Asia-Pacific Forestry Week

The Asia-Pacific Forestry Week is expected to be the biggest and most important forestry event in the Asia-Pacific region in 2008, and if things move as expected, every biennium thereafter. It will be a great opportunity for various stakeholders and forest managers to interact, share perspectives, and collectively seek solutions to some of the most challenging issues facing forests and forestry today. There will be plenty of interesting speeches, seminars, and events. On the list of participants are prominent veterans as well as hungry newcomers. If you're planning to attend only one forestry meeting in 2008, this should be the one!

• First-ever Asia-Pacific Forestry Week, bringing together 500 key forestry officials and specialists from governments, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), research institutions, regional and international networks, UN agencies and the private sector
• Largest and most important forestry event in the region in 2008
• A unique opportunity for diverse stakeholders and forest managers to share perspectives and seek solutions to the most challenging issues facing forests and forestry today

Leading regional and international natural resource organizations will convene special plenary sessions each morning of the week, focusing on:

• forests and poverty;
• forests and climate change (including bioenergy); and
• trade, forestry investment and forest law enforcement and governance.

Numerous organizations, networks and projects are sponsoring or organizing important events and activities throughout the week. These include:

• Asia Forest Network (AFN)
• Asia Forest Partnership (AFP)
• Asia FLEG
• Asia-Pacific Forest Invasive Species Network (APFISN)
• Asian Developement Bank
• Asia Pacific Association of Forestry Research Institutions (APAFRI)
• Asia-Pacific Network on Research and Development of Teak (TEAKNET)
• Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR)
• Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
• Forest Sector Support Partnership (FSSP), Vietnam
• Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ)
• Indian Council for Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE)
• International Model Forests Network (IMFN)
• International Network for Bamboo and Rattan (INBAR)
• International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO)
• Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD), Vietnam
• National Forest Programme Facility
• Netherlands Development Organization (SNV)
• New Zealand's International Aid & Development Agency (NZAID)
• Regional Community Forestry Training Center (RECOFTC)
• Southeast Asian Network for Agroforestry Education (SEANAFE)
• Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA)
• The Nature Conservancy (TNC)
• University of Melbourne
• UK Department for International Development (DFID)
• United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF)
• USDA Forest Service
• World Bank

There will also be an “Information Market”, featuring organizational displays and posters of forestry-related activities in the region.

Asia-Pacific Forestry Week will be anchored around the 22nd Session of the Asia-Pacific Forestry Commission. The Asia-Pacific Forestry Commission (APFC) currently has a membership of 33 countries, making it the region’s most inclusive inter-governmental body dealing with forestry.

Please share this announcement with colleagues and alert as many interested people as possible to this important event.

If you are interested in participating in the Asia-Pacific Forestry Week, please visit http://www.fao.org/forestry/site/44755/en/ for more details and updated information. Inquires can be sent by e-mail to AP-Forestry-Week@fao.org.