|
The Future IAF - A Dream Deferred
Efforts to Reach Global Agreement Fail at UNFF-5
The fifth session of the UN Forum on Forests concluded Friday, with
many involved conceding failure. The session had begun with the lofty
goal of reaching a global agreement on all types of forests, but as
negotiations continued throughout the first week and into the second,
it became apparent that the gaps between country and regional group
positions were too significant to overcome at this time, and
participants had "bitten off more than they could chew."
The morning session was suspended so that the UNFF-5 Bureau could
meet to complete the Decisions. Their distribution to delegates in
the afternoon session resulted in frenzied conferring both within
and between national delegations and regionl groups, followed by
discussion and debate of the decisions. After closing statements
and final remarks from delegations, UNFF-5 Chair Manuel Rodriguez
Becerra gaveled the new UNFF-6 session to a suspension at 6:45 PM;
UNFF-6 will resume February 13, 2006 in New York.
Above, Hadil da Rocha Vianna of Brazil, Jan McAlpine of the United
States, Franz Perrez of Switzerland and Peter Csoka of the UNFF
Secretariat discuss the text of the Decisions.
|
|
Friday, 27 May
|
Closing Plenary
|
|
Everton Vieira Vargas of Brazil strongly opposed temporally limiting
the mandate of the UNFF.
|
Gustavo Ainchil of Argentina stated that major groups have had a chance
to present their views, and that leaving them out of one session would
not set a precedence of non-participation.
|
On the subject of wording pertaining to major groups, Oleg Shamanov of
the Russian Federation recommended reference to "inputs," following the
precedent set in the ECOSOC resolution that created UNFF.
|
Venezuela said that since a multi-stakeholder dialogue was completed in
UNFF-5, UNFF-6 should focus on governmental negotiations.
|
Mike Fullerton of Canada supported a proposal by the EU to postpone the
decision on whether or not to hold a seventh session of UNFF, depending
on the achievements of the sixth session.
|
Pekka Patosaari, UNFF Coordinator and Head, thanked the delegations for
their hard work.
|
John Talbot of Australia stated plans to work on a regional process
within its Asia-Pacific sphere of influence.
|
Ecuador, speaking on behalf of the Amazon Cooperation Treaty signatories,
noted its commitment to cooperation and said that the group will bring a
clear regional perspective to UNFF-6.
|
Charlotte Cudby of New Zealand expressed disappointment at the outcome
of UNFF-5, and said that it will work regionally between now and UNFF-6.
|
Around UNFF-5
|
Everton Vieira Vargas of Brazil conferred with UNFF-5 Chair Manuel Rodriguez
Becerra.
|
Members of the Danish delegation conferred.
|
Delegates from Canada and elsewhere conferred.
|
The Iranian delegation conferred in the corridors.
|
Coordinator Patosaari conferred with Chair Rodriguez Becerra.
|
Vice-Chair Denys Gauer of France conferred with Franz Perrez and Beat
Nobs of Switzerland.
|
Osita Anaedu noted that he and Nigeria's other delegates had been in
attendance, despite being inadvertently omitted from the provisional
list of participants.
|
Croatia and Côte D'Ivoire - alphabetically, if not geographically,
close neighbors.
|
Brazil's Tasso Rezende de Azevedo struck a relaxed pose.
|
A North-South cooperation hug for Norway and Nigeria.
|
Youth delegate Galuh Sekar Arum took notes while talking with Michael
Buck, retired state forester of Hawaii.
|
Delegates from Australia and New Zealand huddled around Australia's John
Talbot to discuss the draft text after its distribution.
|
UNFF-5 Chair Manuel Rodriguez Becerra gaveled the new UNFF-6 session to
a suspension at 6:45 PM.
|
ENB writer Radoslav Dimitrov and Vice-Chair Gauer of France discussed
how the failure to produce agreement on goals will affect allocation of
financial resources, while Boris Romaguer of Canada listened.
|