Working Group Meeting Report
AIDE-MEMOIRE
15th Meeting of the Working Group on Criteria and Indicators for the Conservation and Sustainable Management of Temperate and Boreal Forests
Montréal Process
Québec City, Canada
Monday, September 22, 2003
SUMMARY OF DISCUSSION
Opening Remarks and Overview
The special "high level" session of the Working Group was hosted by Canada on the margins of the XII World Forestry Congress in Québec City on September 22, 2003. The proposed agenda and list of participants are attached as Annexes A and B.
The meeting was chaired by the Deputy Minister of Natural Resources Canada, Mr. George Anderson, who welcomed the meeting participants to Québec City, to the Congress, and to the Montréal Process Working Group meeting. He also provided a brief background on the Montréal Process.
Next on the agenda, the representative from the Uruguay Forest Service, as the most recent past host of the Working Group and the meeting where the Report text was finalized, formally launched the Montréal Process First Forest Overview Report 2003. The report was introduced and described for the international community and decision makers who attended the meeting. The presentation also touched on what the Montréal Process Working Group is and what it has collectively accomplished.
Next, the chairman tabled the Québec City Declaration (as agreed to prior to the meeting - Annex C) and invited each country representative to make brief remarks, discussing progress in criteria and indicators in the country and endorsing the declaration. This was followed by brief statements from a represenatative from each country on the progress they have been making. Country representatives mentioned how they have benefited from the Montréal Process Working Group, how they are applying the criteria and indicators, that they wish to continue working together, and endorsed the Québec City Declaration.
Having heard the country statements, the chair then recognized the collective endorsement by the country delegates. He noted that the Québec City Declaration is testimony to the evening's discussion. He suggested that the group retire to partake of the food and beverages available. He later proposed a toast to the ongoing success of the Montréal Process Working Group. This marks the close of the formal portion of the meeting.
After an opportunity for discussion with other participants, the Working Group reconvened to discuss next steps for the Montréal Process Working Group. The transition of the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) Convenor role from U.S.A. to New Zealand was discussed. New Zealand has agreed to take over the role until mid-2006. The group also discussed a new task for the TAC; it is proposed to be "to meet and review options and preparatory work across the C&I processes with regard to what might be involved in reviewing the Montréal Process framework of C&I". This should be done in light of the recent reporting process gone through, as well as other developments. The TAC will meet in Argentina in May or June 2004 (following a follow-up meeting to CICI-2003, Guatemala). The Working Group will meet again in Canada in September or October of 2004, to review the work done by the TAC.
Annex A
15th Meeting of the Working Group on Criteria and Indicators for the Conservation and Sustainable Management of Temperate and Boreal Forests
(Montréal Process)
Québec City, Canada
Monday, September 22, 2003
Program
Special "high level" Session of the Montréal Process Working Group
| TIME | ITEM | PRESENTER | COMMENTS |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18:00 | Meet/Greet early arrivals | Montréal Process Liaison Officer | As the host of the meeting, Canada (chair) will welcome participants to Canada and to the meeting (15th Meeting of the Montréal Process Working Group); the chair will provide a little history of the Montréal Process, the significance of criteria and indicators, and of the meeting; he will then invite Uruguay to introduce the First Forest Overview Report 2003). |
| 18:30 | Welcome to participants | Chair (Canada) | |
| 18:40 | Formal launch of Montréal Process First Forest Overview Report 2003 | Uruguay | As the most recent past host of the Working Group and the meeting where the report was finalized, Uruguay will formally launch the Montréal Process First Forest Overview Report 2003; the Overview Report will be introduced and described for the international community and decision makers (meeting delegates); the Uruguayan delegate will touch on what the Montréal Process Working Group is and what we have collectively accomplished (i.e., better country forest reporting). |
| 18:50 | Introduction to country statements (of 7-8 minutes) | Chair (Canada) | Chair will table the Québec City Declaration (as agreed to prior to the meeting) and invite each country representative to make brief remarks, discussing progress in criteria and indicators in the country and endorsing the declaration. |
| 18:55 | Reaffirmation of commitment to Montréal Process (country statements) | Country representatives | Country representatives will make their 7-8 minute statements, mentioning how they have benefitted from the Montréal Process, a few points about how they are applying the criteria and indicators, how they wish to continue working together, and endorsing the Québec City Declaration. |
