Workshop Record| Recommendation | Announcement

Draft as of 30 August 2004 17.23

Workshop Recommendation Appendix

Regional Workshop on Strengthening
the Asia Forest Partnership
30 August - September 2004, Yogyakarta, Indonesia

Announcement on Strengthening
the Asia Forest Partnership (AFP)Yogyakarta, 1 September 2004
 
Draft to be discussed at AFP 4

The representative of the Partners, (the list of the partners is attached in the APPENDIX 1 of this Announcement):

RECALLING the launching of the Asia Forest Partnership (hereinafter referred to as the AFP) which took place in Johannesburg, August 2002, and the results of respective AFP meetings thereafter;

REITERATING the commitment that partners shall collectively and individually promote through the partnership to improve the forest condition in the Asian region as an effort to achieve the Millenium Development Goal (MDGs) and Johannesburg Summit Plan of Implementation;

RECALLING the spirit of both timber producing as well as consuming countries on their roles and responsibilities to maintain the sustainability of forest resources for the better future as has been declared during the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD), Johannesburg, August 2002.

CONSIDERING that the forest resource in Asian region will remain an outstanding aspect of sustainable development in that region, bearing in mind its three inseparable pillars: enhancement of economic and social condition, as well as maintaining environmental value.

REAFFIRMING the partners - awareness on the dynamics of the partnership and for that reason the roles of leading partners and other partners should be developed in an agreed structure and mechanism.

Hereby agree to strengthen the Asia Forest Partnership (AFP) under the following structure and mechanism.

1. OBJECTIVES



1. To promote sustainable forest management in Asia through enhancing political commitment of all partners, taking into consideration that the AFP is voluntary, multi-stakeholder and self organizing based on mutual respect and shared responsibility of the partners involved, including encouraging assistance from donor countries and international organisations.
2. To promote sustainable forest management by addressing including but not limited to the following urgent issues:
1. forest law enforcement and good governance
2. capacity building for effective forest management
3. combating illegal logging and its associated trade
4. control of forest fire
5. rehabilitation and reforestation of degraded forests and lands.



2. ORGANIZATIONAL MATTERS



3. The role of the leading partners of AFP (i.e. Governments of Japan and Indonesia, CIFOR, and TNC) is to help facilitate and coordinate the activities of AFP, but they do not have any additional authority.
4. CIFOR will continue to serve as the AFP information sharing secretariat, promoting information-sharing process within the partnership and between the partnership and other interested parties until 2007, unless partners decide otherwise in accordance with the outcome of the work referred to in paragraph 5 and 6. The AFP information-sharing secretariat should be supported by the partners, technically and financially in this process.
5. Partners agree to establish a task force/small working group which, taking into account AFP痴 objectives and its mode of operation, will study and explore the possibility of establishing a secretariat, including its financial implications, which will have the capacity to conduct, among others:
• Meeting preparations
• Work plan preparations
• Monitoring progress of implementation
• Fund raising and financial management
• Information-sharing
6. The task force/small working group will submit its report and recommendation to the fifth AFP meeting in 2005 for consideration and adoption.
7. Partners and interested parties are encouraged to nominate focal points to facilitate information exchange. The focal points will communicate information from their organization to the partnership and distribute relevant information from the partnership within their organization.
8. Partners will meet regularly once a year, or more if necessary, hosted by one (or more) partners, supported as needed by the information-sharing Secretariat.
9. The meeting will discuss, review, develop, and adopt plans, including periodical work plan proposed by a partner or a group of partners. All work plans should be in line with the objectives of the partnership.



3. MEMBERSHIP



10. Governments, Inter-governmental Organizations, International Organizations, Private Sectors, Civil Societies, and Academic Institutions, and other major groups are eligible to join the partnership.
11. The current attached list of partners is not exclusive and open to new interested partners. Interested party could become partner by informing the information-sharing Secretariat prior to the next meeting of AFP. The information-sharing Secretariat will communicate to all partners regarding the new partner(s).
12. A partner may withdraw from this partnership any time by giving written notice to the information-sharing Secretariat. The Secretariat will communicate to all partners regarding the withdrawal of the partner.
13. A partner is free to choose their level of participation in the AFP activities.



3. PARTNER'S CONTRIBUTION



14. Partners agree to promote sustainable forest management, especially in Asia region.
15. Partners agree to actively participate and contribute to the activities of the partnership which include among others the AFP work plan.
16. Partners agree to provide information about relevant activities in which they are involved.
17. Partners may propose new activities in the format of work plan at meetings for the promotion of AFP or through the information-sharing Secretariat. The partners that propose a work plan, together with other interested and willing partners, are expected to actively communicate with other partners in order to refine the work plan and make it operational, including identification of financing. Other partners are encouraged to collaborate.
18. All partners are encouraged to assist in resource mobilization for AFP's activities considering the whole spectrum of funding sources including public (ODA and non-ODA) and private, both from within and outside of AFP.



4. DURATION, EXTENSION AND TERMINATION



19. The duration of AFP's first phase will be 5 years, i.e. from 2002 to 2007. Partners may decide to extend or terminate it before the end of the first phase.

Done in Tokyo, December 2004

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