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by Alexander V. Korotkov UNECE Timber Branch. UNECE/FAO Integrated Work Program. ECONOMIES IN TRANSITION : FORESTRY CO-OPERATION. Contents of presentation. Introduction & background Brief history of the process Mandate of ToS on CITs Direction of ToS activities
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by Alexander V. Korotkov UNECE Timber Branch UNECE/FAO Integrated Work Program ECONOMIES IN TRANSITION: FORESTRY CO-OPERATION
Contents of presentation • Introduction & background • Brief history of the process • Mandate of ToS on CITs • Direction of ToS activities • MCPFE Resolution H3 • Further needs and challenges • Questions / Issues, Discussion …
Geographical area / political map Magnitude of the process: Twenty-seven (27) countries from central and eastern Europe and the former USSR have been considered as “countries with economies in transition” since beginning of unprecedented political changes and economic transformation Only 9 countries constituted this region in 1989 …
Forestsof Countris in Transition The forest cover of CEEC in transition: 1993 - about 980 million hectares, i.e. about 25.3 percent of the world forests 2004 - some 915 million hectares, i.e. about 23.6 percent of the world forests The forestry importance is high !!!
Team of Specialiststo monitor and develop assistance to countries of central and eastern Europe in transition in the forest and forest products sector ********** Established: October 1993, Joint TC/ EFC session, Geneva
To review periodically programme on CIT To make recommendations to UNECE/FAO To review countries’ needs for assistance To develop ways of co-operation To contribute to effective & efficient way of assistance To monitor and coordinate H3 implementation ************ ToS Duration: 2004(ECE/TIM/2003/2…& /6) ToS Mandate and ToR
ToS meetings/ sessions • 1st inaugural meeting: 6-8 June 1994, Geneva • 2nd meeting: 29-30 May 1996, Geneva • 3rd meeting: 1-5 Nov. 1997, Ljubljana, Slovenia • 4th meeting : 29 June-04 July 1999, Gmunden • 5th meeting: 14 Sept. 2001, Debe/ Warsaw • 6th ToS meeting: 3-6 March 2004, Warsaw
• Institution and capacity building • Legal and policy infrastructure for SFM • Extension services, education and training • Market oriented & ecologically sound enterprises • Cross-sectoral & private ownership issues • Issues of general importance: protection of forests, forest conservation, specific issues, etc Strategic direction of co-operation
“Forestry Co-operation with Countries with Economies in Transition”: “The Signatory States and the European Community commit themselves to promote and support cooperation for mutual benefits … in order to provide relevant expertise and advice, and to invite appropriate organizations and Institutions to do likewise.” MCPFE Resolution H3
UNECE/FAO is the international coordinator for the implementation of the Resolution H3 Reporting: - Antalya (Turkey), January 1995 - Lisbon (Portugal), June 1998 - Vienna (Austria), April 2003 ************ */ Special thanks to reporting countries and to Dr. Peter Csoka (Hungary) !!! MCPFE Resolution H3 (1)
H3 and CITs reporting 1995 – Antalya, Turkey 1988 – Lisbon, Portugal 2003 – Vienna, Austria
MCPFE Resolution H3 (2) Monitoring of H3 Implementation: Some 730 projects/activities reported by donor and recipient countries and organisations in the H3 electronic database (“Users’ Guide”): • Seminars / workshops • Education / training • Scientific / research / “know-how” transfer • Capacity building / technical developments • Policy / strategy / study tours, etc
H3 DB Users’Guide • Forest Resources Data (FRA 2000) • Elements of the international and national legal framwork (list of documents) • H3 relating projects (queries by type, country, search text) • 4) Supplementary information (contact points, etc) • http://www.unece.org/trade/timber/h3/h3.htm
Workshops/ Seminars / Meetings • UNECE Workshops’ Dynamics: • Forming forestry legislation… • Pravitization aspects and issues … • Development of marketing… • Institution building and forest policies… • Certification in forestry (forest products)… • Sustainable forest management … • Practical forestry and forest operations… • … etc … • http://www.unece.org/trade/timber/h3/h3.htm
