MINISTERIAL MEETING ON FORESTS
on
International Cooperation on Sustainable Forest Management
Rome, Italy, 14 March 2005

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Co-Chairs:
◈ Elliot Moorely, Minister of Environment (UK)
◈ Carlos Manuel Rodriguez Echandi, Minister of Environment and Energy
(Costa Rica).

Agenda:
◈ International Cooperation on Forest Fire Management

◈ Maintaining International Commitment to Sustainable Forest Management

◈ FAO’s work in the rehabilitation and reconstruction of countries and
communities bordering the Indian Ocean that were affected by the tsunami that
occurred on 26 December 2004

Statement of the Ministerial Meeting:

The ministers recommit their countries to inter alia:
▶ improving forest management and intersectoral cooperation
▶ policy areas relating to forest law enforcement and governance, forest fire
management and reporting.

The statement calls on the FAO to inter alia:
▶ enhance cooperation on forest fire management
▶ develop studies (upon request) in the design of projects on payment for
environmental service;
▶ provide inputs to the fifth session of the United Nations Forum on Forests.

The Ministerial Statement also addressed emerging problems on
invasive species and the need for regional cooperation:
"recognizing that invasive species are having an increasing impact
on forests in some regions and the need to have cooperative
regional and international responses to this problem"

For complete MINISTERIAL STATEMENT, PLEASE SEE THE ATTACHMENT