PART III INTERNATIONAL DIALOGUE AND INITIATIVES RELATED TO FORESTS 107 COP-5 stressed a number of other points of Arrangements for the secretariat and for the relevance to forests. Among others, it encouraged sementation instruments have now been the application of the ecosystem approach and finalized The Global Mechanism, set up to noted the importance of supporting work on effecive use taxonomic, ecological and socio-economic issue financial resources devoted to combating for the restoration of forest ecosystems and forest desertification, is now fully operational. The COP resources. COP-5 also made reference to the IPF called for cooperation with other international and iFF proposals for action, in particular those conventions, including the Convention on concerning the valuation of forest goods and nd the fccc services, and it stressed the need to harmonize the the Convention to Combat Desertification s Convention s work with the ipf and IFF major instruments for implementation are national proposals for action on traditional forest-related action programmes, complemented by knowledge. It requested the SBSTTA to make subregional and regional programmes. The recommendations on the development of a Global strategies for implementation are described in the Strategy for Plant Conservation for consideration Conventions four regional annexes for Africa, at COP-6. It also requested the SBstta to sia, Latin America and the northern consider the impact of climate change on forest Mediterranean. Many countries have organized biological diversity in collaboration with the national awareness-raising seminars or embark Framework Convention on Climate Change on the formulation of national action (FCCC), and invited the Executive Secretary of the programmes, and 23 (including 14 in Africa Convention on Biological Diversity to strengthen have submitted their programmes. Subregional cooperation with the FCCC programmes, however, have been launched for Each contracting Party to the Convention on West Africa, southern Africa, the Maghreb Biological Diversity commits itself to developing countries, El Gran Chaco Americano(Argentina, national strategies, plans and programmes for the Bolivia and Paraguay) and La hispaniola conservation and sustainable use of biological Dominican Republic and Haiti). Regional diversity, or to adapt for this purpose existing programmes have been established for Africa and strategies, plans or programmes that reflect the for Latin America and the Caribbean. measures set out in the Convention forest Regional cooperation is being further facilitated biological diversity is a major component of some by the development of thematic programme countries' strategies, plans and programmes. networks, which focus on technical measures for At coP-5 Parties were invited to submit thematic desertification control and land rehabilitation reports on the issues to be considered in depth at Recent meetings to develop these were held for COP meetings. At COP-6, alien species, forest the African Regional Network on Agroforestry and ecosystems and benefit sharing will be Soil Conservation(Bamako, Mali, 1999), and the considered Asian Regional Thematic Network on Agroforestry and Soil Conservation in Arid, Semi-arid and Dry Convention to Combat desertification Sub-humid Areas(India, March 2000) Within the past two years, the Convention to In an effort to promote interregional Combat Desertification has held its second, third cooperation, the Convention to Combat and fourth Conferences of the Parties(Dakar Desertification convened a high-profile meeting, gal, December 1998: Recife, Brazil, November the African, Latin American and the Caribbean and Bonn, Germany, December 2000) Forum, in Bamako, Mali in March 2000 6 See footnote 2, p. 103. 7 As of end 2000
PART III INTERNATIONAL DIALOGUE AND INITIATIVES RELATED TO FORESTS 107 COP-5 stressed a number of other points of relevance to forests. Among others, it encouraged the application of the ecosystem approach and noted the importance of supporting work on taxonomic, ecological and socio-economic issues for the restoration of forest ecosystems and forest resources. COP-5 also made reference to the IPF and IFF proposals for action, in particular those concerning the valuation of forest goods and services, and it stressed the need to harmonize the Convention’s work with the IPF and IFF proposals for action on traditional forest-related knowledge. It requested the SBSTTA to make recommendations on the development of a Global Strategy for Plant Conservation for consideration at COP-6. It also requested the SBSTTA to consider the impact of climate change on forest biological diversity in collaboration with the Framework Convention on Climate Change (FCCC), and invited the Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity to strengthen cooperation with the FCCC. Each contracting Party to the Convention on Biological Diversity commits itself to developing national strategies, plans and programmes for the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity, or to adapt