1. Dr. J. V. Sharma International Arrangement on Forests (IAF)

2. Why International Cooperation on Environmental Issues ? Deterioration of Earth’s Environment increasingly threatens the natural resource base. Environmental Challenge, Problems and solutions are transboundary, regional or global in scope Need for Global Action for protection of Natural Environment Environmental Law is a tool for catalyzing national and international action for protection of environment

3. ELEMENTS OF INTERNATIONAL ARRANGEMENT ON FORESTS GLOBAL FOREST POLICY FOREST RELATED INTERNATIONAL INSTRUMENTS AND PROCESSES (INSTITUTION) GLOBAL REGULATORY FRAMEWORK MONITORING AND REPORTING

4. GLOBAL FOREST POLICY Global forest policy has been developed in a variety of international fora through the deliberations on forests and outcomes from discussions at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), the Intergovernmental Panel on Forests (IPF), the Intergovernmental Forum on Forests(IFF), the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF), the Committee on Forestry (COFO) of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO).

5. EARTH SUMMIT In 1992, more than 100 heads of state met in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil for the first international Earth Summit convened to address urgent problems of environmental protection and socio-economic development. The assembled leaders signed the Convention on Climate Change and the Convention on Biological Diversity endorsed the Rio declaration and the Forest Principles, and adopted Agenda 21, a 300 page plan for achieving sustainable development in the 21st century.

6. RIO DECLARATION ON ENVIRONMENT AND DEVELOPMENT Reaffirming the Declaration of the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment, adopted at Stockholm on 16 June 1972, a/ and seeking to build upon it, With the goal of establishing a new and equitable global partnership through the creation of new levels of cooperation among States, key sectors of societies and people, Working towards international agreements which respect the interests of all and protect the integrity of the global environmental and developmental system,

7. FOREST PRINCIPLES NON-LEGALLY BINDING AUTHORITATIVE STATEMENT OF PRINCIPLES FOR A GLOBAL CONSENSUS ON THE MANAGEMENT, CONSERVATION AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF ALL TYPES OF FORESTS States have, in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations and the principles of international law, the sovereign right to exploit their own resources pursuant to their own environmental policies and have the responsibility to ensure that activities within their jurisdiction or control do not cause damage to the environment of other States or of areas beyond the limits of national jurisdiction.

8. FOREST PRINCIPLES States have the sovereign and inalienable right to utilize, manage and develop their forests in accordance with their development needs and level of socio-economic development and on the basis of national policies consistent with sustainable development and legislation, including the conversion of such areas for other uses within the overall socio-economic development plan and based on rational land-use policies.

9. FOREST PRINCIPLES Sustainable forest Management, as a dynamic process and evolving concept, aims to maintain and enhance the economic,social and environmental values of all types of forests, for the benefit of present and future generation.

10. Agenda 21 Agenda 21 is a comprehensive plan of action to be taken globally, nationally and locally by organizations of the United Nations System, Governments, and Major Groups in every area in which human impacts on the environment. Agenda 21, the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development, and the Statement of principles for the Sustainable Management of Forests were adopted by more than 178 Governments at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) held in Rio de Janerio, Brazil, 3 to 14 June 1992.Rio Declaration on Environment and Development, Statement of principles for the Sustainable Management of Forests

11. Chapter 11 of Agenda 21Combating desertification (b) To strengthen and improve human, technical and professional skills, as well as expertise and capabilities to effectively formulate and implement policies, plans, programmes, research and projects on management, conservation and sustainable development of all types of forests.

12. Commission on Sustainable development (CSD) The CSD was created in December 1992 to ensure effective follow-up of UNCED, to monitor and report on implementation of the agreements at the local, national, regional and international levels. It was agreed that a five year review of Earth Summit progress would be made in 1997 by the United Nations General Assembly meeting in special session.United Nations General Assembly meeting in special session.

13. World Summit on Sustainable Development(WSSD) The full implementation of Agenda 21, the Programme for Further Implementation of Agenda 21 and the Commitments to the Rio principles, were strongly reaffirmed at the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) held in Johannesburg, South Africa from 26 August to 4 September 2002.