| 20:06 | Close of formal session | Having heard the country statements, the chair will recognize the collective endorsement by the country delegates; he will discuss the Québec City Declaration as testimony to the evening's discussion; and he will propose a toast to current and future success of the Montréal Process Working Group. He will then invite all participants to partake of the food and beverages available. | |
| 20:15 | Hand out copies of First Forest Overview Report 2003, brochures, retire to food/beverage | Working Group representatives discuss next steps for Montréal Process Working Group. Chair encourages participants to visit Montréal Process kiosk at exhibition and attend side event on Wednesday (September 24). | |
| 20:45 | Discussion of next steps, other questions (TAC Convenor, 16th meeting, etc.) | Chair (Canada) | |
| 22:00 | Close of meeting |
Annex B
15th Meeting of the Working Group on Criteria and Indicators for the Conservation and Sustainable Management of Temperate and Boreal Forests
(Montréal Process)
Québec City, Canada
Monday, September 22, 2003
List of Participants
Special "high level" Session of the Montréal Process Working Group
| Country | Attendee | Title & Organization |
|---|---|---|
| Argentina | Dr. Tomás Schlichter | Coordinador, Programa de Ambito Nacional Forestal, Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA) |
| Australia | Mr. Mike Mcnamara | General Manager, Forest Industries Division, Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry - Australia |
| Mr. Rod Keenan | Program Leader, BRS, Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry - Australia | |
| Mr. Mike Bullen | Acting General Manager, Forest Policy & Programs, State Forests of New South Wales | |
| Mr. Glen Kile | Executive Director, Australia's Forest & Wood Products Research and Development Corporation | |
| Canada | Mr. George Anderson | Deputy Minister, Natural Resources Canada |
| Mr. Jacques Carette | Director General, Policy, Planning and International Affairs, Canadian Forest Service, Natural Resources Canada | |
| Mr. Simon Bridge | Criteria and Indicators Policy Advisor, PPIA, CFS, NRCan | |
| Mr. John Hall | Science Advisor - Bioproducts and Water, Science Branch, CFS, NRCan | |
| Chile | Mr. Miguel Monterichard | Chilean consul in Québec |
| Ms Marcela Ochoa | CONAF (Chilean Forest Service) | |
| China | Dr. Zhang Shougong | Professor & Executive Vice President, Chinese Academy of Forestry |
| Mr. Lu De | Deputy Division Director, International Forestry Cooperation Center, State Forestry Administration | |
| Dr. Jiang Zeping | Research Professor & Division Head, Chinese Academy of Forestry | |
| Japan | Mr. Naoto Maeda | Deputy Director-General, Forestry Agency of Japan |
| Mr. Hisao Yamada | Director, Planning Division, Forestry Agency of Japan | |
| Mr. Yuji Imaizumi | Assistant Director, International Forestry Cooperation Office, Forestry Agency of Japan | |
| Ms Rumiko Yamanouchi | Section Chief, International Forestry Cooperation Office, Forestry Agency of Japan | |
| Dr. Toshiro Iehara | Forest and Forest Products Institute, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry & Fisheries | |
| Korea | Mr. Chun, Bom-kwon | Director, Korea Forest Service |
| Mr. Ko, Ki-yeon | Deputy-Director, International Cooperation Division, Korea Forest Service | |
| Mr. Lee, Yong-Lock | International Cooperation Division, Korea Forest Service | |
| Mexico | Dr. Hugo Ramirez | General Director of Forestry Research, National Institute of Forestry, Agricultural and Animal Research (INIFAP) |
| Ms Laura Lara | Subdirector, International Cooperation, Secretary of Environment & Natural Resources (SEMARNAT) | |
| Dr. Alejandro Velazquez Martínez | Director, Natural Resources Institute | |
| New Zealand | Mr. David Rhodes | Senior Analyst, International Policy, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry |
| Mr. Tim Barnard | Environmental Planner, NZ Forest Research | |
| Mr. Alan Reid | Senior Policy Analyst, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry | |
| Russia | Mr. Nefed'ev | Forest Service of the Ministry of Natural Resources |
| Mr. Doroshin | Forest Service of the Ministry of Natural Resources | |
| Dr. Natalia Malysheva | Head of Department, All Russian Research Institute of Silviculture and Forest Mechanization | |
| USA | Mr. Dale Bosworth | Chief of the Forest Service (Department of Agriculture) |
| Ms Sally Collins | Associate Chief, US Forest Service (Department of Agriculture) | |
| Ms Stephanie Caswell | Deputy Director, Department of State | |
| Mr. Albert Abee | National Coordinator Sustainable Development, USDA Forest Service (Department of Agriculture) | |
| Uruguay | Mr. Atilio Ligrone | Director, Forest Direction, Ministry of Livestock, Agriculture and Fisheries |
| Mr. Francisco Porcile | Agricultural Engineer, Director of Forest Management and Protection Department, Forest Direction, Ministry of Livestock, Agriculture and Fisheries | |
| Liaison Office | Ms Kathryn Buchanan | Forestry Criteria and Indicators, Federal/Provincial Relations, Policy, Planning and International Affairs, Canadian Forest Service, Natural Resources Canada |
| Mr. Robert Hendricks | TAC Convenor (outgoing), Senior Policy Analyst, USDA Forest Service |
Annex C
15th Meeting of the Working Group on Criteria and Indicators for the Conservation and Sustainable Management of Temperate and Boreal Forests
(Montréal Process)
Québec City, Canada
Monday, September 22, 2003
Québec City Declaration
Criteria and Indicators for the Conservation and Sustainable Management of Temperate and Boreal Forests
Montréal Process
