PART III INTERNATIONAL DIALOGUE AND INITIATIVES RELATED TO FORESTS 115 update and/or revitalize their existing policy and some success in mobilizing domestic resources to planning processes. IFF recognized national forest support sustainable forest management through programmes to be a viable framework for the innovative financing mechanisms. implementation of the IPF and IFF proposals. Constraints were by no means only financial A survey was carried out by FAO in November The survey indicated a shortage in many 1998 to assess the status of national forest countries of reliable and up-to-date data and programmes worldwide, appraise their impacts, information on the forest sector. It also showed and draw lessons for improving their that, in most countries, five key areas related to elopment in the future(FAO, 1999c). T forests required increased effort: survey found that most countries of the world are awareness building among the general public ngaged in national forest programme and decision-makers. development to some extent and that the institutional effectiveness and international development of national forest programmes has had a positive influence on forest-related policy partnerships and conflict resolution and planning processes in many countries, but capacity building and the development of that their implementation has lagged behind in human resources, especially related to data many cases. a more detailed impact evaluation is collection and analysis for policy currently being carried out in all Central and development, planning and monitoring: South american countries. the results of which financial resources and innovative financing are expected to be available in 2001 mechanisms Most countries implementing national forest An initiative that aims to address some of the programmes reported increased recognition of the weaknesses in the implementation of national importance of sustainable forest management and forest programmes is the UNDP Programme on of forests contributions to the national economy Forests(PROFOR). PROFOR was established in and the environment a number of countries 1997 in response to the IPF proposals for action, indicated wider stakeholder participation in in particular the proposal encouraging countries orestry planning and decision-making processes to develop and implement national forest in connection with national forest programmes. programmes and to use them as a basis to Furthermore, many countries reported significant improve cooperation in the forest sector. PROFOR revisions to their forestry policies and legislation operates simultaneously in two spheres: at th during the post-UNCED period, a development country level (e.g. in Cameroon, Costa Rica, that is indirectly linked to their national forest Guyana, Malawi and Viet Nam) to assist in the development of national strategies for sustainable Although nearly half of the countries had forest management through national forest reached the stage of implementing their national programme processes, with a particular focus on forest programmes, the process had stagnated in developing financing strategies; and at the many, in part owing to financial constraints. This international level to advance the development of was particularly the case for developing countries policy and financing instruments to support that are heavily dependent on extermal financialsustainable forest management assistance. Financing was reported as a critical PROFOR also contributes to establishing the issue by both Latin American and African foundations for forest partnership arrangements countries. Most developing countries reported a as a vehicle for coordinating sectoral support. By decline in external official development assistance collating and reviewing existing information and for the forestry sector in recent years. Although analysing its own field-level and thematic work as financial limitations appear to be a common well as that of others, PROFOR works to improve constraining factor, several countries indicated understanding worldwide of best practices forPART III INTERNATIONAL DIALOGUE AND INITIATIVES RELATED TO FORESTS 115 update and/or revitalize their existing policy and planning processes. IFF recognized national forest programmes to be a viable framework for the implementation of the IPF and IFF proposals. A survey was carried out by FAO in November 1998 to assess the status of national forest programmes worldwide, appraise their impacts, and draw lessons for improving their development in the future (FAO, 1999c). The survey found that most countries of the world are engaged in national forest programme development to some extent and that the development of national forest programmes has had a positive influence on forest-related policy and planning processes in many countries, but that their implementation has lagged behind in many cases. A more detailed impact evaluation is currently being carried out in all Central and South American countries, the results of which are expected to be available in 2001. Most countries implementing national forest programmes reported increased recognition of the importance of sustainable forest management and of forests’ contributions to the national economy and the environment. A number of countries indicated wider stakeholder participation in forestry planning and decision-making processes in connection with national forest programmes. Furthermore, many countries reported significant revisions to their forestry policies and legislation during the post-UNCED period, a development that is indirectly linked to their national forest programmes. Although nearly half of the countries had reached the stage of implementing their national forest programmes, the process had stagnated in many, in part owing to financial constraints. This was particularly the case for developing countries that are heavily dependent on external financial assistance. Financing was reported as a critical issue by both Latin American and African countries. Most developing countries reported a decline in external official development assistance for the forestry sector in recent years. Although financial limitations appear to be a common constraining factor, several countries indicated some success in mobilizing domestic resources to support sustainable forest management through innovative financing mechanisms. Constraints were by no means only financial. The survey indicated a shortage in many countries of reliable and up-to-date data and information on the forest sector. It also showed that, in most countries, five key areas related to forests required increased effort: • awareness building among the general public and decision-makers; • institutional effectiveness and international coordination; • partnerships and conflict resolution; • capacity building and the development of human resources, especially related to data collection and analysis for policy development, planning and monitoring; • financial resources and innovative financing mechanisms. An initiative that aims to address some of the weaknesses in the implementation of national forest programmes is the UNDP Programme on Forests (PROFOR). PROFOR was established in 1997 in response to the IPF proposals for action, in particular the proposal encouraging countries to develop and implement national forest programmes and to use them as a basis to improve cooperation in the forest sector. PROFOR operates simultaneously in two spheres: at the country level (e.g. in Cameroon, Costa Rica, Guyana, Malawi and Viet Nam) to assist in the development of national strategies for sustainable forest management through national forest programme processes, with a particular focus on developing financing strategies; and at the international level to advance the development of policy and financing instruments to support sustainable forest management. PROFOR also contributes to establishing the foundations for forest partnership arrangements as a vehicle for coordinating sectoral support. By collating and reviewing existing information and analysing its own field-level and thematic work as well as that of others, PROFOR works to improve understanding worldwide of best practices for