Here is a list of twenty intergovernmental forest organizations.
1. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations:
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is a specialized UN agency leading international efforts to defeat hunger and poverty. Serving both developed and developing countries, FAO acts as a neutral forum where all nations meet as equals to negotiate agreements and debate policy.
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FAO helps developing countries and countries in transition to modernize and improve agriculture, forestry and fisheries practices, ensure good nutrition, achieve food security for all, better the lives of rural populations and contribute to the growth of the world economy.
In 1943, forty four governments gathered in Hot Springs, Virginia, United States for United Nations Conference on Food and Agriculture committed themselves to found a permanent organization for food and agriculture. First session of FAO Conference in Quebec City, Canada on 16 October to 1 November 1945 established FAO as a specialized United Nations agency. FAO is composed of seven departments including Forestry Department. It has its headquarters in Rome, Italy and present in over 130 countries.
2. FAO Forestry Department:
The FAO Forestry Department helps nations manage their forests in a sustainable way. The Organization’s approach balances social, economic and environmental objectives so that present generations can reap the benefits of the earth’s forest resources while conserving them to meet the needs of future generations. The FAO Forestry department supports a number of statutory bodies specifically designed to provide neutral forum for discussion in the field of forestry.
Unasylva is FAO’s international journal of forests, forestry and forest industries published quarterly. The State of the World’s Forests (SOFO) reports are published biennially since 1995. It reports on the status of forests, recent major policy and institutional developments and key issues concerning forest sector.
3. Committee on Forestry:
The Committee on Forestry (COFO) is the principal body among the FAO statutory bodies. COFO was established in 1971 as a standing committee of the FAO and its first session held in 1972. The biennial sessions of COFO brings together heads of forest services and other senior government officials to identify emerging policy and technical issues, to seek solutions and to advise FAO and others on appropriate action.
The agenda of COFO has evolved somewhat over time, with an increasing emphasis on technical and forest policy issues of international importance which includes review of FAO programmes in forestry, the work/recommendations of Regional Forestry Commissions, the State of the World’s Forests (SOFO), and the World Forestry Congress, the role of forests in achieving the Millennium Development Goals, wildland fire and forests and bio-energy.
4. Regional Forestry Commissions:
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Six Regional Forestry Commissions were established by the FAO Conference between 1947 and 1959 viz. African Forestry Wildlife Commission – AFWC (1959), Asia-Pacific Forestry Commission – APFC (1949), European Forestry Commission – EFC (1947), Latin American and Caribbean Forestry Commission – LACFC (1948), Near East Forestry and Range Commission – NEFRC (1953), North American Forest Commission – NAFC (1958).
The Commissions consider both policy and technical issues and play a key role in the international arrangement on forests, serving as a link between global dialogue at the Committee on Forestry (COFO) and the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF) and national implementation.
5. United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development:
The United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD) was established by the UN General Assembly in December 1992 to ensure effective follow-up of United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), also known as the Earth Summit.
The Commission is responsible for reviewing progress in the implementation of Agenda 21 and the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development; as well as providing policy guidance to follow up the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation (JPOI) at the local, national, regional and international levels. The JPOI reaffirmed that the CSD is the high-level forum for sustainable development within the United Nations system.
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As a functional commission of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), CSD has 53 member States (about one third of the members are elected on a yearly basis). Each session of the CSD elects a Bureau, comprised of a Chair and four vice-Chairs. The CSD meets annually in New York, in two-year cycles, with each cycle focusing on clusters of specific thematic and cross-sectoral issues, outlined in its new multi-year programme of work.
6. IPF and IFF Process (1995-2000):
The Intergovernmental Panel on Forests (IPF) and the Intergovernmental Forum on Forests (IFF) represent five years of international forest policy dialogue.
a. Intergovernmental Panel on Forests:
The Intergovernmental Panel on Forests (IPF), established in 1995 by the Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD) for two years (1995-97) to provide a forum for forest policy deliberations.
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Deliberations by the IPF were on the following issues:
i. Implementing the forest-related decisions of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) at the national and international levels.
ii. International cooperation in financial assistance and technology transfer.
iii. Scientific research, forest assessment and the development of criteria and indicators for sustainable forest management.
iv. Trade and environment in relation to forest products and services.
v. International organizations and multilateral institutions and instruments, including appropriate legal mechanisms.
b. Intergovernmental Forum on Forests:
Subsequently, in 1997, ECOSOC established the Intergovernmental Forum on Forests (IFF), for three years (1997-2000).
Deliberations by the IFF’s programme were on the following issues:
i. 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.
ii. Considering matters left pending and other issues arising from the programme elements of the IPF process such as financial resources, transfer of environmental sound technologies and other issues including deliberations on international arrangements and mechanisms on forests.
iii. International arrangements and mechanisms to promote the management, conservation and sustainable development of all types of forests.
7. Interagency Task Force on Forests:
In July 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. ITFF was created to coordinate the inputs of international organizations to the forest policy process.
