112 STATE OF THE WORLD'S FORESTS 2001 (Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, strategy for the food, agricultural and forest sector Suriname and Venezuela) with regard to policies as outlined in the"ASEAn Vision 2020". The and activities in agriculture, fisheries, forestry and plan's objective is to formulate and implement the environment in the Amazon watershed. In regional cooperation activities to enhance the 2000, the pro tempore Secretary of the Treaty was international competitiveness of ASEAN's food transferred from Venezuela to Bolivia, where it agricultural and forestry projects and to will stay until the Permanent Secretary begins strengthen the regions food security situation as operations in Brazil. The main forest activities well as its joint positions in international fora carried out under the Treaty during the past few The plan outlines five strategic thrusts for years have consisted in follow-up to the Tarapoto forestry: i)sustainable forest management Process of criteria and indicators for the ii) strengthening ASEAN cooperation and joint sustainable management of the regions forests approaches in addressing international and regional (see discussion of criteria and indicators for forestry issues; ii) the promotion of intra- and sustainable forest management, p. 116); research extra-asEAn trade in forest products, and private and studies analysing the potential of secondary sector participation; iv) increasing productivity and forests within the region; and the formulation of a efficient utilization of forest products; and common strategy for the valuation of the natural v) capacity building and human resources tropical forest as a carbon sink. velopment. AsEAN countries have been moving Recently, the Treaty has implemented activities ahead in some of these areas and are seeking concerned with the establishment and partnerships with other organizations to carry out management of protected areas and wildlife in the the plan, which has taken on added importance as Amazon, and it has actively pursued a common countries try to respond to the fire-related problems of 1997. In addition to activities related to carbon sequestration within the framework of the the prevention of forest fires in the asean region, Kyoto Protocol. As a result, a meeting was held in the plans"sustainable forestry management Santa Cruz, Bolivia to develop a common regional strategic thrust "defines activities in the following position. This was then presented at the 21st areas: criteria and indicators of sustainable forest Session of the latin american and caribbean management; the development of comprehensive orestry Commission, held in Colombia in forest information databases the establishment of a September 2000. The Treaty has also promoted network of demonstration forests; cooperation in coordination meetings to harmonize the position the use of geographic information systems; the of its member countries within ife promotion of low-impact logging and modelling on growth and yield; and natural forest Association of southeast asian nations The Association of Southeast asian nations (ASEAN) is making some progn Ministerial Conference on the protection of implementing its Strategic Plan of Action on Forests in Europe ASEAN Cooperation in Food, Agriculture and The Ministerial Conference on the Protection of Forestry 1999-2004, which was adopted at the Forests in Europe is a high-level political Sixth asean summit in december 1998. The initiative involving about 40 European countries plan represents the first phase in the (including the Russian Federation). Its purpose is nplementation of the Associations long-term to address common opportunities and threats related to forests and forestry. The initiative, which was started in 1990. consists of a series of 1 See Part IV, p 123 for more information on asEan ministerial conferences at which resolutions are and its members forest sectors adopted, and of mechanisms for follow-up112 STATE OF THE WORLD’S FORESTS 2001 (Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, Suriname and Venezuela) with regard to policies and activities in agriculture, fisheries, forestry and the environment in the Amazon watershed. In 2000, the pro tempore Secretary of the Treaty was transferred from Venezuela to Bolivia, where it will stay until the Permanent Secretary begins operations in Brazil. The main forest activities carried out under the Treaty during the past few years have consisted in follow-up to the Tarapoto Process of criteria and indicators for the sustainable management of the region’s forests (see discussion of criteria and indicators for sustainable forest management, p. 116); research and studies analysing the potential of secondary forests within the region; and the formulation of a common strategy for the valuation of the natural tropical forest as a carbon sink. Recently, the Treaty has implemented activities concerned with the establishment and management of protected areas and wildlife in the Amazon, and it has actively pursued a common position among member countries regarding carbon sequestration within the framework of the Kyoto Protocol. As a result, a meeting was held in Santa Cruz, Bolivia to develop a common regional position. This was then presented at the 21st Session of the Latin American and Caribbean Forestry Commission, held in Colombia in September 2000. The Treaty has also promoted coordination meetings to harmonize the position of its member countries within IFF. Association of Southeast Asian Nations The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)13 is making some progress in implementing its Strategic Plan of Action on ASEAN Cooperation in Food, Agriculture and Forestry 1999-2004, which was adopted at the Sixth ASEAN Summit in December 1998. The plan represents the first phase in the implementation of the Association’s long-term strategy for the food, agricultural and forest sector as outlined in the “ASEAN Vision 2020”. The plan’s objective is to formulate and implement regional cooperation activities to enhance the international competitiveness of ASEAN’s food, agricultural and forestry projects and to strengthen the region’s food security situation as well as its joint positions in international fora. The plan outlines five strategic thrusts for forestry: i) sustainable forest management; ii) strengthening ASEAN cooperation and joint approaches in addressing international and regional forestry issues; iii) the promotion of intra- and extra-ASEAN trade in forest products, and private sector participation; iv) increasing productivity and efficient utilization of forest products; and v) capacity building and human resources development. ASEAN countries have been moving ahead in some of these areas and are seeking partnerships with other organizations to carry out the plan, which has taken on added importance as countries try to respond to the fire-related problems of 1997. In addition to activities related to the prevention of forest fires in the ASEAN region, the plan’s “sustainable forestry management strategic thrust” defines activities in the following areas: criteria and indicators of sustainable forest management; the development of comprehensive forest information databases; the establishment of a network of demonstration forests; cooperation in the use of geographic information systems; the promotion of low-impact logging and modelling on growth and yield; and natural forest management. Ministerial Conference on the Protection of Forests in Europe The Ministerial Conference on the Protection of Forests in Europe is a high-level political initiative involving about 40 European countries (including the Russian Federation). Its purpose is to address common opportunities and threats related to forests and forestry. The initiative, which was started in 1990, consists of a series of ministerial conferences at which resolutions are adopted, and of mechanisms for follow-up 13 See Part IV, p. 123 for more information on ASEAN and its members’ forest sectors