Team of Specialists

Every four years, UNECE/FAO examines its integrated programme of work on timber and forestry to ensure that it still reflects the needs and priorities of member countries, and is in full accord with the mandates given by the European Forestry Commission and the Timber Committee. This process of consulting governments and stakeholders analysed the results of the 2004-2008 period and decided on the strategic direction of future work is the Strategic Review. 2008 marked the beginning of the Strategic Plan covering the period 2008-2013.

7 new Teams of Specialists have been mandated to contribute to the Forestry and Timber Section’s work programme. Each team is made up of forest experts working for governments, intergovernmental agencies and other specialized institutions and stakeholders. Nominated experts are not only to participate in an annual meeting of the team, but also to participate in the work described in the team’s mandate which they receive from the UNECE Timber Committee and FAO European Forestry Commission who approve their terms of reference.

Teams may provide guidance to the work of the secretariat for the respective work areas, are a way of outreach to country-level experts, and have their own specific outputs. All countries may nominate members to the teams.

Team leaders are elected at the first meeting of the teams. Further guidance on the functioning of teams of specialists has been issued by UNECE in “Guidelines for the establishment and functioning of teams of specialists within UNECE.”

Teams of Specialists report to the joint Bureaux or the UNECE/FAO Working Party on Forest Economics and Statistics. Below is the list of the 7 active Teams of Specialists during the period 2008-2010, renewable until 2013:

The list of the ToS Leaders, Deputies and responsible secretariat members is available here