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PARTNERSHIP INITIATIVES INFORMATION SHEET

August 23, 2002

Name of the Partnership/Initiative

Asia Forest Partnership (AFP)

Expected date of initiation: 31 August 2002

Expected date of completion: 2007 (first phase)

Partners involved:

Governments: (12)

Australia, Cambodia, France, Indonesia, Japan, Republic of Korea, Singapore, Switzerland, Thailand, United Kingdom, United States, European Commission

Intergovernmental Organizations: (8)

Asian Productivity Organization (APO), Asian Development Bank (ADB), Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR), Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO), Secretariat of the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF), United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), United Nations University (UNU)

Others: (1)

The Nature Conservancy (TNC)

Leading partners:

Government of Japan, Government of Indonesia, Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR), The Nature Conservancy (TNC)

Main objectives of the Partnership/Initiative

  1. Forests provide multiple benefits to human society. These include timber production, conservation of water, soil and biodiversity as well as carbon sequestration. In spite of the valuable services that forests provide, deforestation and forest degradation have been progressing at an alarming rate in Asian region. Sustainable Forest Management is a common goal of countries in the region. The main objective of AFP is to promote such Sustainable Forest Management in Asia by addressing the following urgent issues:

    (a) good governance and forest law enforcement

    (b) developing capacity for effective forest management

    (c) control of illegal logging

    (d) control of forest fire

    (e) rehabilitation and reforestation of degraded lands

  2. Parties to this Partnership are to cooperate in such areas as:

    (1) Development of forest policies plans and programs including national forest programs;

    (2) Development of land use and natural resource management arrangements;

    (3) Use of satellite data for providing basic information for forest management;

    (4) Promotion of research, information exchange and use of satellite data and mapping to tackle forest fire and haze and regional actions for prevention and control of fire;

    (5) Promotion of reforestation and afforestation to rehabilitate degraded lands;

    (6) Establishment and implementation of reduced impact logging and guidelines for controlling illegal logging;

    (7) Developing and enhancing log tracking capacity and introduction of verification system such as labeling;

    (8) Promote effective measures, in both importing and exporting countries, to eliminate export and import of illegally harvested timber;

    (9) International cooperation and coordination on trade statistics, information exchange on illegal logging and illegal trade, study of possible measures related to trade;

    (10) Development of regional data sharing program on illegal logging;

    (11) Undertaking research on impact of illegal logging;

    (12) Awareness raising through holding seminars on combating illegal logging and enhancing understanding on the multiple benefits of forest;

    (13) Promoting participation of various kinds of stakeholders including Major Groups and local communities;

    (14) Human resource development;

    (15) Institutional development and capacity building;

    (16) Strengthening of inter-sectoral coordination within governments;

  3. In developing specific measures the different nature of problems in each country should be taken into account in setting the priority of the activities for that country. A participant may, if it so wishes, inscribe a brief description of its priorities in Annex I.
  4. AFP is aiming at contributing to the implementation of Chapter 11 of Agenda 21 which gives specific priority to sustaining the multiple roles and functions of all types of forests, forest lands and wood lands, as well as enhancing the protection, sustainable management and conservation of all forests and the greening of degraded areas through forest rehabilitation, afforestation, reforestation and other rehabilitative measures. The AFP will also contribute to the implementation of the Millennium Declaration which stresses intensifying collective efforts for the management, conservation and sustainable development of all types of forests. AFP also contributes to the implementation of CBD, UNFCCC, and IPF/IFF proposals for action and the UNFF plan of action.

Expected results:

Though many bilateral/multilateral programs already exist to promote sustainable forest management, this Partnership is expected to bring the following results:

(a) A strengthening of, and enhancing the efficiency of, existing programs by, amongst other processes, providing a framework for conducting research, and the exchange of information and experience with other Participants;

(b) The identification and implementation of new bilateral/multilateral programs.

Specific targets of the Partnership/Initiative and timeframe for their achievement:

(1) Specific targets are to be developed in consultation with the host Government, taking into account the situation obtaining in that country.

(2) The initial duration of this Partnership is 5 years.

Coordination and Implementation mechanism

Partners are to meet at least once a year to exchange information and to identify further work, and to consult on specific activities. (see "Expected Results" column above.)

Arrangements for funding

Various possible sources, including ODA and non-governmental financing.

Arrangements for capacity building and technology transfer

See "Main objectives" column above.

Links of Partnership/Initiative with on-going sustainable development activities at the international and/or regional level (if any)

(1) Plan of Action by United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF) to facilitate of implementation of Intergovernmental Panel on Forests (IPF)/Intergovernmental Forum on Forests (IFF)

(2) East Asia Ministerial Conference on Forest Law Enforcement and Governance (FLEG)

(3) ASEAN Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution

(4) Plan of Implementation for the WSSD

(5) Relevant decisions in ITTC

(6) Ministers of the AMAF (ASEAN Ministers of Agriculture and Forestry) meetings and ASEAN Senior Officials on Forestry (ASOF).

(7) Programmes and activities endorsed by the FAO Committee on Forestry and the FAO Asia-Pacific Regional Forestry Commission.

Monitoring Arrangements

Progress is to be monitored at regular intervals (see "Coordination and Implementation mechanism" above).

Other relevant information:

http://www.mofa.go.jp/policy/environment/wssd/index.html

Name and contact information of the person filling in this table:

(1) Dr. Takeshi Toma
Rehabilitation of Degraded Tropical Forest Ecosystems, Center for International Forestry Research
Address: Jalan CIFOR, Situ Gede, Sindang Barang, Bogor Barat 16680, Indonesia
Phone: +62-251-622622
Fax: +62-251-622100
E-mail: t.toma@cgiar.org

(2) Mr. Hiroshi Kudo
Global Environment Division, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan
Address: 2-11-1 Shibakoen, Minatoku, Tokyo 105-8519, Japan
Phone: +81-3-3580-3311(ext. 5514)
Fax: +81-3-6402-2538
E-mail: hiroshi.kudo@mofa.go.jp

(3) Mr. Bambang Murdiono
International Cooperation & Investment, Forestry Planning Agency, Ministry of Forestry of Indonesia
Address: Manggala Wanabakti Bld, Block VII. 5th floor, Jl. Gatot Subroto Jakarta, Indonesia
Phone: +62-21-5701114
Fax: +62-21-5720210
E-mail: bambangm@dephut.cbn.net.id

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