New Delhi, December 12_14, 2012

First National Workshop on NON LEGALLY BINDING INSTRUMENT ON

ALL TYPES OF FORESTS

Background, purpose & objectives of Workshop

Subhash Chandra, DIG, Forest Policy

BACKGROUND AND ORIGIN OF THE NLBI

• Forests cover one third of the world’s land area– 1.6 billion people depend on forests for their

livelihood– High rate of deforestation – 17% of GHG emissions (global)– < 6% forests under management– US$ 1-1.5 trillion in lost revenue (TEEB 2010)– Finding ways to ensure that forests benefit present

and future generations is the essence of sustainable forest management.

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A milestone event- Rio Conventions

(UNFCC, CBD, UNCCD)

- Agenda 21- Forest Principles

• IPF/IFF proposals for action

• UNFF (2000)• Global objectives

on Forests (2006)• NLBI (2007)• Implementing NLBI

UNITED NATIONS FORUM ON FORESTS• Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC)

Resolution E/2000/35, (2000)– International arrangement on forests – Establishing the UNFF as subsidiary body of

ECOSOC– Collaborative Partnership on Forests (CPF)

• Objectives: – Promote the management, conservation and

sustainable development of all types of forests– Strengthen long-term political commitment

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Principal functions of UNFF Facilitate implementation of forest-related agreements and foster common

understanding of SFM Provide for continued policy development and dialogue among

Governments, international organizations, and major groups, to address forest issues and emerging areas of concern in a holistic, comprehensive and integrated manner,

Enhance coordination on policy & programmes on forest-related issues Foster international cooperation on forestry Monitor, assess and report on progress on NL Enhance contribution of forests to achievement of the internationally

agreed development goals,( MDGs, Johannesburg Declaration and the JPI of the WSSD),

Encourage and assist countries to develop and implement SFM strategies, Strengthen interaction between the UNFF, relevant regional and sub

regional forest-related mechanisms, institutions and instruments, organizations and processes.

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Common items for each session:Achieving the global objectives on forests and implementing the NLBI; regional and sub-regional inputs; multi-stakeholder dialogue; enhanced cooperation and policy and programme coordination

Cross-cutting issues: Means of implementation (finance, transfer of environmentally sound technologies, capacity-building, awareness-raising, education and information-sharing); forest law enforcement and governance at all levels.

Sessions of the UNFF

Ninth session (2011) Tenth session (2013) Eleventh session (2015)Forests for people, livelihoods and poverty eradication

Forests and economic development

Progress, challenges and the way forward for the international arrangement

Community-based forest management

Social development and indigenous/local forest dependent communities

Social and cultural aspects

Forest products and services

National forest programmes and other sectoral policies and strategies

Reducing risks and impacts of disasters

Benefit of forests & trees for urban communities

Effectiveness of the int. arrangement on forests and consideration of future options

Review progress towards achieving GOFs & implementing the NLBI

Review contribution of forests to international development goals

GLOBAL OBJECTIVES ON FORESTS,2006Paragraph 5 of the NLBI reaffirms the commitment of member countries to work globally, regionally and nationally to achieve shared global objectives on forests by 2015:

Global Objective 1: Reverse the loss of cover worldwide through sustainable forest management, including protection, restoration, afforestation and reforestation, and increase efforts to prevent forest degradation;

Global Objective 2: Enhance forest-based economic, social and environmental benefits, including by improving the livelihoods of forest dependent people;

Global Objective 3: Increase significantly the area of protected forests worldwide and other areas of sustainably managed forests, as well as the proportion of forest products from sustainably managed forests;

Global Objective 4: 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 sustainable forest management.

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Purpose of NLBI (FI)• Strengthen political commitment and action for

SFM at all levels to implement SFM and achieve the shared global objectives on forests

• Enhance contribution of forests to achievement of internationally agreed development goals including MDGs especially poverty eradication and environmental sustainability

• Provide a framework for national action and international cooperation.

