PART III INTERNATIONAL DIALOGUE AND INITIATIVES RELATED TO FORESTS 113 activities. The third, and most recent, conference EFFORTS AT THE ECOREGIONAL was held in 1998 in Lisbon, Portugal. Two LEVEL resolutions were adopted: the first calls for Initiatives by countries with low forest cover further development of human resources Only relatively recently have"low forest cover through increased dialogue with the public; countries"been considered at the global level education and training and the involvement of and their specific concerns addressed in women in forest-related activities. This resolution international fora. There is no single definition of the socio-economi what constitutes a"low forest cover" but it functions of forests. With the second resolution, generally relates to a low ratio of forest cover to pan-European criteria and indicators for a country's total land area(or the total for sustainable forest management were adopted specific parts of a country), and hence to a and pan-European operational-level guidelines limited availability of forest environmental for sustainable forest management were services for society as well as to people's limited access to, and use of. forest resources more than The current work of the Ministerial Conference 70 developing countries and a number of on the Protection of Forests in Europe focuses on developed countries are considered to have a putting into action the commitments made by low forest cover ministers at the lisbon Conference. and on the IFF focused attention on these countries further implementation of commitments made at through its programme element entitled Special previous conferences. All activities are integrated Needs and Requirements of developing into the ministerial Conference's overall work Countries with low forest cover and unic Programme, which was approved by the Second Types of Forests. The Islamic Republic of Iran, in Expert-Level Meeting on the Follow-up to the collaboration with Egypt and the Sudan, took Lisbon Conference, held in October 1999. The the lead in supporting this programme element Work Programme covers four main areas nd. with the collaboration of Canada. denmark. dialogue with society (public participation, Finland, Germany and Norway, it convened a public relations, education); socio-economic meeting of experts to discuss the topic in issues(rural development, renewable resources- Teheran in October 1999. This meeting laid a goods and services, training, education and foundation for developing the concept, gender issues, countries in transition): biological characterizing the needs and devising focused diversity and conservation(biological and responses to challenges posed by inadequate landscape diversity, forests and climate change, forest cover. The meeting produced the Teheran management of mountain forests); and planning, Declaration and launched the so-called Teheran monitoring, evaluation and reporting(national Process. The Government of Iran is taking the forest programmes, criteria and indicators for lead in promoting follow-up action. The goals sustainable forest management ). Furthermore, a for the coming years are to place the issue of pan-European Work Programme on the low forest cover on the agenda of international Conservation and Enhancement of Biological and forest policy deliberations; promote and facilitate Landscape Diversity in Forest Ecosystems 1997- the preparation and implementation of national 2000 is carried out in cooperation with the forest programmes in all countries with a low Environment for Europe"ministerial process. forest cover and encourage cooperation among The work of the Conference, including expert them; and create synergies between low for meetings, working groups and studies, is cover-related initiatives and other intenational coordinated by a Liaison Unit in Vienna, but also frameworks, in particular the Convention to through partner organizations and institutions, Combat Desertification, the Convention including UN-ECE and FAO Biological Diversity and the FCCCPART III INTERNATIONAL DIALOGUE AND INITIATIVES RELATED TO FORESTS 113 activities. The third, and most recent, conference was held in 1998 in Lisbon, Portugal. Two resolutions were adopted: the first calls for further development of human resources through increased dialogue with the public; education and training; and the involvement of women in forest-related activities. This resolution also aims at enhancing the socio-economic functions of forests. With the second resolution, pan-European criteria and indicators for sustainable forest management were adopted and pan-European operational-level guidelines for sustainable forest management were endorsed. The current work of the Ministerial Conference on the Protection of Forests in Europe focuses on putting into action the commitments made by ministers at the Lisbon Conference, and on the further implementation of commitments made at previous conferences. All activities are integrated into the Ministerial Conference’s overall Work Programme, which was approved by the Second Expert-Level Meeting on the Follow-up to the Lisbon Conference, held in October 1999. The Work Programme covers four main areas: dialogue with society (public participation, public relations, education); socio-economic issues (rural development, renewable resources – goods and services, training, education and gender issues, countries in transition); biological diversity and conservation (biological and landscape diversity, forests and climate change, management of mountain forests); and planning, monitoring, evaluation and reporting (national forest programmes, criteria and indicators for sustainable forest management). Furthermore, a pan-European Work Programme on the Conservation and Enhancement of Biological and Landscape Diversity in Forest Ecosystems 1997- 2000 is carried out in cooperation with the “Environment for Europe” ministerial process. The work of the Conference, including expert meetings, working groups and studies, is coordinated by a Liaison Unit in Vienna, but also through partner organizations and institutions, including UN-ECE and FAO. EFFORTS AT THE ECOREGIONAL LEVEL Initiatives by countries with low forest cover Only relatively recently have “low forest cover countries” been considered at the global level and their specific concerns addressed in international fora. There is no single definition of what constitutes a “low forest cover”, but it generally relates to a low ratio of forest cover to a country’s total land area (or the total for specific parts of a country), and hence to a limited availability of forest environmental services for society as well as to people’s limited access to, and use of, forest resources. More than 70 developing countries and a number of developed countries are considered to have a low forest cover. IFF focused attention on these countries through its programme element entitled Special Needs and Requirements of Developing Countries with Low Forest Cover and Unique Types of Forests. The Islamic Republic of Iran, in collaboration with Egypt and the Sudan, took the lead in supporting this programme element and, with the collaboration of Canada, Denmark, Finland, Germany and Norway, it convened a meeting of experts to discuss the topic in Teheran in October 1999. This meeting laid a foundation for developing the concept, characterizing the needs and devising focused responses to challenges posed by inadequate forest cover. The meeting produced the Teheran Declaration and launched the so-called Teheran Process. The Government of Iran is taking the lead in promoting follow-up action. The goals for the coming years are to place the issue of low forest cover on the agenda of international forest policy deliberations; promote and facilitate the preparation and implementation of national forest programmes in all countries with a low forest cover and encourage cooperation among them; and create synergies between low forest cover-related initiatives and other international frameworks, in particular the Convention to Combat Desertification, the Convention on Biological Diversity and the FCCC