UNECE/FAO Team of Specialists - FOREST COMMUNICATORS NETWORK

• Mandate
• Meetings
• FCN Members
• FCN Report 2004-2008
• FCN Report 2000-2004
• FCN mailing list
• Publications and products
• Train the trainers

The UNECE/FAO Forest Communicators' Network (FCN) was established by the UNECE Timber Committee and the FAO European Forestry Commission (EFC) with the overall objective to improve the ability of the forest and forest products sector to communicate effectively, within and outside the sector, through:

1. Providing a forum for international interaction and cooperation in forest related communications
2. Developing professionalism of forest communicators by introducing and encouraging state of the art communication approaches

The FCN is expected to produce the following outputs until 2013:

• A European forest communication strategy;
• A Gap analyses of existing opinion research and proposal for improving monitoring and regular analyses on public perception concerning forests, their management and related products;
• A European Forest Pedagogics Concept based on best practice examples, common principles and quality standards for forest related environmental education;
• Follow up to the Pan-European Forest Week 2008 (follow up media work; evaluation of achievements and lessons learned; improved concept for future activities);
• Preparations for the International Year of Forests 2011 (raising awareness in the region; developing a strategic outline for concerted activities of local, regional and global relevance);
• Contributions to the EU Forest Action Plan, in particular on forest related environmental education and on a European forest communication strategy;
• PR advice to TC/EFC bureaus and joint secretariat, to the Team of Specialists on Forest Products Markets an Marketing as well as to other Teams of Specialists on request;
• PR advice to the MCPFE Liaison Unit Oslo upon request;
• Building PR capacity in TC/EFC member countries through conducting workshops, sharing examples of best practice and holding topical meetings.

Participation in the FCN is open to all sharing the concern about its common objectives and tasks. Currently the contact database of the network contains more than 120 persons over 30 countries representing both, government and private sector organisations.