for this purpose existing strategies, plans or programmes that reflect the measures set out in the Convention. Forest biological diversity is a major component of some countries’ strategies, plans and programmes. At COP-5, Parties were invited to submit thematic reports on the issues to be considered in depth at COP meetings. At COP-6, alien species, forest ecosystems and benefit sharing will be considered. Convention to Combat Desertification Within the past two years, the Convention to Combat Desertification6 has held its second, third and fourth Conferences of the Parties (Dakar, Senegal, December 1998; Recife, Brazil, November 1999; and Bonn, Germany, December 2000). Arrangements for the secretariat and for the implementation instruments have now been finalized. The Global Mechanism, set up to promote the mobilization and effective use of financial resources devoted to combating desertification, is now fully operational. The COP called for cooperation with other international conventions, including the Convention on Biological Diversity and the FCCC. The Convention to Combat Desertification’s major instruments for implementation are national action programmes, complemented by subregional and regional programmes. The strategies for implementation are described in the Convention’s four regional annexes for Africa, Asia, Latin America and the northern Mediterranean. Many countries have organized national awareness-raising seminars or embarked on the formulation of national action programmes, and 23 (including 14 in Africa) have submitted their programmes.7 Subregional programmes, however, have been launched for West Africa, southern Africa, the Maghreb countries, El Gran Chaco Americano (Argentina, Bolivia and Paraguay) and La Hispaniola (Dominican Republic and Haiti). Regional programmes have been established for Africa and for Latin America and the Caribbean. Regional cooperation is being further facilitated by the development of thematic programme networks, which focus on technical measures for desertification control and land rehabilitation. Recent meetings to develop these were held for the African Regional Network on Agroforestry and Soil Conservation (Bamako, Mali, 1999), and the Asian Regional Thematic Network on Agroforestry and Soil Conservation in Arid, Semi-arid and Dry Sub-humid Areas (India, March 2000). In an effort to promote interregional cooperation, the Convention to Combat Desertification convened a high-profile meeting, the African, Latin American and the Caribbean Forum, in Bamako, Mali in March 2000. 6 See footnote 2, p. 103. 7 As of end 2000
108 STATE OF THE WORLD'S FORESTS 2001 The meeting approved a programme of technical another; and the Clean Development training and scientific exchanges among the Mechanism(CDM), by which project-based countries of these regions in all aspects of dryland certified emission reductions achieved in non- degradation control (e.g. water management, soil Annex i countries are transferred to annex i conservation, agroforestry and sand-dune countries Issues under consideration that relate to the implementation of the Kyoto Protocol include the United Nations framework Convention on development of a compliance system, Climate Change methodologies for the estimation of emissions and The FCCC, which was adopted in 1992 at sinks, and reporting and accounting. At COP-4, UNCED, aims at stabilizing the concentration of held in Buenos Aires, Argentina in November greenhouse gases in the atmosphere so as to 1998, Parties agreed to a two-year work prevent dangerous human-induced changes to the programme(the Buenos Aires Plan of Action global climate system. Parties to the Convention to tackle these and other implementation committed themselves to carrying out national issues inventories of greenhouse gas emissions and Because a number of questions related to the carbon sinks. Industrialized countries and treatment of land use, land use change and countries with economies in transition(FCCC forestry (LULUCF) in the Kyoto Protocol Annex I Parties)committed themselves to remained to be clarified, in 1998 the Subsidiary yorking towards voluntary goals in the reduction Body for Scientific and Technical Advice (SBSTA of emissions. These obligations were intensified to the FCCC requested the Intergovernmental and specified in the Kyoto Protocol, which was Panel on Climate Change(IPCC)to examine the adopted at COP-3 of the FCCC. held in Kyoto, state of scientific and technical understanding of The three years since then have been marked by on Land Use, Land-Use Change and Forestya w i Japan in december 1997 LULUCF issues. IPCC presented the Special Repo continued discussions and negotiations on details 12th session of the SBSTA and the Subsidiary regarding the implementation of the Kyoto Body on Implementation, in Bonn, Germany in Protocol, of which the salient points are as follows. June 2000. Although this report casts further light Thirty-nine developed countries and countries on the subject area, Parties still have to negotiate with economies in transition (ie. FCCC how