14. DEVELOPMENT OF GLOBAL FOREST POLICY United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development : The Intergovernmental Panel on Forests (IPF), established by the Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD) for two years (1995-97) to provide a forum for forest policy deliberations. Subsequently, in 1997, ECOSOC established the Intergovernmental Forum on Forests (IFF), for three years (1997-2000 ).

15. Intergovernmental Panel on Forests (IPF), Deliberations by the IPF were on the following issues: Implementing the forest-related decisions of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) at the national and international levels International cooperation in financial assistance and technology transfer; Scientific research, forest assessment and the development of criteria and indicators for sustainable forest management; Trade and environment in relation to forest products and services; International organizations and multilateral institutions and instruments, including appropriate legal mechanisms.

16. Intergovernmental Forum on Forests (IFF) The IFF’s deliberations were aimed at resolving several issues on which IPF had not reached consensus, such as financial resources, transfer of environmental sound technologies, and other issues left pending, including deliberations on international arrangements and mechanisms on forests.

17. Intergovernmental Forum on Forests (IFF), IFF's programme included the following: facilitating the implementation of the proposals for action of the Intergovernmental Panel on Forests and reviewing, monitoring and reporting on progress in the management, conservation and sustainable development of all types of forest; Considering matters left pending and other issues arising from the programme elements of the IPF process; International arrangements and mechanisms to promote the management, conservation and sustainable development of all types of forests. In 1995, to support the IPF/IFF and to assist governments implement the proposals for action, an informal, high-level Interagency Task Force on Forests (ITFF) was created, made up of eight international organizations.

18. DEVELOPMENT OF GLOBAL FOREST POLICY  Outcomes of the IPF/IFF Processes: approximately 270 proposals for action, known collectively as the IPF/IFF Proposals for Action. These proposals provide governments, international organizations, private sector entities and all other major groups guidance on how to further develop, implement and coordinate national and international policies on sustainable forest management.

19. DEVELOPMENT OF GLOBAL FOREST POLICY  These proposals were non –legally binding.  UNFF a new International Arrangement on Forests (IAF) was established in 2000 by ECOSOC to carry on work building on IPF/IFF Processes

20. United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF) In October 2000, ECOSOC established the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF), a subsidiary body with the main objective to promote the management, conservation and sustainable development of all types of forests and to strengthen long-term political commitment to this end…”based on the Rio Declaration, the Forest Principles, Chapter 11 of Agenda 21 and the outcome of the IPF/IFF Processes and other key milestones of IFP The Forum has universal membership, and is composed of all Member countries and specialized agencies

21. PRINCIPAL FUNCTION To enhance cooperation as well as policy and programme coordination on forest-related issues. To strengthen political commitment to the management, conservation and sustainable development of all types of forests. To facilitate implementation of forest-related agreements and foster a common understanding on sustainable forest management;

22. PRINCIPAL FUNCTION  To provide for continued policy development and dialogue among Governments, international organizations, including major groups, as identified in Agenda 21 as well as to address forest issues and emerging areas of concern in a holistic, comprehensive and integrated manner,

23. PRINCIPAL FUNCTION Enhance the contribution of forests to the achievement of the internationally agreed development goals, including the MDGs, and to the implementation of the Johannesburg Declaration on Sustainable Development and the Plan of Implementation of the World Summit on Sustainable Development, bearing in mind the Monterrey Consensus of the International Conference on Financing for Development;

24. PRINCIPAL FUNCTION  Encourage and assist countries, including those with low forest cover, to develop and implement forest conservation and rehabilitation strategies, increase the area of forests under sustainable management and reduce forest degradation and the loss of forest cover in order to maintain and improve their forest resources with a view to enhancing the benefits of forests to meet present and future needs, in particular the needs of indigenous peoples and local communities whose livelihoods depend on forests ;

25. Global Objectives on Forests In 2006, at its sixth session, the Forum agreed on four shared Global Objectives on Forests, providing clear guidance on the future work of the international arrangement on forests. The four Global Objectives seek to: Reverse the loss of forest cover worldwide through sustainable forest management (SFM), including protection, restoration, afforestation and reforestation, and increase efforts to prevent forest degradation; Enhance forest-based economic, social and environmental benefits, including by improving the livelihoods of forest-dependent people;

26. Global Objectives on Forests Increase significantly the area of sustainably managed forests, including protected forests, and increase the proportion of forest products derived from sustainably managed forests; and Reverse the decline in official development assistance for sustainable forest management and mobilize significantly-increased new and additional financial resources from all sources for the implementation of SFM.