We, the Member countries of the Montréal Process Working Group, the Governments of Argentina, Australia, Canada, Chile, China, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, the Republic of Korea, the Russian Federation, the United States of America, and Uruguay,
Reaffirming the important contribution of forests and their sustainable management to sustainable development;
Also reaffirming the important contribution of criteria and indicators to improving forest monitoring, assessment and reporting, as well as policies and practices to achieve sustainable forest management in member countries;
Recalling the Santiago Declaration of 3 February 1995, by which countries endorsed a comprehensive set of Criteria and Indicators for the Conservation and Sustainable Management of Temperate and Boreal Forests;
Recognizing the widespread interest among countries in implementing criteria and indicators for sustainable forest management and the applicability of lessons learned in the Montréal Process to other criteria and indicators processes;
Encouraged by the contributions of member countries to the collaboratively produced Montréal Process First Approximation Report (1997), and Progress and Innovation in Implementing Criteria and Indicators for the Conservation and Sustainable Management of Temperate and Boreal Forests (2000);
Also encouraged by the release by Member countries of their first Country Forest Reports using the Montréal Process set of 7 criteria and 67 indicators to convey to policy makers and the public the state of and trends in forests at the national level based on contemporary scientific understanding of forest ecosystems and their values to society, as well as the release of the collaborative Montréal Process First Forest Overview Report: 2003, which highlights the information and progress reflected in the country reports;
Pleased that despite the challenges of data collection and indicator measurement, member countries will continue to strive to improve their ability to monitor, assess and report on forests using the criteria and indicators in the next five years;
Also pleased that countries are increasingly using the criteria and indicators as a framework for strategic planning, forest inventory, stakeholder involvement and communicating progress to policy makers, and as a model for monitoring, assessment and reporting on other natural resources, such as rangelands and freshwater;
Affirming the value of the Montréal Process Working Group as a forum for international collaboration, including catalyzing national efforts, promoting a shared view of sustainable forest management and how to measure it, and fostering bilateral and regional partnership and cooperation among Members to build capacity; and
Believing the seven criteria endorsed by the Montréal Process represent the essential components of sustainable forest management of all types of forests;
Decide to:
Reaffirm our commitment to implementing the Montréal Process Criteria and Indicators as an important means of national monitoring, assessing and reporting.
Continue our active engagement and collaboration in the Montréal Process Working Group.
Endorse the actions annexed hereto as the means to further increase Member country capacity to report on forests using criteria and indicators and better inform policy-makers and other stakeholders on national progress toward sustainable forest management.
Request the Government of Canada on our behalf to present this Declaration to the XII World Forestry Congress now convening in Québec City and the fourth session of the United Nations Forum on Forests in Geneva, May 2004.
Québec City, Canada
22 September 2003
ANNEX
Vision for the Montréal Process: 2003-2008
The focus of the Montréal Process Working Group and its Member countries over the next five years will be to further increase country capacity to report using criteria and indicators and to better inform policy makers on national progress toward sustainable forest management. The following actions will be pursued to this end:
- Review, refine and share data inventory protocols to build capacity for reporting;
- Develop extension materials on national and sub-national applications of criteria and indicators;
- Enhance technical collaboration among member countries;
- Review and as needed refine the Montréal Process indicators;
- Make the achievements of the Montréal Process more visible and easily available at all levels;
- Develop strategies to help countries mobilize resources to collect needed data;
- Continue to urge broad participation of relevant stakeholders within countries;
- Encourage universities and other educational institutions to incorporate the latest information on sustainable forest management and criteria and indicators;
- Encourage national and international institutions to carry out research on indicators difficult to measure;
- Increase communication, collaboration and cooperation with other criteria and indicators processes;
- Use criteria and indicators as the basis for national reporting on sustainable forest management to international fora, including the UN Forum on Forests (UNFF);
- Seek international endorsement of a global set of criteria to provide a framework for existing regional and international criteria and indicator processes;
- Promote application of forest criteria and indicators to other sectors and to international initiatives on indicators for sustainable development; and
- Encourage other countries to become members of the Montréal Process Working Group.