to deal with forests and forestry aspects in Annex I Parties)committed themselves to the context of the Kyoto ProtocoL. Issues to be reducing their aggregate greenhouse gas addressed include emissions to at least 5 percent below 1990 what domestic land use, land use change levels over the period 2008 through 2012 orestry activities may be included in meet Quantified emission limitation or reduction QELRCS: commitments(QELRCs) for 2008-2012 were whether forestry activities that affect biotic established for each developed and transition carbon stocks and fluxes, for example forest country, these countries and their QELRCs are conservation and reforestation, are to be listed in Annex B of the Kyoto ProtocoL. included in the cdm- Three"flexibility mechanisms"for the definitions, guidelines and standards for mitigation of climate change through joint accounting for carbon stocks and fluxes ed on emissions trading between Annex B countries Joint Implementation (D projects, which entail SLULUCF is a term used to denote all human activities that the transfer of project-based emission an affect stocks of biotic carbon and thereby cause emissions reduction units from one annex i country to and/ or sinks of biotic carbon
108 STATE OF THE WORLD’S FORESTS 2001 The meeting approved a programme of technical training and scientific exchanges among the countries of these regions in all aspects of dryland degradation control (e.g. water management, soil conservation, agroforestry and sand-dune fixation). United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change The FCCC, which was adopted in 1992 at UNCED, aims at stabilizing the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere so as to prevent dangerous human-induced changes to the global climate system. Parties to the Convention committed themselves to carrying out national inventories of greenhouse gas emissions and carbon sinks. Industrialized countries and countries with economies in transition (FCCC Annex I Parties) committed themselves to working towards voluntary goals in the reduction of emissions. These obligations were intensified and specified in the Kyoto Protocol, which was adopted at COP-3 of the FCCC, held in Kyoto, Japan in December 1997. The three years since then have been marked by continued discussions and negotiations on details regarding the implementation of the Kyoto Protocol, of which the salient points are as follows. • Thirty-nine developed countries and countries with economies in transition (i.e. FCCC Annex I Parties) committed themselves to reducing their aggregate greenhouse gas emissions to at least 5 percent below 1990 levels over the period 2008 through 2012. • Quantified emission limitation or reduction commitments (QELRCs) for 2008-2012 were established for each developed and transition country; these countries and their QELRCs are listed in Annex B of the Kyoto Protocol. • Three “flexibility mechanisms” for the mitigation of climate change through joint activities among countries were agreed on: emissions trading between Annex B countries; Joint Implementation (JI) projects, which entail the transfer of project-based emission reduction units from one Annex I country to another; and the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), by which project-based certified emission reductions achieved in nonAnnex I countries are transferred to Annex I countries. Issues under consideration that relate to the implementation of the Kyoto Protocol include the development of a compliance system, methodologies for the estimation of emissions and sinks, and reporting and accounting. At COP-4, held in Buenos Aires, Argentina in November 1998, Parties agreed to a two-year work programme (the Buenos Aires Plan of Action) to tackle these and other implementation issues. Because a number of questions related to the treatment of land use, land use change and forestry (LULUCF)8 in the Kyoto Protocol remained to be clarified, in 1998 the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technical Advice (SBSTA) to the FCCC requested the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) to examine the state of scientific and technical understanding of LULUCF issues. IPCC presented the Special Report on Land Use, Land-Use Change and Forestry at the 12th session of the SBSTA and the Subsidiary Body on Implementation, in Bonn, Germany in June 2000. Although this report casts further light on the subject area, Parties still have to negotiate how to deal with forests and forestry aspects in the context of the Kyoto Protocol. Issues to be addressed include: • what domestic land use, land use change and forestry activities may be included in meeting QELRCs; • whether forestry activities that affect biotic carbon stocks and fluxes, for example forest conservation and reforestation, are to be included in the CDM; • definitions, guidelines and standards for accounting for carbon stocks and fluxes; 8 LULUCF is a term used to denote all human activities that can affect stocks of biotic carbon and thereby cause emissions and/or sinks of biotic carbon