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Workshop objectives

• To bring together various stakeholders such as Foresters (SFDs), central forestry institutions, other concerned Ministries/ departments, NGOs etc.

• To build awareness and capacity of stakeholders for effective implementation and reporting on progress in the implementation of the Forest Instrument.

Guiding Principles• The instrument is voluntary and non-legally binding

• Each State is responsible for the sustainable management of its forests and for the enforcement of its forest-related laws

• Major groups, local communities, forest owners and other relevant stakeholders should be involved in a transparent and participatory way

• Achieving SFM depends on significantly increased, new and additional financial resources

• Achieving SFM also depends on good governance

• International cooperation is crucial

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Thematic Clusters of the Forest Instrument

NLBI grouped into 5 cross-cutting and 8 thematic clusters for easy reference: 1A: Strengthening political commitment for SFM1B: Financing sustainable forest management 1C: Capacity building and technology transfer1D: Stakeholder participation1E: Enhanced international cooperation 2A: Forest law enforcement and governance2B: International Trade in forest products2C: Protection of forests2D: Science and research2E: Public awareness and education2F: Private sector and industry2G: Indigenous and local communities2H: Monitoring, assessment and reporting

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Halve between 1990 and 2015 the proportion of people whose income is less than $1.00 a day (Target 1.A/GOF 2).

Achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all, including women and young people (Target 1.B/GOF 2).

Halve between 1990 and 2015 the proportion of people who suffer from hunger (Target 1.C/GOF 2).

Ensure that by 2015, boys and girls alike, will be able to complete a full course of primary schooling (Target 2.A/GOF 2).

Reduce by two-thirds between 1990 and 2015 the under-five mortality rate (Target 4.A/GOF 2).

Integrate the principles of sustainable development into country policies and programmes and reverse the loss of environmental resources (Target 7.A/GOFs 1 and 3).

Millennium Development Goals & role of forestry

Reducing biodiversity loss, achieving by 2010, a significant reduction in the rate of loss (Target 7.B/GOFs 1 and 3).

Develop further an open-ended, rule-based, predictable, non-discriminatory trading and financial system (Target 8.A/GOF 4).

Address the special needs of least developed countries (Target 8.B).

Address the special needs of land-locked developing countries and small island developing states (Target 8.C).

Millennium Development Goals & role of forestry contd..

Translating the Outcome of Rio+20 into Action • 193. We highlight the social, economic and environmental benefits of forests to people and

the contributions of sustainable forest management to the themes and objective of the Conference. We support cross-sectoral and cross-institutional policies promoting sustainable forest management. We reaffirm that the wide range of products and services that forests provide creates opportunities to address many of the most pressing sustainable development challenges. We call for enhanced efforts to achieve the sustainable management of forests, reforestation, restoration and afforestation, and we support all efforts that effectively slow, halt and reverse deforestation and forest degradation, including, inter alia, promoting trade in legally harvested forest products. We note the importance of such ongoing initiatives as reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation in developing countries, and the role of conservation, sustainable management of forests and enhancement of forest carbon stocks in developing countries. We call for increased efforts to strengthen forest governance frameworks and means of implementation, in accordance with the non-legally binding instrument on all types of forests, in order to achieve sustainable forest management. To this end, we commit to improving the livelihoods of people and communities by creating the conditions needed for them to sustainably manage forests, including through strengthening cooperation arrangements in the areas of finance, trade, transfer of environmentally sound technologies, capacity-building and governance, as well as by promoting secure land tenure, particularly decision-making and benefit-sharing, in accordance with national legislation and priorities.

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Contd….• 194. We call for urgent implementation of the non-legally binding instrument

on all types of forests and the Ministerial Declaration of the high-level segment of the ninth session of the United Nations Forum on Forests on the occasion of the launch of the International Year of Forests.

