In support of the UN Forum on Forests (UNFF), the Governments of Indonesia, Mexico, South Africa, Switzerland and Ukraine organized a country-led initiative focusing on forest governance and decentralization, taking stock of progress since the first Interlaken meeting held in 2004.
6 February 2015: In support of the UN Forum on Forests (UNFF), the Governments of Indonesia, Mexico, South Africa, Switzerland and Ukraine organized a country-led initiative focusing on forest governance and decentralization, taking stock of progress since the first Interlaken meeting, which convened in 2004.
Main topics discussed at Interlaken+10 included: lessons learned on forest governance and decentralization processes; the impacts of global development trends on forests; and key issues for further discussion on forest governance including forest governance and biodiversity and REDD+ safeguards. The meeting also developed proposals on the good governance of forests and forest landscapes for consideration at the eleventh meeting of the UNFF (UNFF 11) and as a contribution to the post-2015 development agenda.
Overall, workshop participants agreed on a recommendation for a fifth global objective on forests focusing on forest governance in addition to suggesting an enhanced governance capacity building function for the Collaborative Partnership on Forests (CPF) or its successor and the revision of the Forest Instrument to better reflect key issues in forest governance.
The meeting also called for the explicit recognition of the rights of indigenous peoples and local communities in the global development indicator on land tenure; the coordination and operationalization of REDD+ safeguards; and the monitoring and evaluation of forest governance with a view towards a global stewardship mandate.
Other needs highlighted through the meeting included: improved access to financing for sustainable forest management (SFM), guidance on the valuation of forests, engagement of the private sector, women, indigenous peoples and other Major Groups, and enhanced efficiency in decentralization.
Outcomes from the meeting will be circulated for comments prior to finalization and transmission to the UNFF Secretariat. The meeting was the sixth in a series of country-led initiative workshops focusing on forest governance and decentralization. [Draft Report Interlaken+10 – Governing forests landscapes, lessons learnt from ten years of experience and the way forward post-2015] [Website: Interlaken+10] [IISD RS coverage of Interlaken+10]