PHL leads Asean call for global forest fund

The Philippines led the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in calling for the establishment of a global forest fund to help developing countries implement their regional and international commitments on sustainable forest management. Philippine Permanent Representative to the United Nations Libran Cabactulan made the call in his capacity as chairman of the ASEAN Senior Officials on Forestry. “At present, there is political will to pursue sustainable forest management among the policy and decision-makers in ASEAN Member States to implement their international commitments fully and effectively. However, due to limitation on resources and capacity, ASEAN believes that the implementation could only be achieved through international cooperation and support," he said in a statement at the opening of the Ninth Session of the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF), excerpts of which were posted on the Philippine Mission to the UN’s website. Cabactulan also urged development partners of ASEAN to provide much-needed technical and financial assistance. ASEAN is an accredited member to the UNFF. He likewise called for continued dialogue on the development of forest financing mechanisms, including the work of the open-ended International Ad Hoc Expert Group on Forest Financing. The Philippines also expressed ASEAN’s full support for the International Year of Forests 2011, which will be launched globally on February 2 at the sidelines of the UNFF. “ASEAN recognizes the need to continue and enhance efforts in sustainable forest management and supports the International Year of Forests 2011. ASEAN will continue to support national initiatives and campaigns in raising the importance and profiles of forests as part of the international campaign. ASEAN will also continue to enhance its efforts, including awareness, in addressing forest and forest-related issues in the region," Cabactulan said. There are many local communities in ASEAN that remain dependent on forests for their livelihood, especially those in the uplands. The ASEAN fully subscribes to community-based forest management (CBFM) as a strategy where local people work in partnership with national agencies, non-governmental organizations, academe, private and other relevant stakeholders in the development, conservation and protection of forest resources. Some ASEAN member states have initiated CBFM as part of their sustainable forest management approach, which involves organizational development, issuance of use rights or management agreements, participatory forest planning, implementation, assessment and reporting. “ASEAN will further endeavor to widen the application and share best practices of CBFM as a tool to achieve sustainable forest development and management of the ASEAN forest resources," Cabactulan said. — LBG, GMANews.TV