ToS - MCPFE workshop 2001 • Recommendations • to MCPFE: • Policy formulation • Economic aspects • Socvial aspects • Ecological aspects • WG’s findings to: • Ministers (FS) … • ToS on CITs …
MCPFE-2003 Vienna Conference did not provide any direct, specific and explicit Guidance on the future co-operation Matter in this area... Still…, There is a number of reference in MCPFE-2003 documents …. MCPFE-2003 and CEEC
Forestry Country Profiles: Russia - 2001 Georgia - 2002 Ukraine – 2003 Bulgaria –2004 Serbia & Montenegro - 2004 focus on CEEC … Country Forestry Profiles */ availability of resources…
Practical Issues and Challenges • political, economic and financial position of forestry sector in many countries is still weak • CIS and south-east European countries frequently cannot attend international meetings if their costs are not paid, thus loosing: • benefits from the participation in activities … • leading ideas in the sector and possibilities to make useful contacts http://www.unece.org/trade/timber/tc-meet.htm
How to promote further the economic integration of non-EU European countries in the context of post-European Union enlargement ? What specific activities should be undertaken for countries with different stages of developments of transition economies ? - newly acceding countries - emerging market economies - less advanced transition economies Some questions to answer …
What are the main needs in forestry sectors of 18 “non-EU” CITs (notion “transition”???) ? newly EU acceding countries; emerging market economies (EU “recognition”…); less advanced transition economies. Should the 18 “non-accession yet” CITs be considered as a group (in forestry sectors terms), as a number of different groups (see above?) or individually? What scope of the UNECE/ FAO work in this (CEEC and CIS) area should be in the future ? Some questions to answer … (cont.)
Raising interest of high level political and administrative circles in forestry … How can we help to improve investment conditions in the forestry sector ? What should be done for fostering entrepreneurship in transition economies ? What should be the next UNECE/FAO action in this area (after the ToS meeting…) ? Some questions to answer … (cont.)
Trends in policies and institutions for the sector in CIS and SEE countries (to study)… Changing Role of State Forest Services … Focusing on private forestry issues … Increasing capacity in CIS and SEE countries to achieve SFM at the national level Breaking an actual “isolation” of some CIS and SEE from exchange of experience and ideas UNECE/FAO ToS on “forest sector of CIS and South-East Europe (SEE)” ? Some concluding remarks
Workshops ??? : e.g. on - “Trends in policies and institutions for the sector in CIS and south east Europe “, or Studies ??? : e.g. on - Analysis of forest legislation in the CIS /SEE countries”… What other activities ? Resources for implementation ? What practical actions are needed
Should ToS terminate its work in current format ? Should ToS be transformed into a different format ? Should the UNECE/FAO establish a new ToS on CIT (CIS ..? ) countries ? What ToR and Mandate of the new (or newly transformed) ToS should be (if any) ? What scope of the UNECE/ FAO work in this (CEEC and CIS) area should be in the future ? Some more questions to answer
Opinions from Countries • To reinforce the UNECE and MCPFE co-operation on CEEC • To provide support to private forestry • To contribute to improvement of forestry and environment legislation • To improve assessment of forest ecological benefits • To improve communication between relating institutions
Opinions from Countries (cont.) • To assist to building up of integrated forest information system • To contribute to capacity building to bring forestry in line with the EU legislation • To improve the cost efficiency in forest management practices • To facilitate investments into the forestry sector
Strategic Reviews:TC & EFC Integrated WP • co-operation with MCPFE, and contribution to SFM in the region, especially in CEEC • continue providing assistance for countries in transition • shift in focus of attention to eastern and SEE countries, to promote their European integration • support to countries in transition, in particular non-EU countries
Thank you very much for your attention !!! Comments or/and questions ?