Northern Dimension Forest Sector Panel

1

• Northern Dimension Forest Sector Panel
• October 23, 2001 Lappeenranta
• Forest Sector Development in NWR
• Paavo Pelkonen
• University of Joensuu

2
Northern Dimension forestry and nature
conservation co-operation results, achievements,
lessons

• The forests of the Northern Dimension have
  immense global importance
• broad expanse
• influence on international trade in forest
  products
• biodiversity and the role in the global carbon
  cycle
• Already track record of Finnish-Russia forest
  development and nature conservation co-operation
  also bilateral and multilateral projects
• Common targets for sustainable forestry and
  livelihoods

3
Northern Dimension forestry and nature
conservation co-operation results, achievements,
lessons

• Ecologically beneficial, economically efficient
  and socially productive actions
• Preservation areas
• Model forest concept and forest certification
• Motivated and competent people have to make
  actions
• Not a time issue - going beyond cross-cultural
  barriers

4
Barents region forest sector initiative defined,
now under development

• The forest sector initiative was formulated by
  the Committee of Senior Officials of the Barents
  Euro-Arctic council on 21 April, 1999
• Expert seminar organised by the WGEC/BEAC in
  Petrozavodsk in October 1999
• BEAC in March 2000 in Oulu welcomed the decision
  to create a Forest Sector Task Force
• Major goal was to prepare a Northern Dimension
  Forest Sector Programme (NDFSP)
• Objectives and 37 action points for the key
  domains Management of NDFSP, Policy development,
  Investment, Participation and learning, Forestry
  operations
• The next steps Prioritisation of actions and
  Detailed initiatives, Political commitment,
  Ground-truthing, Coordination

5
Typical Problems of Russian Enterprises

• Old equipment
• Old processes

Outdated Technology

• Interruptions in
• raw material supply
• Inefficient energy
• household
• Assets poorly maintained

Poor Operating Efficiency

• Shortage of
• working capital
• No investment
• capital

Lack of Capital

• Limited experience in
• market economy
• Lack of efficient control
• and incentive systems

Old School Procedures
6
Management and utilisation of forest resources at
low level in NWR

• forested lands of the European part of Russia
  cover 166 million hectares
• annual productivity is estimated to be over 280
  million m3
• provided traditionally the major sources of
  livelihood for about 20 of the population of
  Northwest Russia
• demands of a market economy has largely changed
  all previously developed institutions for wood
  production
• during last decade harvesting levels in different
  regions decreased by 35-65 from the late 1980s
• insecurity prevailing in civil and forestry
  legislation
• rights of ownership, rent and lease relations,
  conflicting rules for utilisation of forest
  resources
• development projects under way based on Finnish
  and IFC financing

7
Improved information

• availability of relevant information is the first
  step towards understanding, trust and respect
  (Chinese wisdom)
• preconditions for the language of partnership
• systems for information generation
• flows and use
• covering forest assets, potentials, stakeholders,
  demands, markets, technologies, uses, pressures
  and hazards
• Mapping of old forests and unique nature values
  underway, challenge of international
  collaboration

8
Need for institutional and human resource
development

• pan-European educational processes in changing
  societies
• traditional forestry education less attractive in
  western parts of Europe
• potential of young talented people studying
  forestry and wood technology in the Universities
  of NWR
• good commitment of the Russian regions
• integration of knowledge transfer through
  education
• natural sciences, especially in mathematics and
  physics strong in Russia
• applied science and applications strong in the
  western institutions of ND
• improved ground for innovations in centres of
  expertise

9
Main integration principles for the forest sector
of the ND region

• NDFSP adopts the following key principles for
  national forest programmes
• National sovereignty and country leadership
• Consistency with national policies and
  international commitments
• Integration with sustainable development
  strategies
• Partnership and participation
• Holistic and inter-sectoral approaches

10
NDFSP is a cycle connecting the four core
elements in the continuous process

• Negotiating goals and roles stakeholders
  understanding each other and hammering out core
  aims and positions
• Building institutions and prioritising actions
  organising the capacity around the agreed roles
  and all the actions needed
• Implementing practical actions for sustainable
  forestry and livelihoods securing support for
  the prioritised actions and carrying them out
• Monitoring and learning tracking and reviewing
  implementation to ensure learning and adaptation