Download Structure of the MCPFE MINISTERIAL CONFERENCES

Ministerial Conference on
the Protection of Forests
in Europe
by PIOTR GRYGIER
Structure of the MCPFE
MINISTERIAL CONFERENCES
At Ministerial Conferences the ministers responsible for forests in Europe take decisions
on common aspects of highest political relevance regarding forests and forestry.
Ministerial Conferences on the Protection of Forests in Europe took place in 1990 in
Strasbourg, in 1993 in Helsinki, in 1998 in Lisbon, in 2003 in Vienna and in 2007 in
Warsaw.
EXPERT LEVEL MEETINGS,
ROUND TABLE MEETINGS,
AD HOC WORKING GROUPS,
WORKSHOPS AND SEMINARS
Fifth Ministerial Conference - Warsaw 2007
The Fifth Ministerial Conference on the Protection of Forests in Europe was held
on 5 – 7 November 2007, in Warsaw, Poland. The Conference theme: “Forests
for Quality of Life” highlighted of contemporary challenges and decisions to
assure that Europe’s forests continue to be managed sustainably and provide
benefits to the best of their potential.
The Ministerial Declaration and two Warsaw Resolutions embraced
requirements for political response and decisions on the issues of promotion of
wood as a renewable energy carrier and the role of forests in water protection in
the context of climate change.
The following documents were signed during the Conference by high level representatives of 38 European
Countries and the European Community, and 2 more countries that signed these documents after the
Conference.
•Warsaw Declaration
•Warsaw Resolution 1: Forests, Wood and Energy
•Warsaw Resolution 2: Forests and Water
Two Ministerial Statements were adopted by acclamation:
•Ministerial Statement on Pan-European Forest Week 2008
•Ministerial Statement on Forest Fires
Mutual statement of the organisations assigned to the Major Group
“Social NGOs” to the Multi-Stakeholder Dialogue
at the Warsaw Conference, November 2007
ENFE
BWI
UEF
PEFC
European Network of Forest Entrepreneurs
Building and Wood Workers’ International
Union of European Foresters
Programme for the Endorsement of Forest
Certification Schemes
Responsibility for Forests
This grouping of forest practitioners, professionals, contractors, forest workers
and specialists on forest management and certification who have been
assigned under the Major Group “Social NGOs” are delighted to be invited to
present our views to the deliberations of the 5 th MCPFE.
We share the concerns of the signatories of the Warsaw declaration that the
conditions of life on earth are threatened, and that today, and increasingly in
the future, the sustainable use of natural resources is an ongoing and
increasingly important necessity.
The contribution of forests to the quality of life has many aspects. One is the
role forests play as a work place, providing employment and income. Thus,
forests and the use of their resources and services are an important factor in
rural economies and a mainstay in the fabric of rural society. This economic
function was highlighted in the Vienna “Living Forest Summit”, where the
mission statement “Sustainable Forest Management needs a Sustainable
Workforce” was emphasised.
Creating “forests for quality of life” is a goal which can only be achieved
through the responsible activities of those people engaged in
management and forest operations. Therefore, whilst we wish to use
this opportunity to draw attention to the social dimension of forestry
which is to protect and ensure the multiple values and services forests
offer to society, we wish equally to emphasis the role forestry plays as a
source of employment and income, in particular the social role in
contributing to maintaining and strengthening local communities and
providing sustainable employment in rural areas.
Active management of Renewable Resources by Public Procurement
policies
We firmly believe that there will be an increasing demand for wood both for
industrial use and energy in the future. Therefore we welcome the signatories´
commitment to take effective measures to increase the use of woody biomass
for energy generation, taking into account the importance of processing
residues and recovered wood as renewable energy sources, and the
signatories’ commitment to encourage partnerships aimed at the development
of markets for bio-energy.
We will play our part in contributing to the mobilization of the wood needed to
generate more value to forests and forest products by making use of our
practical knowledge of forest management, harvesting techniques and
logistics.
We welcome the signatories´ intention to further strengthen efforts to promote
good governance and forest law enforcement to combat illegal logging and
related trade of forest products, inter alia by cooperating on and promoting
public procurement policies that demand timber and timber products from
legal and sustainable sources.
In order to support rural development and secure sustainable employment in
fair markets, we urge the signatories to the MCPFE to make use of and
support the use of the MCPFE Criteria and Indicators and the Pan-European
Operational Level Guidelines (PEOLG) for Sustainable Forest Management
as the basis for both public and private procurement of timber based products,
to achieve a harmonized approach to procurement policies throughout
Europe.
Human resources need active development
European foresters, forestry workers, contractors and their representative
bodies, supported by forestry certification systems, have a firm understanding
of their responsibilities for sustainable forest management and sustainable
development. This relates to the protection of nature and environment in their
forest operations, including the protection of water quality, and also their
awareness of the importance of the use of renewable resources from forests.
This however requires foresters, forestry workers and contractors themselves
to have opportunities for secure jobs and a satisfactory income together with
the opportunities to develop their careers and entrepreneurship.
