The first World Forestry Congress was held
in Rome in 1926 and has generally taken place every six years since then.
Gatherings serve as a forum for governments, universities, civil society and
the private sector to exchange views and experiences and to formulate
recommendations for implementation at national, regional and global levels. The
Congress also provides an opportunity for the sector to produce an overview of
the state of forests and forestry in order to discern trends, adapt policies
and raise awareness of issues among decision-makers, the public and other
parties concerned.
Its functions are advisory, not executive, and
participants attend the Congress in their personal capacity. The implementation
of recommendations is a matter solely for those to whom they are addressed in
light of their own particular circumstances - governments, international
organizations, scientific bodies and forest owners, among others. The outcomes
are brought to the attention of the FAO Conference which may consider
endorsing, through a resolution, any declaration emanating from the Congress.
These prestigious events produce high quality papers,
are recognized for their insightful deliberations and are known for reaching
broad consensus on authoritative, although not binding, policy and technical
advice to governments and international organizations.
The Congress:
·
brings together knowledge and experience to give
guidance on the formulation and implementation of forest policy;
·
expresses views which may help research organizations
to identify future areas of study and international organizations to plan
future work;
·
promotes the elaboration and world-wide acceptance of
technical standards such as an international forestry terminology, a uniform
classification of forestry literature, and consistent research methods.
Past
congresses
1. Rome, Italy 1926
2. Budapest, Hungary 1936
3. Helsinki, Finland 10-20 July 1949
4. Dehra Dun, India 11-22 December 1954
5. Seattle, United States 29 Aug. - 10 Sept. 1960 Multiple use of forest and associated
lands
6. Madrid, Spain 6-18 June 1966 The role of forestry in the changing world
economy
7. Buenos Aires, Argentina 4-18 October 1972 Forests and socioeconomic
development
8. Jakarta, Indonesia 16-28 October 1978 Forests
for people
9. Mexico City, Mexico 1-12 July 1985 Forest
resources in the integral development of society
10. Paris, France 17-26 September 1991 Forests, a heritage for the future
11. Antalya, Turkey 13-22 October 1997 Forestry for sustainable development: towards the
21st century
12. Quebec, Canada 21-28 September 2003 Forests: source of life
13. Buenos Aires, Argentina 18-23 October 2009 Forests in development: a vital
balance
The
Congress and FAO
FAO Council selects the host country in
accordance with established criteria. Under the guidance of the Council, it is
fully involved in the preparation of the Congress, although the main
responsibility for organization lies with the host government. In addition, FAO
establishes an advisory committee of experts around the world to consult on the
theme of the Congress, the structuring of the Technical Programme, and on the
identification of invited speakers and authors. It also appoints an Associate
Secretary-General to work with the Secretary-General from the host country to
prepare for the Congress.
FAO further assigns technical secretaries
to collaborate with those designated by the host country to deal with aspects
related to the technical programme, including the review of invited and
voluntary papers and the servicing of Congress sessions. The Organization also
assists the host country to widely disseminate outcomes and facilitates any
follow-up, including monitoring and reporting at the next Congress on the
implementation of recommendations.
Links
The activities on forestry on the FAO
website.
The World Forestry Congress in Wikipedia.
Related subjects
5th
World Forestry Congress, Seattle
UNOstamps subject page 020
last revised: 9 September 2010