as regards certification schemes, markets
and policies, in a neutral and objective way, for
the benefit of governments and market actors, through
publications and at the annual Committee market discussions.
The Committee and its sister body,
the FAO European Forestry Commission, carried out,
with the participation of all stakeholders and partners,
a strategic review of all their activities, and agreed
on a refreshed vision and programme for the period
from 2005 to 2008, focused on promoting sustainable
forest management and the sound and legal use of wood
throughout the region.
Challenges for 2005
will include the promotion of the cross-sectoral approach
to forest issues through workshops on the implications
and consequences of the European Forest Sector Outlook
Study, and to refine, explain and promote the policy
recommendations of the study.
UNECE will contribute to the preparation
of the Ministerial Conference on forest law enforcement
and governance in Moscow in 2005, and to the implementation
of its recommendations, especially to combat illegal
logging.
The UNECE will continue to collect,
improve and disseminate information on the state of
forests in the UNECE region, both as a contribution
to the global Forest Resource Assessment 2005 (input
to monitoring the Millennium Development Goal concerning
deforestation), and the report on indicators of sustainable
forest management for the forthcoming Ministerial
Conference in Warsaw on Protection of Forests in Europe.
Activities on trade and environment
issues will continue, notably a workshop on "Forest
Certification: the Role of Governments", and
in general to monitor the certification processes
and to report on any policy implications.
The first conference of forestry
training centres will be held in France in March 2005,
as the low skill level of the workforce is frequently
a constraint on sustainable forest management.
The monitoring of markets for forest
products (production, trade and prices) will be pursued
as well as the supply of high quality consistent and
reliable data for that purpose. The Committee will
provide a forum for discussion of market trends and
their policy dimension.