However the reality of strong economic pressures in globalised markets,
mean that these social values are not universally guaranteed.
Therefore, the commitment to strengthen good governance and law
enforcement is very important because this will, together with the
implementation of the MCPFE Criteria and Indicators supported by voluntary
forest and service certification, help combat the undermining of social
standards; improve health and safety and contribute to the development of
human resources needed for sustainable forest management.
Strengthen Employment
The forestry sector is in a competitive situation. We are highly concerned that
income opportunities in forestry are, in many cases, not competitive with other
forms of employment. This can be seen as a severe restraint to achieving the
goals laid out in the Warsaw Declaration and the Resolutions. Therefore, it is
a crucial challenge for all actors in forestry, on both a political and a practical
level, to agree means to strengthen forest and forest sector related human
resources and employment to fulfil this commitment of the Warsaw
declaration. For an optimisation of all aspects of modern, multi-functional
forestry, qualified forest personnel in sufficient numbers is crucial.
Education and Communication
Education and communication of the goals of sustainable management, water
protection and increased wood mobilisation are prerequisites to raise the
qualification of foresters, workers and contractors, and to affirm their
commitment to contribute to these goals. We are pleased to acknowledge that
many commitments of the Warsaw Declaration and Resolutions aim at
improving communication and raising awareness. However, it is imperative
that this message reaches all actors in forest management and forest
operations. To this end appropriate means need to be developed and
implemented both at a political and a practical level.
Foresters, workers, contractors and certifiers are entrusted with the
responsibility
for
creating
Forests
for
Quality
of
Life
so we will play our role as an essential bridge between the commitments
and demands from society and industry for development.
The European Network of Forest Entrepreneurs, the International
Federation of Building and Wood Workers, the Union of European
Foresters and the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest
Certification Schemes affirm that these umbrella organisations together with
their members and representative bodies will make every effort to support
putting the commitments of the Signatories of the Warsaw Declaration and
Resolutions into reality towards Forests for Quality of Life.
Upcoming events
2008/10/20
European Forest Week
2008/11/03
Conference "EU funding for Environmental
Projects"
2008/11/12
MCPFE Expert Level Meeting
2008/11/27
Meeting MCPFE Working Group "Exploring the
potential added value of and possible options
for a legally binding agreement"
Welcome to the European Forest Week 2008 Web site
European Forest Week 2008 celebrates the contribution of European forests in mitigating climate
change,providing wood and renewable energy, securing the supply of fresh water and protecting our
environment.
The week was declared by the ministers responsible for forests of 46 European countries and is being
jointly organized by the European Commission, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United
Nations, the Ministerial Conference on the Protection of Forests in Europe and the United Nations
Economic Commission for Europe, in close collaboration with the Presidency of the Council of the
European Union, France.
During the week of 20-24 October, a series of meetings will be held by these entities and other
European forestry-related partners at the Food and Agriculture Organization Headquarters in Rome,
Italy. The Rome events will bring together hundreds of individuals from governments, non-governmental
organizations, research institutions, regional and international networks, United Nations agencies and
the private sector. Senior forestry and other sector-related officials from all over Europe will attend. The
meetings will provide a unique opportunity for diverse stakeholders and forest managers to share
perspectives and seek solutions to some of the most challenging issues facing forests and forestry today:
climate change, energy and water.
In conjunction with the Rome meetings, a high-profile European Union Presidency event will be held in
Brussels (20 October) and a number of national and local events will take place in participating
countries throughout Europe.
Working together for sustainable forest management in Europe
CALL FOR ORGANIZATION OF NATIONAL EVENTS
The objectives of National Forest Week are to:
•Increase the visibility of the forest based-sector and its contribution to development of economy and
society in Europe.
•Raise awareness about its important contributions to mitigating climate change, providing freshwater
and protecting the environment.
•Engage other sectors in a participatory dialogue on forest related issues.
The European Forest Week will provide an umbrella for forest-related events organized by the public and private sectors
as well as civil society throughout Europe. It is organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
(FAO), the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), the Ministerial Conference for the Protection of
Forests in Europe (MCPFE) and the European Commission (EC), in close collaboration with the European Union
Presidency at the time of the event, France.
At the regional level, the week will be marked by a series of events in Rome and Brussels including press conferences, high-level policy
discussions and networking opportunities on a number of topical themes, including climate change, energy and water in relation to the
forest sector.
National dimension
Countries are invited to organize events to address forest issues of national relevance, sharing the objectives of the week and explicitly
linked with it. These could be conferences or policy forums, public events such as forest fairs, nature walks or exhibits, symbolic events such
as tree planting, or media events aimed at improved communication. A dedicated Web site (www.EuropeanForestWeek.org) will link to
national events and will provide suggested messages, a media kit and information resources for event organizers. The sponsoring
organizations are not in a position however to provide financial support for national events.
Countries considering the organization of national events or other contributions to European Forest Week are invited to contactMaria Casa.