AHEG on the IAF 2015

Second meeting of the Ad hoc Expert Group (AHEG) on the International Arrangement on Forests (IAF), 12-16 January 2015, UNHQ, NY

AHEG IAF Documents

• Report of the second meeting of the Open-ended Intergovernmental Ad Hoc Expert Group on the International Arrangement on Forests
  [Arabic | Chinese | English | French | Russian | Spanish]
• Provisional Organization of Work
• AHEG2 Provisional Agenda: Arabic | Chinese | English | French | Russian | Spanish
• Views and Proposals on the IAF | Compilation prepared for AHEG2 (PDF)
• Independent Assessment of the IAF
• Co-chairs Summary Report of the Workshop on the International Arrangement on Forests beyond 2015, a CLI in support of UNFF, 29-31 Oct ’14, Beijing, China

Statements and Presentations

12 January:

• Mr. Charles Barber (USA) and Mr. Raymond Landveld (Suriname), AHEG2 Co-Chairs | H.E. Mrs. Marianne Odette Bibalou, Ambassador and Deputy Permanent Representative Permanent Mission of the Gabonese Republic to the United Nations | Mr. Thomas Gass, Assistant Secretary General UN DESA | Mr. Manoel Sobral Filho, Director UN Forum on Forests Secretariat
• Independent Assessment of the International Arrangements on Forest, AHEG2 presentation
• Outcome of the Workshop on the IAF beyond 2015, held 29 – 31 Oct ’14, in Beijing, China, AHEG2 presentation
• Update by UNFFS on the post-2015 development agenda process, AHEG2 presentation by Manoel Sobral Filho, Director UN Forum on Forests | Information Note prepared by the UN Forum on Forests Secretariat
• Summary of discussion on 12 January 2015

13 January:

• Summary of discussion on 13 January 2015

14 January:

• Summary of morning segment discussion on 14 January 2015

AHEG IAF Background and Mandate

At its tenth session, held on 8-19 April 2013, the UN Forum on Forests (UNFF) adopted a resolution establishing an open-ended intergovernmental ad hoc expert group (AHEG) as a part of the intersessional preparatory activities for the review of the international arrangement on forests (IAF) at the eleventh session of the Forum in May 2015.

The AHEG is tasked to review the performance and effectiveness of the IAF within the context of Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) resolutions 2000/35 and 2006/49, as well as the attainment of the multi-year programme of work. To this end, AHEG will review the inputs provided by various stakeholders, as well as the outcome of the work of the independent assessment of the IAF, and based on this review will put forth a set of recommendations providing a strategic direction on the function and institutional arrangements of the IAF for the period beyond 2015 to UNFF11.

Pursuant to paragraph 8 of Resolution 10/2 and paragraph (c) of its annex, the AHEG will hold no more than two meetings prior to UNFF11, subject to the availability of extra-budgetary resources.

AHEG IAF Views and Proposals

The UNFF11 Bureau, at its fourth meeting on 1 July 2014, decided to solicit a second round of voluntary inputs from Member States and relevant stakeholders on the future of the IAF. Member States and other stakeholders are invited to provide their written input in any format that they deem suitable. The compilation of these views will be presented to the AHEG2. The deadline to send these inputs is 5 December 2014.

AHEG IAF Nomination of Government–designated experts

In preparation for AHEG2, all Member States of the Forum are requested to officially nominate their Government-designated expert to AHEG2.

AHEG IAF Travel Support

Limited funds are available for support of travel of experts from eligible countries for experts from Developing Countries and Countries with Economies in Transition to AHEG2. Travel support will be provided on a first come, first serve basis, and as long as funds are available, to one Government-designated expert from developing countries, with priority to the least-developed countries, as well as from countries with economies in transition.

All travel support requests should be made by national authorities through their Permanent Missions to the United Nations in New York before the deadline of 30 September 2014.

AHEG IAF Reference Documents

• Report of the first meeting of the Open-ended Intergovernmental Ad Hoc Expert Group on the International Arrangement on Forests E/CN.18/2015/10 [ Arabic | Chinese | English | French | Russian | Spanish ] and Supplementary Information document
• Report on the tenth session • (E/CN.18/2013/18) [ Arabic | Chinese | English | French | Russian | Spanish]
• Views and proposals on the IAF submitted to AHEG1 on the IAF