31 October 2014: The Workshop on the International Arrangement on Forests (IAF) beyond 2015, a Country-Led Initiative (CLI) in support of the UN Forum on Forests (UNFF), examined and considered options for a renewed IAF based on strengths and weaknesses of the current IAF, as reported at the first meeting of the UNFF Ad Hoc Expert Group (AHEG) as well as the report of an independent assessment.

Over 100 officials and experts from 46 countries and 15 international organizations attended the workshop, which convened in plenary and parallel breakout group sessions to discuss strengthening the IAF beyond 2015 to ensure the implementation of forest-related commitments. Participants discussed the following six topics on the IAF: strengthening regional and subregional involvement in the IAF; strengthening the role and functioning of the Collaborative Partnership on Forests (CPF); strengthening the involvement of Major Groups in the IAF; low-cost, high-value, achievable actions relevant to a two- to three-year time horizon; up-scaling the Facilitative Process; and possible elements of a strategic plan for the IAF.

In discussing the way forward for the IAF, participants focused on, inter alia: integration of the IAF with the post-2015 sustainable development agenda including through enhancement of the political profile of forests; the example of UN-Water as a potential model for an inter-agency coordination mechanism within the future of the IAF, and the costs and benefits of either expanding or streamlining the current IAF.

Participants heard presentations on regional processes and partnerships, including on the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization (ACTO), the Congo Basin Forest Partnership (CBFP), and the negotiations of a European legally-binding agreement (LBA) on forests. In discussions during the second day of the meeting, participants highlighted: the importance of regional processes within a global forest architecture; the CPF’s role in sustainable forest management (SFM) implementation; the difficulties of increasing involvement of Major Groups given the current UN system rules; increasing the profile of UNFF through specific communication actions; and the continued difficulties of accessing funding through the Facilitative Process.

On the final day of the workshop, participants discussed at length a paper on possible elements of a strategic plan for a future IAF. The discussion focused on, inter alia: the possibility of drafting a strategic plan before decisions are taken at UNFF11; the duration of the strategic plan; and the importance of linking the global objectives on forests and the strategic plan to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Several participants agreed to form an informal drafting group to examine all potentially relevant SDGs and associated targets with a view to identifying links to forest issues, prior to the second meeting of the Ad Hoc Expert Group (AHEG2) on the IAF in January 2015.

The International Arrangement on Forests (IAF) beyond 2015 workshop was held in Beijing, China from 29-31 October 2014. The meeting was Co-Chaired by Wu Zhimin (China) and Peter Besseau (Canada). A Co-Chairs’ Summary Report of the Workshop was compiled and will be forwarded to the second AHEG on the IAF, set to take place in January 2015 in New York, US. [IISD RS coverage of IAF Workshop]