27. Collaborative Partnership on Forests (CPF) The Collaborative Partnership on Forests (CPF) is a voluntary arrangement among 14 international organizations and secretariats with substantial programmes on forests. The CPF has two main objectives: to support the work of the UNFF and its member countries and to foster increased cooperation and coordination on forests

28. The Collaborative Partnership on Forests (CPF) The CPF is comprised of 14 international organizations: 1. Center for International Forestry and Research (CIFOR) 2. Food and agriculture Organization of United 3. International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO) 4. International Union of forest Research Organizations(IUFRO) 5. Secretariat of the convention of Biological Diversity 6. Secretariat of Global Environment Facility 7. Secretariat of United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification 8. UNFF secretariat 9. Secretariat of UNFCCC 10. UNDP 11. UNEO 12. World agroforestry center 13. The world Bank 14. IUCN

29. MISSION The CPF's mission is to promote the management, conservation and sustainable development of all types of forest and strenghten long term political commitment to this end.

30. NLBI on Sustainable Development of All Types of Forests (a) To strengthen political commitment and action at all levels to implement effectively sustainable management of all types of forests and to achieve the shared global objectives on forests; (b) To enhance the contribution of forests to the achievement of the internationally agreed development goals, including the Millennium Development Goals, in particular with respect to poverty eradication and environmental sustainability;

31. Purpose of NLBI (a) To strengthen political commitment and action at all levels to implement effectively sustainable management of all types of forests and to achieve the shared global objectives on forests; (b) To enhance the contribution of forests to the achievement of the internationally agreed development goals, including the Millennium Development Goals, in particular with respect to poverty eradication and environmental sustainability; (c) To provide a framework for national action and international cooperation;

32. Role of UNFF as IAF The Forum : reviews the progress of implementation of NLBI Assess the contribution towards achievement of global objectives and MDGs Provides Policy guidance to CPF International Year of Forests-2011 Hold session in 2009,2011,2013 and 2015

33. MYPOW (2007-15) 8 th Session 2009- Forest in Changing Environment and Means of Implementation for SFM 9 th session 2011: Forest for people and Livelihood for Poverty Eradication 10 th Session 2013: Forest and economic Development 11 th session 2015: Forests: Challenges and Way forward for IAF

34. Role of UNFF as IAF UNFF will address the implementation of NLBI within context of MYPOW (2009-15). FORUM will focus on the progress towards: 1. Achievement of FSM 2. Achievement of global objective 3. Implementation of NLBI 4.implementation of PFA for SFM 5.implementation of previous resolution Theme of the Sessions: 8 th session- Forest in changing Environment and Means of Implementation. 9 th Session: Forests for people and livelihood for poverty eradication. 10 th session: Forests and economic Development.11 th Session: Progress, challenges and way forwards for IAF

35. Role of UNFF as IAF At each session,the Forum will have main task a discussion on achievement of global objectives and implementation of NLBI At each session, cross cutting issues means of implementation and forest law enforcement will be addressed/ Forum will provide interaction with CPF and Major group in each session. Forum will encourage country led initiatives in between the sessions on topics covered under MYPOW. During the period between sessions, the forum will have consultation with : member countries, forest related regional, sub-regional bodies,mechanism and processes,CPF, CLI and AHEG meetings.

36. Committee on Forests(COFO) FAOs statutory body which includes RFCs, Advisory Committee on paper and wood products, International Poplar Commission, Committee on Mediterranean Forestry Questions and panel of experts on forest genetic resource Biennial sessions at ROME Bring together head of the forestry service and senior government officials to identify emerging policy and technical issues and advise FAO for appropriate action

37. Major group The United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF), according to the resolution E/2000/35 that established it, is open to all States and operates in a transparent and participatory manner. The participation of a wide range of forest-related stakeholders is considered a key component of sustainable management of forests. Thus, the Forum welcomes the participation of the nine major groups as identified in Chapter 23 of Agenda 21, including:E/2000/35Chapter 23 of Agenda 21 Women Children and Youth Indigenous People Non-governmental Organizations Local Authorities Workers and Trade Unions Business and Industry Scientific and Technological Communities Farmers and Small Forest Landowners

38. Thanks for attention