ASEAN's role in the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF)

ASEAN was granted an observer status at the UNFF at the Fourth Session of the UNFF in May 2004. Since then ASEAN continues to actively participate and develop common positions for negotiation at the UNFF, with contributions by the ASEAN Experts Group on International Forest Policy Processes (AEG-IFPP). To enable effective coordination among ASEAN Member States in the deliberation and negotiation at the UNFF, the ASEAN Caucus on Forestry at the UNFF was established and its working modalities endorsed by the 10th Meeting of ASOF in 2007. ASEAN has undertaken a number of regional initiatives in support to the UNFF's work program. In June 2006, ASEAN provided its input paper on "Regional Elements and Proposals for a Non-legally Binding Instrument (NLBI) on All Types of Forests". This ASEAN's input together with other inputs from regional and international organizations, as well as UNFF member countries, were then consolidated into a composite draft text for developing an NLBI and as a platform for negotiation at UNFF-7.ASEAN also contributed to the development of the UNFF's Multi-Year Program of Work (MYPOW) for the period 2007-2015. The ASEAN common position on regional perspectives towards a MYPOW was submitted to the Country-led Initiative (CLI) Meeting in support to the UNFF organized by Indonesia and Germany that was held from 13 - 16 February 2007 in Bali.
In view of strengthening interaction between UNFF and regional processes, ASEAN submitted a regional position paper to the Region-led Initiative (RLI), co-hosted by the Governments of Australia and Switzerland, held in Geneva, Switzerland from 28 - 30 January 2008. ASEAN sees regionalization of forest policy processes as an effective supplementary element to ensure a results-driven international forest dialogue. This would also allow the exchange of national and regional experiences and activities, as well as the sharing of best practices and lessons learned, including identifying constraints and challenges in advancing the UNFF's thematic issues.
In preparation of the Eight Session of the UNFF (UNNF-8) which will be held from 20 April to 1 May 2009, ASEAN is developing a regional input paper for submission to the UNFF Secretariat. The input paper is addressing the thematic focus of "Forests in a Changing Environment" including issues on forest and climate, reversing the loss of forest cover, preventing forest degradation in all types of forests and combating desertification, forests and biodiversity conservation, and means of implementation for sustainable forest management.
ASEAN will continue to strengthening regional interaction to ensure that the Forum's thematic issues are addressed, and in particular, to support and facilitate the implementation of its MYPOW, 2007-2015 and the NLBI on All Types of Forests towards the achievement of the four global objectives on forests. ASEAN will also regularly update the UNFF on progress in the implementation of the MYPOW in the region using the ASEAN Criteria and Indicators for Sustainable Management of Tropical Forests and the ASEAN Guideline for the Implementation of the IPF/IFF Proposals for Action, as well as the Monitoring, Assessment and Reporting Format (MAR) for Sustainable Forest Management in ASEAN.