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Sixth Session of the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF-6) 13-24 February 2006 | UN Headquarters, New York Highlights from Thursday, 16 February 2006 On Thursday, 16 February, the sixth session of the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF-6) worked towards building consensus on the future of the international arrangement on forests (IAF). In morning and afternoon sessions, delegates convened in two Working Groups to complete a third reading of the Chair's draft text. Working Group 1 (WGI) discussed, inter alia, general mandate of the IAF, strategic objectives, and legal framework. WGII considered the means of implementation, enhanced cooperation and working modalities.

Daily web coverage: 13 February - 14 February - 15 February - 16 February - 17 February 20 February - 21 February - 22 February - 23 February - 24 February

Working Group I

New Zealand intervenes during Working Group I Co-Chair Franz Xaver Perrez, Switzerland

Co-Chairs Franz Xaver Perrez, Switzerland, and Jose Antonio Doig, Peru South Africa, speaking on behalf of the African Group, opposed deletion of reference to increased new and additional resources and voluntary contributions.

Knut Oistad, Norway, opposed deleting text on considering the establishment of an LBI in the context of a 2015 review. Delegates discuss the text on the screen

Co-ChairJose Antonio Doig Tony Bartlett, Australia, speaks with members of the Secretariat

Andrew Deutz, US Austria, for the EU, presented their compilation proposal on voluntary code/guidelines/international understanding containing elements on the international instrument on all types of forests and on strengthening the IAF, which combined elements from annexed proposals by the US, Brazil and the African Group.

On encouraging and assisting countries to maintain their forest resources, Chile (left) and others, supported retaining reference to maintaining forest quality. On increasing the area of forests under SFM to improve the quality of life of people living in and around forests, and to reduce the loss of forest cover and finalize and implement the rehabilitation and conservation strategies for all countries, including for forests in LFCCs, Javad Amin-Mansour, Iran (center), called for clearer language to identify this as a function, as opposed to another objective or goal.

Working Group II

Co-Chair Tono Kruzic, Croatia (left) and delegates consult (right)

Oleg Shamanov, Russian Federation (left) and Gustavo Ainchil of Argentina (right); During the heated Working Group negotiations, the Russian Federation, argued that the UNFF should take into account inputs provided by Major Groups.

up to top Daily web coverage: 13 February - 14 February - 15 February - 16 February - 17 February 20 February - 21 February - 22 February - 23 February - 24 February

Relevant links: Official website of the United Nations Forum on Forests UNFF 6 website Official documents ENB coverage of the UNFF and other forest processes: UN Conference for the Negotiation of a Successor Agreement to the International Tropical Timber Agreement, 1994, 4th Part 16-27 January, 2006 Europe and North Asia Forest Law Enforcement and Governance 22-25 November, 2005 Scoping for a Future Agreement on Forests 16-18 November, 2005 ITCC-39 7-12 November, 2005 UN Conference for the Negotiation of a Successor Agreement to the International Tropical Timber Agreement, 1994, 3rd Part, 27 June-1 July, 2005 UNFF-5 16-27 May, 2005 FAO Committee on Forestry: 14-19 March 2005

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