104 STATE OF THE WORLD'S FORESTS 2001 most notable. Cutting across geographic regions, related to forests remain controversial, complex such initiatives serve to increase intercountry and politically sensitive, countries agree that the collaboration based on ecological similarities main priority for the next few years is the In agreeing to the Forest Principles of UNCED's implementation of the proposals for action Agenda 21, countries committed themselves to adopted between 1995 and 2000 by IFF and its working towards the sustainable management of predecessor, IPF. (The topics of the proposals for all types of forests to ensure the continued action are listed in Table 13. )Contributing to vailability of the goods and environmental and this enhanced international dialogue has been social services that they provide. The need to the active participation of non-governmental define what sustainable forest management and indigenous peoples'organizations, which tually means in practice and to provide tools to have taken a leading role in a number of measure progress gave rise to the development of regional and global initiatives and international criteria and indicators for sustainable forest meetings of experts management Model and demonstration forest IFF recognized that increased financial resources programmes have been established to illustrate the transfer of environmentally sound technology, what sustainable forest management looks like in and capacity building to support national forest practice as well as the processes that may be programmes were essential elements in the employed to work towards it. implementation of the IPF and IFF proposals for Recognition of the fact that sustainable forest action. The continued coordination of the forest management cannot be achieved in the absence of related activities of intemational organizations and an enabling institutional framework has led to nstruments was also recognized as important. The increased international support for national forest informal Interagency Task Force on Forests (ITFF) programmes. The results of a recent review of set up in 1995 as a coordination mechanism for national forest programmes are reported in the support to iPf by international organizations, was section, National-level efforts to support acknowledged as one of the main institutional sustainable forest management, p. 114. legacies of the IPF/IFF process. Integral to the concept of sustainability are One of the most controversial issues facing IFF social development and equity, which necessitate was how to establish an international arrangement widespread participation in decision-making so nd mechanism on forests, including the question that stakeholders can represent their own of a legally binding instrument on all types of interests. NGOs(including those representing the forests. After long and intense deliberations, IFF interests of various civil society sectors)have ached an agreement on the establishment of a become major recognized voices in international new intergovernmental body, which should be discussions on this topic and are key catalysts for built on existing forest-related arrangements. More action at the local level specifically, IFFs recommendations were for the Economic and Social Council(EcOSoc) and the THE IFF AND UNFF PROCESSES FF achieved notable progress in building (a)"Establish a new intergovernmental body consensus on international forest policy issues which may be called the United Nations through the intensive deliberations carried out Forum on Forests UNFF during its term, from July 1997 until April 2000. (b) Invite the executive heads of relevant As a result, the wide gap that existed between organizations of the United Nations syst North and south at the unced conference in 1992 and at the rio+5 Special Session of the UN General Assembly in 1997 has narrowed 'See the Report of the Intergovernmental Forum on Forests considerably. Although a number of issues on its fourth session(E/CN. 17/2000/14)104 STATE OF THE WORLD’S FORESTS 2001 most notable. Cutting across geographic regions, such initiatives serve to increase intercountry collaboration based on ecological similarities. In agreeing to the Forest Principles of UNCED’s Agenda 21, countries committed themselves to working towards the sustainable management of all types of forests to ensure the continued availability of the goods and environmental and social services that they provide. The need to define what sustainable forest management actually means in practice and to provide tools to measure progress gave rise to the development of criteria and indicators for sustainable forest management. Model and demonstration forest programmes have been established to illustrate what sustainable forest management looks like in practice as well as the processes that may be employed to work towards it. Recognition of the fact that sustainable forest management cannot be achieved in the absence of an enabling institutional framework has led to increased international support for national forest programmes. The results of a recent review of national forest programmes are reported in the section, National-level efforts to support sustainable forest management, p. 114. Integral to the concept of sustainability are social development and equity, which necessitate widespread participation in decision-making so that stakeholders can represent their own interests. NGOs (including those representing the interests of various civil society sectors) have become major recognized voices in international discussions on this topic and are key catalysts for action at the local level. THE IFF AND UNFF PROCESSES IFF achieved notable progress in building consensus on international forest policy issues through the intensive deliberations carried out during its term, from July 1997 until April 2000. As a result, the wide gap that existed between North and South at the UNCED Conference in 1992 and at the Rio+5 Special Session of the UN General Assembly in 1997 has narrowed considerably. Although a number of issues related to forests remain controversial, complex and politically sensitive, countries agree that the main priority for the next few years is the implementation of the proposals for action adopted between 1995 and 2000 by IFF and its predecessor, IPF. (The topics of the proposals for action are listed in Table 13.) Contributing to this enhanced international dialogue has been the active participation of non-governmental and indigenous peoples’ organizations, which have taken a leading role in a number of regional and global initiatives and international meetings of experts. IFF recognized that increased financial resources, the transfer of environmentally sound technology, and capacity building to support national forest programmes were essential elements in the implementation of the IPF and IFF proposals for action. The continued coordination of the forest￾related activities of international organizations and instruments was also recognized as important. The informal Interagency Task Force on Forests (ITFF), set up in 1995 as a coordination mechanism for support to IPF by international organizations, was acknowledged as one of the main institutional legacies of the IPF/IFF process. One of the most controversial issues facing IFF was how to establish an international arrangement and mechanism on forests, including the question of a legally binding instrument on all types of forests. After long and intense deliberations, IFF reached an agreement on the establishment of a new intergovernmental body, which should be built on existing forest-related arrangements. More specifically, IFF’s recommendations4 were for the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and the UN General Assembly to: (a) “Establish a new intergovernmental body which may be called the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF); (b)Invite the executive heads of relevant organizations of the United Nations system 4 See the Report of the Intergovernmental Forum on Forests on its fourth session (E/CN.17/2000/14)