ENAFLEG - Europe and North Asia Forest Law Enforcement and Governance

November 22-25, 2005 - Ministerial Conference on Forest Law Enforcement and Governance (FLEG) in Europe and North Asia (ENA), St. Petersburg - BRIEFING CENTER

A Forest Law Enforcement and Governance ministerial process is a political initiative launched by a number of countries to strengthen forest governance within a given region. These ministerial-level political processes aim to mobilize international commitment from producer, consumer and donor governments to increase efforts to combat illegal logging as well as the associated trade and corruption in the forest sector. They create the political space at national and regional levels to address these complex and politically sensitive issues more concertedly in the future and in partnership with major stakeholders from civil society and the private sector. They specifically recognize the need for joint efforts and shared responsibility of wood products producing countries, consuming countries, civil society (especially private sector and NGOs) and donors.

FLEG in Europe / North Asia Region: Countries in the northern Eurasia region have put the issues pertaining to sustainable forest management – for which forest governance is the foundation – on the agenda in multiple for a over the past decade. Russia and other regional governments share the international community’s concern about forest governance and prioritize the development and implementation of actions designed to enhance the control of illegal logging, illegal timber trade and associated corruption.

In May 2004, at the Fourth Session of the UN Forum on Forests, and recognizing its global responsibility to preserve forest values, the Russian Federation announced its interest in initiating an inter-governmental process for Europe and North Asia  (ENA). In February 2005, dedicated governments with major production, consumption, and/or trade relationships and forest-related interests with the ENA region (members of the ENA FLEG International Steering Committee*) met in Moscow to more formally initiate and design the ENA FLEG ministerial process.

On June 6-8, 2005, government officials from countries throughout the northern Eurasia region will meet in Moscow to formally launch the Europe and North Asia Forest Law Enforcement and Governance (ENA FLEG) ministerial process.  At that meeting, and together with other interested stakeholders, they will confirm their governments’ intention to increase efforts to combat illegal activities related to the forest sector  Approximately six months later** the Ministerial Meeting would take place where  high-level political commitment to this process will be formalized  through the endorsement of a Ministerial Declaration and Indicative Action Plan.

* The ENA FLEG International Steering Committee is currently comprised of representatives from Bulgaria, Canada, Finland, Germany, Japan, Kazakhstan, Poland, Russia, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States as well as the European Commission and the World Bank. China and Italy have also been invited to join.
** Proposed by the MNR of Russia to be held in November, 2005. The exact date of the Ministerial Conference will be decided at the ENA FLEG Preparatory Conference.

INFORMATION

OBJECTIVE: The Europe and North Asia Forest Law Enforcement and Governance (ENA FLEG) ministerial process aims to galvanize international and multi-stakeholder commitment to combat the problem of illegal logging and associated trade and corruption at high political levels. They create the political space at national and regional levels to address these complex and politically sensitive issues more concertedly in the future, and in partnership with major stakeholders from civil society and the private sector. They specifically recognize the need for joint efforts and shared responsibility of wood products producing countries, consuming countries, civil society (especially private sector and NGOs) and donors.

Figure 1: Structure of ENA FLEG Process

ENA FLEG DECLARATION AND INDICATIVE ACTION PLAN: The core of the ENA FLEG process is the inter-governmental negotiations where authorized governmental representatives draft – through a facilitated process – the ENA FLEG Declaration and Indicative Action Plan (DIAP). During the Ministerial segment of the Ministerial Conference, Ministers review, revise and ultimately adopt the DIAP by acclamation. Although not legally binding, the DIAP has powerful symbolic and political importance, and can set the way for future actions. Due to the sensitive nature of the discussions, the negotiating sessions are governmental only.

PREPATORY CONFERENCE (PREPCONF): The PrepConf is the first event in which many governments and stakeholders become actively engaged in the ENA FLEG process.

• Hosted by the MNR of Russia and the World Bank
• Sponsored by the ENA FLEG International Steering Committee; supported by the governments of Canada, Finland, Switzerland, United States, United Kingdom, and the World Bank
• Location: Moscow, Russia
• Date: 6-8 June, 2005

Objectives:

1. knowledge sharing of FLEG experience in ENA and globally;
2. confirming commitment for political Declaration for Europe and N. Asia Forest Law Enforcement and Governance, and activities (such as additional analytical work, subregional stakeholder workshops, communication campaigns, etc.) to prepare for the Ministerial Conference; and
3. initiation of discussions that will lead to the ENA FLEG Declaration negotiations

Format: Three-day planning and development meeting including technical sessions (e.g. expert presentations) as well as sessions dedicated solely to the inter-governmental negotiations. Technical sessions may have to run parallel to the negotiation sessions at times. Invited speakers for the technical sessions will reflect the diversity of issues related to illegal logging, corruption and associated trade. Themes will focus on underlying causes, political issues and drivers for change. Russian and English are the working languages.

Participants: Participation is by invitation only. Participants will include

• Representatives of ENA governments, such as senior working-level officials from ministries responsible for forest management and/or international trade (40+);
• Other participants: private sector and civil society organizations (regional and international), intergovernmental organizations and initiatives, and invited speakers and experts.

NATIONAL-LEVEL PREPARATION OF INPUT: Governments and other stakeholders are encouraged to prepare for the ENA FLEG Ministerial Conference by discussing, preferably within a structured multi-stakeholder process that includes other governmental agencies and ministries, the lessons learned and future challenges to the development and implementation of forest governance programs in their country and within the region. This can lead directly to the preparation of input to the proposed ENA FLEG DIAP.

ENA FLEG MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE: The structure of the Ministerial Conference will be determined at the PrepConf.
Location: Saint Petersburg, Russia (to be confirmed at the PrepConf)
Date: November 2005 (to be confirmed at the PrepConf)

Objective: Ministerial-level conference and technical meeting for networking and knowledge sharing; DIAP drafted, finalized and endorsed by participating governments’ ministers.

Format of Meeting:  The first two days of the meeting comprise a technical segment during which participants hear panel presentations and discuss forest law enforcement in relations to governance, forest policy and forest management. This section of the Conference aims to foster networking and to help disseminate information and experiences in combating illegal activities in the forest sector in Africa, and on other continents, as appropriate from not only northern Eurasia, but other continents as well. On the final day, ministers responsible for forest management will endorse the DIAP finalized by country experts in the preceding days.

Participants:  Participation is by invitation only. Approximately 200 participants, representing governments, international organizations, NGOs and the private sector. Working languages will be Russian and English.

> Annex 1: List of Invited Countries (as of February 21, 2005) (PDF 12kb) - Countries with Producer, Consumer and/or Trade Links and Forest-Related Interests to ENA Region
> Annex 2: ENA FLEG Ministerial Process Tentative Timeline (PDF 13kb)
> Annex 3: Concept Note - Europe/North Asia Forest Law Enforcement and Governance Ministerial Process (ENA FLEG) (PDF 119 KB)

> G8 Environment and Development Ministerial, 18 March 2005 (PDF 47kb)