2003-2004 ANNUAL REPORT

TIMBER

Major achievements in 2003

The secretariat, with many partners, collected, validated and presented information on the "State of Europe's Forests" for the fourth Ministerial Conference on the Protection of Forests in Europe (MCPFE), held in Vienna in April 2003. The data were based on a set of indicators of sustainable forest management, drawn up with the help of UNECE. UNECE has developed a strong partnership with MCPFE in many areas of activity.

The seminar on strategies for the sound use of wood, held in Romania in March 2003, pointed out that the sound use of wood supported sustainable forest management and should be encouraged by governments through wood promotion, creating effective and non-distorting building codes, and certification.

In its continuing work to monitor and analyse developments in the sector, the Committee paid increasing attention to policy and cross-sectoral issues. A round table on trade, environment and forests – working together for sustainable development – was held together with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), and a policy forum on forests, wood and energy took place during the Committee's session.

The secretariat prepared the Annual Forest Products Market Analysis for review by the Committee in a shorter, more policy-oriented, format. The data on which it is based were collected in cooperation with three other agencies, and are being made available increasingly over the Internet, confirming the Timber Committee's central role in monitoring the sustainable development of the sector.

Most of the European Forest Sector Outlook Study was completed and made available in draft form. In addition to the traditional analysis of the long-term (20- 40 years) supply and demand balance for forest products, there is special emphasis on the long-term influence of policy choices, inside and outside the forest sector, on the outlook for sustainable development of the sector.

The programme of exchange of information on sustainable forest management continued with two seminars under the auspices of the joint FAO/ECE/ILO Committee on Forest Technology Management and Training, on forest operation improvements in farm forests, in Slovenia and on close-to-nature forestry, in Slovakia.

The UNECE secretariat with representatives of MCPFE and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) presented European regional cooperation as a case study at the third session of the United Nations Forum on Forests. It is hoped that the regional dimension of this global forum will be developed.

The database on forestry assistance to countries in transition was updated and made available, and country profiles of the sector issued for Georgia and Ukraine.

Major challenges for 2004

The second strategic review of the ECE/FAO forests and timber programme will review priorities, methods and outputs with all interested stakeholders and prepare a revised work programme for the joint session of the UNECE Timber Committee with the FAO European Forestry Commission in October 2004.

The European Forest Sector Outlook Study should be completed and published: its conclusions should be presented and discussed by governments and market actors, and the consequences for ECE/FAO be analysed.

A major conference on forest fire prevention and control, with a special focus on the Eastern Mediterranean, will be held in Turkey (postponed from 2003, because of the security situation at the originally scheduled date). A multinational fire- fighting exercise with ground and aerial fire fighting forces of two or more countries will be held on the same occasion.

Further seminars and workshops will be held on new roles and modes of operation of forest services and on environmentally sound forest roads and wood transport.

The situation as regards policies and institutions for the sector in countries in transition will be monitored and capacity- building activities undertaken.

Further efforts will be made to develop inter-sectoral and cross-sectoral activities, notably as regards trade and environment and wood energy, depending on the conclusions of the strategic review.