17 September 2010: The open-ended intergovernmental Ad Hoc Expert Group (AHEG) on Forest Financing held its first meeting from 13-17 September 2010, in Nairobi, Kenya.

The AHEG is mandated to make proposals to the 10th Session of the UN Forum on Forests (UNFF), in 2013, on strategies to mobilize resources from all sources to support implementation of sustainable forest management (SFM), the achievement of the global objectives on forests and the implementation of the non-legally binding instrument on all types of forests, including strengthening and improving access to funds and establishing a voluntary global forest fund. More than 160 experts from 60 countries and 20 international and regional organizations, as well as major groups, heard presentations in plenary and parallel sessions on topics including: the cross-sectoral importance of forest financing for achieving internationally agreed development goals; national and regional experiences; policies and strategies on forest financing; the activities undertaken by forest-related financing mechanisms; and the work of the UNFF facilitative process. Experts also explored various national, regional and international actions to mobilize resources for SFM in two breakout groups.

The Co-Chairs’ Summary of the meeting includes proposals for intersessional actions and activities including: inviting substantive input on forest financing options; inviting the Collaborative Partnership on Forests (CPF) Advisory Group on Finance to undertake a series of studies and analyses related to forest financing; the UNFF Secretariat to undertake a feasibility study on forest financing options; holding an informal consultation; inviting the CPF to hold an organization-led initiative; and requesting the UNFF Facilitative Process to implement all its functions and to continue with its current work on low forest cover countries and small island developing States. The report of the meeting, which takes note of the Co-Chairs’ Summary, will be submitted to UNFF 9, to be held in January 2011. [IISD RS Sources; Meeting Website]