• 195. We recognize that the United Nations Forum on Forests, with its universal membership and comprehensive mandate, plays a vital role in addressing forest related issues in a holistic and integrated manner and promoting international policy coordination and cooperation to achieve sustainable forest management. We invite the Collaborative Partnership on Forests to continue its support to the Forum and encourage stakeholders to remain actively engaged in the work of the Forum.

• 196. We stress the importance of integrating sustainable forest management objectives and practices into the mainstream of economic policy and decision making, and to that end we commit to working through the governing bodies of member organizations of the Collaborative Partnership on Forests to integrate, as appropriate, the sustainable management of all types of forests into their strategies and programmes.

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NLBI as overarching policy framework

Components have National Policies and international cooperation

Only international policy instrument dealing with All types of forests

Covers all aspects of SFM Social, cultural, environmental (biodiversity, Climate

change, Desertification) and economic functions of forests

Holistic or 360 degree view of forests How to create an enabling environment for SFM Provides platforms for exchange of experiences and

best practices at all levels16

Linking NLBI to National Development frameworks & enhancing cross-sectoral linkages

• Demonstrating contribution of forests to national economy beyond GDP including estimating values of ECS

• Integration of forestry programmes into development plans at national (e.g. PRSPs, five year development plans) and sub-national levels bringing together all stakeholders

• Enhancing finance for SFM from all sources• Many forest related initiatives in other sectors:

– Energy, agriculture, water, environment, Rural Development

• Identifying all forest related activities and involving all key stakeholders at national level helps with integration and coordination

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Coordinating international forestry related initiatives and agreements

• Many countries implementing :-CBD, UNFCCC, REDD+, FLEGT and Voluntary partnership agreements

• Usually implemented by different departments or ministries in a fragmented manner– Duplication– Inefficient use of financial and Human resources

• NLBI can serve to enhance coordination between these processes

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Cross-cutting thematic clusters of the NLBI

Strengthening political commitment for sustainable forest management: 6a, c, d, k, l; 7a, c.

Financing sustainable forest management: 6h, I, m; 7a-e.

Capacity-building and technology transfer: 6e, s, v; 7f, i-m.

Stakeholder participation: 6h, m, v-y; 7k.

Enhanced international cooperation: 7i, n, q-s.

Topical thematic clusters of the NLBI• Forest law enforcement and governance: 6n; 7h-j.

• International trade in forest products: 6j, x; 7g-j.

• Protection of forests: 6o-q.

• Science and research: 6r-s; 7n-p.

• Public awareness and education: 6t-v; 7j.

• Private sector and industry: 6e, h-i, m, w-x; 7a, f, k, m.

• Indigenous and local communities: 6f, h, s, v, y; 7k.

• Monitoring, assessment and reporting: 6b, g; 8; 9.

Indicators from existing C & I processes relevant to UNFF reporting

FAO Forest Resource Assessment (FRA)(all countries)

UN Millennium Developments Goals indicators (all countries)

ITTO Criteria and Indicator process (33 producing countries + a few consumer countries)

CBD indicators (in process of being developed) (193 Contracting Parties)

Helping in achievement of Aichi targets under CBD (by 2020)

• Target 5: By 2020, the rate of loss of all natural habitats, including forests, is at least halved and where feasible brought close to zero, and degradation and fragmentation is significantly reduced.

• Target 7: By 2020, areas under agriculture, aquaculture and forestry are managed sustainably, ensuring conservation of biodiversity.

Target 11: By 2020, at least 17% of terrestrial and inland water, and 10% of coastal and marine areas, especially areas of particular importance for biodiversity and ecosystem services, are conserved.

Target 15: By 2020, ecosystem resilience and contribution of biodiversity to enhancing carbon stocks, through conservation & restoration of at least 15% of degraded ecosystems, contributing to climate change mitigation, adaptation and combating desertification.

Subhash Chandra, DIG, Forest PolicyMinistry of Environment & Forests,

Government of IndiaEmail: subhaash.chandra@gmail.com

Thank you