First Meeting for the Promotion of Asia Forest Partnership
Tokyo, 11 November 2002
Statement of the United Nations University

Chairman, distinguished participants, ladies and gentlemen,

Thank you for inviting UNU to this First Meeting for the Promotion of Asia Forest Partnership dedicated to such critical issues today - among others - as combatting illegal logging/deforestation, forest degradation, forest fires, and protection, rehabilitation, and restoration of degraded lands.

The United Nations University is prepared to make a significant contribution to the process and work of the Asia Forest Partnership, making full use of its expertise through research and capacity building in order to resolve the pressing global problems in forestry-related areas, that are the concern of the United Nations, its Peoples, and Member States.

The UNU has the outreaching goal of advancing knowledge for human security and development. In the area of forest conservation, for example, through the major conference on The Value of Forests - Forests and Sustainable Development, held in Tokyo in October 2000, UNU has highlighted the true nature of multiple values of forests in promoting sustainable development. This initiative also focuses on the importance of taking forest policy development, planning and management into consideration.

Building on past work in the area of World Forest, Society and Environment (WFSE), UNU has also initiated a new pilot project on the role of forest in sustainable development. The ultimate goal of this project is to conduct targeted research, and to support networking and capacity building on the role of forests in sustainable development in developing countries as well as the countries with economies in transition.

As part of our commitment to the AFP work and as a concrete example of UNU's contribution to the some AFP future action - we are proud to inform you about our project to develop National Forestry Programmes through focusing on the role of research, capacity building and higher education in the countries with economies in transition of Central and Eastern Europe and Central Asia.

Recognizing the need for worldwide awareness building and more efforts in improving forest policy management, UNU wishes to work among its partners for future protection of forests and their more wisely use, especially in Asia.

Thank you.