8. United Nations Forum on Forests:
In October 2000, the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations (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, and the outcome of the IPF/IFF Processes and other key milestones of international forest policy. The Forum has universal membership and is composed of all Member States of the United Nations and specialized agencies.
9. The Collaborative Partnership on Forests:
The Collaborative Partnership on Forests (CPF) was established in April 2001, following the recommendation of ECOSOC. This innovative partnership of 14 major forest- related international organizations, institutions and convention secretariats, works to support the work of the UNFF and its member countries and to foster increased cooperation and coordination on forests.
Member organizations of the Collaborative Partnership on Forests:
i. Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR).
ii. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
iii. International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO).
iv. International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO).
v. Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).
vi. Global Environmental Facility (GEF).
vii. United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD).
viii. United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFFS).
ix. United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
x. United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
xi. United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
xii. World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF).
xiii. World Bank.
xiv. World Conservation Union (IUCN).
10. The United Nations Environment Programme:
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is an international organization established in 1972 to coordinate United Nations environmental activities, assisting developing countries in implementing environmentally sound policies and practices. It was founded as a result of the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment in June 1972 and has its headquarters in the Gigiri neighborhood of Nairobi, Kenya.
UNEP also has six regional offices and various country offices. The UNEP’s mission is to provide leadership and encourage partnership in caring for the environment by inspiring, informing and enabling nations and peoples to improve their quality of life without compromising that of the future generations.
11. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change:
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is the leading international body established in 1988 for the assessment of climate change and hosted at WMO headquarters in Geneva. It was established by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) to provide the world with a clear scientific view on the current state of knowledge in climate change and its potential environmental and socio-economic impacts.
The UN General Assembly endorsed the action by WMO and UNEP in jointly establishing the IPCC. The IPCC is an intergovernmental body and it is open to all member countries of the United Nations (UN) and WMO. Currently 195 countries are members of the IPCC.
The IPCC is a scientific body. It reviews and assesses the most recent scientific, technical and socio-economic information produced worldwide relevant to the understanding of climate change. It does not conduct any research nor does it monitor climate related data or parameters. Thousands of scientists from all over the world contribute to the work of the IPCC on a voluntary basis. Review is an essential part of the IPCC process, to ensure an objective and complete assessment of current information.
12. The United Nations Development Programme:
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is the United Nation’s global development network, an organization advocating for change and connecting countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life. It is based on the merging of the United Nations Expanded Programme of Technical Assistance, created in 1949, and the United Nations Special Fund, established in 1958. UNDP was established in 1965 by the General Assembly of the United Nations and has its headquarters in New York.
UNDP’s mandate is to fight poverty. As the development organization of the United Nations, UNDP works to achieve this through supporting development projects in a sustainable way. The overarching goal of reducing poverty has been more concretely defined through the Millennium Development Goals. UNDP’s network links and coordinates global and national efforts to reach these goals and helps developing countries attract and use aid effectively.
13. Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development:
The Organisation for European Economic Cooperation (OEEC) was established in 1947 to run the US-financed Marshall Plan for reconstruction of a continent ravaged by war. Encouraged by its success and the prospect of carrying its work forward on a global stage, Canada and the US joined OEEC members in signing the new OECD Convention on 14 December 1960.
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) was officially born on 30 September 1961, when the Convention entered into force. Other countries joined in, starting with Japan in 1964.
Today, 34 OECD member countries worldwide regularly turn to one another to identify problems, discuss and analyze them, and promote policies to solve them. The mission of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) is to promote policies that will improve the economic and social well-being of people around the world. It has its headquarters in Paris, France.
14. United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction:
The International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR) is the secretariat of the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (ISDR) established in 1999 and has its headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. It is the successor to the secretariat of the International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction established in 1990 with the purpose of ensuring the implementation of the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction.
ISDR aims at building disaster resilient communities by promoting increased awareness of the importance of disaster reduction as an integral component of sustainable development with the goal of reducing human, social, economic and environmental losses due to natural hazards and related technological and environmental disasters.
15. Global Fire Monitoring Center:
The Global Fire Monitoring Center (GFMC) was inaugurated at the FAO meeting on Public Policies Affecting Forest Fires (Rome, October 1998) and is financed by the Foreign Office of Germany. Since 1998, GFMC is hosted by the Fire Ecology Research Group, a subdivision of the Biochemistry Department of the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry (Freiburg University, Germany).
The GFMC is an activity of the ISDR, chairing an interagency “Working Group on Wildland Fire” under the auspices of the ISDR Inter-agency Task Force for Disaster Reduction. The GFMC provides a global portal for wildland fire documentation, information and monitoring.
16. The Forestry Workforce Network:
The Forestry Workforce Network (FORWORKNET) is an international network of more than 300 individuals and institutions in some 70 countries interested in forestry workforce issues. The primary functions of FORWORKNET are to enable its members to communicate directly with each other and to open new opportunities for international exchange and cooperation. Specifically, the network endeavours to keep members abreast of new developments, new publications, data and research results, forthcoming events, new technologies affecting forest workers.
