State of the world's forests - 2003

Abstract

The State of the World’s Forests reports every two years on the status of forests, recent major policy and institutional developments and key issues concerning the forest sector. This is the fifth edition of the publication, the purpose of which is to provide current and reliable information to policy-makers, foresters and other natural resource managers, academics, forest industry and civil society. In line with the extensive preparations for the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD), the last two years saw rich and stimulating discussions unfold in the international arena. The recent global economic downturn has contributed its own set of dynamics, and the forest and other sectors are struggling to absorb the impacts. Choosing the topics for this edition of the State of the World’s Forests from among the many options was a difficult task. In the spirit of collaboration, we took a slightly different approach from in the past and asked external authors to contribute whole chapters on major issues. The result is contributions from key intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations and from individuals contributing in their personal capacity, in addition to pieces researched and written by FAO staff. Such a mix is entirely consistent with the theme of the State of the World’s Forests 2003 – “partnerships in action” – and reflects how the forest sector must operate in today’s environment. An effort has been made to cover many subjects that are especially relevant to discussions taking place in international fora today. Part I presents recent developments and areas of current attention in forest resources; the management, conservation and sustainable development of forests; the institutional framework; and the international forest policy dialogue. Part II contains five chapters, each addressing a particular subject in more detail. M. Hosny El-Lakany - Assistant Director-General FAO Forestry Department.