Working Group Meeting Report

4th Meeting of the Working Group on Criteria and Indicators for the Conservation and Sustainable Management of Temperate and Boreal Forests
Montréal Process

Hull, Canada
October 15, 1994

CHAIRMAN'S SUMMARY OF DELIBERATIONS

Opening Remarks:

The meeting of the Working Group, hosted and chaired by Jag Maini (Canada), was held in Hull on 15 October 1994. The draft agenda, list of participants and working documents are attached as appendices.

The Chairman recalled the meetings of the group to date, which had been held in Geneva, Switzerland, in June; in Delhi, India, in July; and in Olympia, USA, in September.

Overview:

The Chairman asked for a round table exchange of information on the status of indicator development in participating countries and organizations with regard to national and international efforts on criteria and indicators for sustainable forest management.

Japan provided a definition of objectives of the Tokyo meeting. The meeting in Tokyo should be very productive. Participants should ask for reservations close to the US embassy as it is very close to the meeting location.

With reference to invitations to the Tokyo meeting, there was some discussion of the involvement and role of NGOs and IGOs in the Montreal Process. The Montreal Process involves a core group of 9 countries but the group is now reaching a stage where it is becoming more appropriate to take the product to a political level. It is appropriate to have some IGOs and NGOs as part of the group. The role of IGOs and NGOs in the next 2 meetings (Japan and Chile) will be as advisors; countries have to agree and live with agreements/documents. The host country does have some flexibility in who is invited. NGOs are very helpful for the work that is being done. Representative(s) from the Helsinki process would be very helpful, maybe 2 or 3 delegates and maybe the same number from Tropical countries.

As at the last meeting, the Group split into two Sub-groups: one reviewed and discussed the indicators of Criteria 1 through 5 and the other reviewed and discussed Criteria 6 and 7.

The Sub-group looking at criteria 6 & 7 reviewed a proposal from Jag Maini, Canada:

Human

Monitoring sustainability
R&D
Public education

Legal

Regulations, guidelines
Legal requirements for monitoring
Participation, tenure
Forestry practices; conservation; heritage culture, Indigenous people, communities, cross-sectoral policies

Institutions

Public participation
Forestry plans (national, sub-national)
Enforcement

Economic Measures

intervention, investment, trade policies, competition, cost internalization, trust funds (cons.)

The Sub-group then reviewed a proposal from Nigel Sizer, WRI:

A. LEGAL

Monitoring
Access to Information
Resource access
Planning - Forestry
- Infrastructure
- Intersectoral
- Research

B. INSTITUTIONAL (CAPACITY (OPERATIONAL))

Monitoring
Information distribution
Land survey department
-Land Use Planning
Planning - Forestry
- Infrastructure
- Intersectoral
Research

C. ECONOMIC POLICY FRAMEWORK

Micro
Macro
Trade
(Investment)

The other Sub-group discussed criteria 1 through 5. D. Brand, Canada, will take the notes from the meeting and revise the proposal, distribute it for comments, revise it, and take it to the Tokyo meeting. Participants should provide an annotated commentary within 14 days of receiving the revised document. This sub-group is making excellent progress and is starting to see what the final product should look like.

The Sub-group working on criteria 6 and 7 now has a point of departure. Key words and information written on the flip chart will be typed and faxed to participants at Hull and Korea (not present). Australia will write a first draft on criterion 6; Canada, Japan, NZ, and US will review; some work has been done on this criterion (i.e. in Olympia, USA). The US will write a first draft on criterion 7 and circulate it to Japan, Australia, NZ, and Canada. There is a need to work together on these last two criteria as they are closely related. There was some discussion of the sub-group dealing with criteria 6 & 7 will meeting on the margins of the Yokohama (ITTO) meeting.

Concluding Remarks:

Beginning in Tokyo, the process will be moving to a more intense stage. The group has started talking about gaining endorsement of countries, which means it is starting to move into a more formal process. This also means that there is a need to move into a more transparent, open process at home. The core countries need to be clear with other participants, advisors, etc. as they move to Tokyo, Santiago, etc.

The next meeting of the Working Group will be held 16-17 November 1994 in Tokyo, Japan, and will be chaired by Dr. Jag Maini, Canada. The final meeting of the Working Group will be in Chile in January 1995.

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Appendix

WORKING GROUP ON CRITERIA AND INDICATORS OF SUSTAINABLE FOREST MANAGEMENT FOR BOREAL AND TEMPERATE FORESTS

SATURDAY OCTOBER 15, 1994 - 9:00 A.M.

CHAMPLAIN ROOM
QUALITY INN
131 LAURIER ST.
HULL (QUEBEC)