A forest convention - yes or no? Position paper for the BMZ on the state and the perspectives for creating a legally binding instrument for international forest policy

Abstract

"The object of the present report was not to look more closely into the interfaces between the Rio conventions but to weigh the benefits of international cooperation based on conventions against other forms (e.g. bilateral development cooperation). The most important approach of bi- and multilateral development cooperation in the forest sector consists in national forest programs (NFPs), which are designed to achieve an integrated, interministerial course of action on sustainable forest management and forest protection in developing countries. Analysis of the NFPs has shown that the most important bottlenecks to their implementation must be sought in the inherent difficulties of integrated action. A forest convention could help to eliminate these bottlenecks, as is shown by the experiences made in connection with other convention processes, where slow progress is being made with integrated action." (excerpt)