Opening Remarks by Mr. Kazuo Asakai Ambassador for Global Environment and International Economic Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan
at the Governmental Informal Meeting on Asia Forest Partnership (AFP) for the WSSD

July 31, 2002
Tokyo, Japan

Distinguished delegates,
Ladies and Gentlemen

It is an honor to say a few words at the opening of the informal Preparatory Meeting on Asia Forest Partnership (AFP), on behalf of the co-hosting government.

First, I would like to underline the importance of promoting sustainable forest management in Asia, in particular, in the ASEAN region. Forests provide multiple benefits both in the economic sense and in the environmental sense. They are essential for the conservation of land and water resources, for preserving bio-diversity and they are the source of benefits in the form of forest products.

Governments, international organizations and, NGOs are already engaged in concrete activities to promote sustainable forest management in Asia. Many bilateral and multilateral projects are underway. Yet forest degradation is continuing at an alarming rate. Much remains to be done in regard to forest law enforcement and control of illegal logging. All of us, both the countries where the forests are located and other interested countries of the international community, need to re-energize our efforts.

Bearing in mind that a very important meeting, the WSSD, is to take place in Johannesburg in a month, Japan and Indonesia are calling on Asian countries and others to join hands and launch this partnership on forests as a "Type 2" project of the WSSD. This initiative, the Asia Forest Partnership, is intended to provide a framework for furthering cooperation on forests in Asia. It covers areas such as good governance, and forest law enforcement, control of illegal logging, rehabilitation and reforestation of degraded lands and so forth, as set out in the text before you. By participating in this partnership, governments and international organizations should be able to enhance the efficiency of their programs through exchange of information and experience with other participants. They would also be in a better position, through consultations with other participants, to identify and implement new programs of cooperation.

Having said all this, I would like to raise the following points for discussion today. First, the text of AFP which has been distributed, is prepared in the format suggested by the UN. What I would like to do today, is to seek your comments on the text and to finalize it so that it can be forwarded to the UN. Second, I would also like to receive responses today as to which governments and international organizations will participate in this arrangement.

You might wish to discuss this at the session after coffee break, but I would like to propose official launching of this Partnership in Johannesburg during the WSSD session with Ministerial level attendance by the participating governments and international organizations. Although specific details such as time and place of this function need to be sorted out in the days ahead, it will be much appreciated if you could indicate, today, whether your government or international organization wishes to be a participant so that invitations can be issued for this function.

Third, after launching this partnership in Johannesburg, my further proposal is to have a first meeting of the AFP in November immediately before or after the ITTO meeting. Governments and international organizations which have decided to join in this Partnership would discuss specific courses of action. Concrete proposals could be presented in October, for example, although you may wish to make some preliminary indications today. At this November meeting, participants might also want to address some administrative matters such as the question of secretarial support for this Partnership arrangement, for example the issuing of invitations and providing other logistical back-up. They might also want to discuss the modalities of participation by non-governmental entities. I left this question open for the time being because I felt that participation by governments and international organizations should be clarified first. Participants might also wish to set-up a common information base, a data-base, in order to have a better understanding of what each other is doing so that further activities could be developed. This is a matter which is, however, related to the previous two questions regarding secretarial back-up and participation by non-governmental entities

In closing, I wish to welcome you once again to this informal meeting and to express my hope that we will have a productive exchange of views.