17. The World Trade Organization:
The World Trade Organization (WTO) is an organization that intends to supervise and liberalize international trade. The organization officially commenced on January 1, 1995 under the Marrakech Agreement, replacing the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), which commenced in 1948.
The World Trade Organization (WTO) is the only global international organization dealing with the rules of trade between nations. At its heart are the WTO agreements, negotiated and signed by the bulk of the world’s trading nations and ratified in their parliaments. The goal is to help producers of goods and services, exporters and importers conduct their business.
At Marrakech in April 1994, Ministers adopted a Decision on Trade and Environment calling for the establishment of a Committee on Trade and Environment (CTE) at the WTO.
Three items of the CTE’s work plan are relevant to the discussion on forestry:
i. Environmental benefits of removing trade restrictions and distortions.
ii. Eco-labelling and certifications of sustainable forest management and forest products.
iii. Certain elements of the Agreement on Trade-Related Intellectual Property Rights.
18. World Bank Group – Forests and Forestry:
The World Bank Group’s (WBG) mission is to fight poverty and improve the living standards of people in the developing world and has its headquarters in Washington D.C. It is a development bank established in 1944 and now with a closely associated group of five development institutions. It provides loans, policy advice, technical assistance and knowledge sharing services to low and middle income countries to reduce poverty.
i. The World Bank Forests Team:
It takes a multi-sectoral approach to forest management that takes into account the impact on forests and forest people of activities, policies and practices outside the forest sector. The Forests Team is comprised of professionals housed in both Agriculture and Rural Development Department and Environment Department, as well as expertise from regional staff and external partners.
Furthermore, the Forests Team is part of the Bank’s Natural Resources Management Thematic Group which encompasses Land Resources Management, Natural Resource Management Institutions and Irrigation and Drainage.
ii. The Forest Policy and Strategy of the World Bank:
It was approved in October 2002 and has been implemented to help attain the goal of poverty reduction while safeguarding the environmental values intrinsic to sustainability. The strategy is built on three pillars: harnessing the potential of forests to reduce poverty; integrating forests into sustainable economic development; protecting global forest values.
iii. Programme on Forests:
Programme on Forests (PROFOR) is an independent programme hosted at the World Bank within the Environmentally and Socially Sustainable Development Network. It is a multi-donor partnership formed to pursue a shared goal of enhancing forest’s contribution to poverty reduction, sustainable development and protection of environmental services. Initially established in 1997 to implement the outcomes of the Intergovernmental Panel on Forests (IPF), PROFOR was relocated from the United Nations Development Programme to the World Bank in 2002.
19. The Global Environment Facility:
The Global Environment Facility (GEF) unites 182 countries in partnership with international institutions, civil society organizations (CSOs) and the private sector to address global environmental issues while supporting national sustainable development initiatives. Today the GEF is the largest public funder of projects to improve the global environment.
An independently operating financial organization, the GEF provides grants for projects related to biodiversity, climate change, international waters, land degradation, the ozone layer and persistent organic pollutants. The Global Environment Facility Secretariat and the Evaluation Office are located in Washington, DC, USA.
The Global Environment Facility was established in October 1991 as a $1 billion pilot program in the World Bank to assist in the protection of the global environment and to promote environmental sustainable development. The United Nations Development Programme, the United Nations Environment Programme and the World Bank were the three initial partners implementing GEF projects.
In 1994, GEF was restructured and moved out of the World Bank system to become a permanent, separate institution. Since 1994, however, the World Bank has served as the Trustee of the GEF Trust Fund and provided administrative services.
The GEF was entrusted to become the financial mechanism for the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, Montreal Protocol of the Vienna Convention on Ozone Layer Depleting Substances, Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants and the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification.
20. European Forest Institute:
European Forest Institute (EFI) is an international organization established by European States and so far 23 European States have ratified the Convention on EFI. EFI has over 120 Associate and Affiliate Member organizations in more than 30 countries, five Regional Offices and one Project Centre.
Its headquarters is in Joensuu, Finland and Policy Advice office is located in Barcelona, Spain. EFTs mission is to promote, conduct and cooperate in research of forestry and forest products at the pan-European level and to make the results of the research known to all interested parties, notably in the areas of policy formulation and implementation, in order to promote conservation and sustainable management of forests in Europe.
The five Regional Offices of EFI are:
i. Mediterranean Regional Office (EFIMED), located in Barcelona, Spain established in 2007.
ii. Central European Regional Office and the Observatory for European Forests (EFICENT-OEF) established in 2009 and it has distributed locations in Germany, France and Switzerland.
iii. Atlantic European Regional Office (EFIATLANTIC), located in Bordeaux, France established in 2009.
iv. Central-East European Regional Office (EFICEEC), located in Vienna, Austria established in 2010.
v. North European Regional Office (EFINORD), located in Copenhagen, Denmark established in 2010.