Highlights from Friday, 25 November

On Friday, negotiators concluded their work on the Ministerial Declaration and the Indicative List of Actions, which were accepted by acclamation in Plenary. Closing statements were then made and the meeting was gaveled to a close at 12:02 pm.

Closing session: Dinah Bear, General Counsel, Executive Office of the President, US, Jonas Bjelfvenstam, State Secretary, Ministry of Industry, Employment and Comminications, Sweden, Shigeo Katsu, Vice President, Europe and Central Asia Region, World Bank, Valentin Stepankov, Deputy Minister of Natural Resources, Russian Federation, Osman Kahveci, Director General of Forestry, Turkey, and Lyubov Sovershayeva, First Deputy Plenipotentiary Representative of the President of the Russian Federation in the Northwestern Federal Region

Statements on Follow-Up

Ke Du, Global Environment Institute, China (left), said that civil society, represented at this conference by NGOs and indigenous peoples, stands ready to implement the Ministerial Declaration and the Indicative List of Actions. She outlined key areas where civil society is keen to see action.

Ragnar Friberg, Senior Vice President, Stora Enso (right), highlighted the importance of exchange and feedback between governments and civil society, including the private sector, which has much to contribute to combating illegal logging, and intends to actively engage in the follow-up to the Conference.

Jonas Bjelfvenstam, State Secretary Ministry of Industry, Employment and Comminications, Sweden, described EU activities in combating illegal logging, and highlighted cooperation with civil society.

Ikuo Kuroki, Deputy Director General, Japan Forestry Agency, noted that SFM is a priority for Japan and that illegal logging is something that Japan intends to address. He then announced the recent adoption of a government procurement policy aimed at increasing imports of legally harvested wood products from sustainably managed sources.

Zhongtian Zhang, Deputy Division Chielf, Department of International Cooperation, State Forestry Administration, China, said illegal logging and associated trade is a threat to the global management of forests. He emphasized the link between forestry and reduction of poverty, and termed the MD as a platform for cooperation.

Osman Kahveci, Director General of Forestry, Turkey, stressed the importance of follow-up. He invited participants to attend a workshop on ENA-FLEG implementation, which his government plans to hold in spring of 2006 in Antalya.

Pekka Patosaari, Director, UNFF Secretariat, focused on implementation as a prerequisite for change, and said privatization is expected to boost use of forest products for social development. He also described the role of UNFF in the sustainable management of forests.

Dinah Bear, General Counsel, Executive Office of the President, US, affirmed her government's support to the ENA-FLEG process and its implementation, which she said should lead to concrete and measurable results. She said US domestic law will be strengthened to prevent illegal timber reaching the country.

Valentin Stepankov, Deputy Minister of Natural Resources, Russian Federation

Shigeo Katsu, Vice President, Europe and Central Asia Region, World Bank, said the conference was a success, noting that the high political momentum generated in St. Petersburg needs to be sustained and that the MD and ILA require implementation. He said that the World Bank would be respond to requests for national action plans financing, and for implementing all aspects of the MD and ILA at the country level. He also noted the importance of collaboration with other international stakeholders such as the Asian Development Bank.

ENA-FLEG Co-Facilitators Jag Maini, Canada, Viktor Teplyakov, Russia, and Elena Kulikova, Russia

Delegates completed their negotiations Friday morning