1 Draft as of 25 March 2008
CONCEPT PAPER
Tropical Rainforest Countries Strategic Partnership Framework
I. Background:
Rainforest developing countries attach great importance to their forestry issues. Nevertheless at the international setting, forest initiatives are usually developed-countries driven and an effective international forum that serves as common platform for rainforest developing countries is not yet in existence. On the other hand, there are increasing forestry issues and challenges in developing countries such as the lack of South-South cooperation in forestry issues; the looming deforestation issues which is closely linked to global warming, forest fires, etc.
Against this backdrop, the President of Indonesia has initiated the establishment of a like-minded grouping of tropical rainforest developing countries, known as the Forest Eleven (F-11), in the margin of the High Level Event on Climate Change in New York on September 24, 2007. At the moment, F-11 consists of 11 countries blessed with the abundant tropical rainforest, namely Brazil, Costa Rica, Cameroon, Columbia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon, Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Peru and Republic of Congo.
The aforementioned New York meeting has produced the Joint Statement Tropical Rainforest Countries’ Leaders containing commitment to enhance concrete cooperation and promoting developing countries’ interest in managing sustainable forest management, biological diversity conservation, climate stability, environmental services, as well as poverty eradication in accordance with the internationally agreed development goals and relevant multilateral environmental agreements. As it is mentioned in the Joint Statement, F-11 countries are also committed to cooperate among them to slow, stop and reverse the loss of forest cover and to promote the
rehabilitation of degraded forest lands, forest management and conservation.
2 II. Prospect for Cooperation in International Forums:
Responding to the challenges of strengthening South-South cooperation in forestry issues, F-11 has the great potential to enhance concrete cooperation, through, among others, sharing experiences and capacity building in the form of practical cooperation among its members and through triangular cooperation supported by developed countries or other organizations. This concrete cooperation needs to be developed not only to gain benefits, but also to strengthen bargaining position and raise political leverage in the global norm-setting processes.
This strategic partnership is very fundamental for the successful achievement of the F-11 countries’ forest interests. Being the owner of about half of the worlds’ rainforest, F-11 has a unique position in the dynamics of global forestry. Therefore, F-11 countries should play a pivotal role, give significant contributions and take on active leadership in forestry issues-related multilateral forums. Through following international forums, F-11 should closely consolidate their position on a number of issues, such as:
UNFF: global funding issues for sustainable forest management (SFM);
UNCBD: forest biodiversity; access and benefit sharing;
UNFCCC: Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD); adaptation;
UNCCD:
FAO: forest-related technical assistance; ITTO: market impediments; fair pricing; UNESCO: biosphere reserves.
In order to achieve its objective in an effective manner, F-11 needs to invite other rainforest countries to actively participate in forestry cooperation, at technical and political level, and taking constructive, cooperative, pragmatic, and result-oriented steps with developed countries. For this purpose, F-11 needs to develop a cohesive and inclusive platform for interaction not only among rainforest developing countries but also with developed countries. At the later stage, F-11 should also develop its modalities.
3 fulfilment of commitments of Annex I countries under the UNFCCC, including mobilization of new and additional financial measures sufficient to implement non-restrictive policy approaches and positive incentives and the adoption of REDD mechanism.
Facing this challenge, the urgent efforts that need to be taken by F-11 is to consolidate its members’ positions and also to find the common denominator which could unify the forestry interest of F-11 countries.
III. Potential Areas of Cooperation:
With a view to achieving the objectives of its cooperation, F-11 countries need to adopt a blueprint for concrete cooperation and shall develop and enhance their existing cooperation and also explore the following proposed areas of cooperation:
1. Research and Development
• Exchange of forestry researches and experiences among F-11 countries’ centre of excellence.
• The establishment of forest networking and development among member countries.
2. Trade and Investment
• Development of forest product certification.
• Cooperation on tackling non-tariff trade barriers (sanitary and phytosanitary, etc).
• Intellectual property rights; genetic resources.
• Market for SFM and non-SFM products.
• Major trading commodities (forest products).
• The development of plantation forest.
• The development and transfer of technology for non-timber forest productions.
3. Community Development
4 4. Capacity Building
• Capacity building will not merely be focused in human resources development. Instead, it will also encompass the existing infrastructure and organizations.
• Capacity building plays the role as a catalyst of change both in organizational and individual levels. For organizations, capacity building should be targeted to create conducive culture for sustainable forest management. Whereas in the individual level should be focused on skill, attitudes, and the existing culture and knowledge development.
5. Sustainable Financing
• The F-11 countries may share their experience on innovative forest financing.
• Sustainable financing arrangements under recent and future multilateral scheme (e.g. A/R CDM, REDD). In the long-term, F-11 also has to formulate arrangements for sustainable financing among its member countries.
6. Private Sector Cooperation
• Fostering the role of private sector, and public-private sector partnership for sustainable forest management.
• Cooperation among F-11 countries’ private sector for sustainable forest management.
7. Protected Areas Management and Ecotourism
