International processes: Framework conditions for tropical forestry

Abstract

Forest managers, forestry professionals, field practitioners, and local communities have to improve and update their understandings in international forestry processes to make informed forestry-related decisions. This chapter assists them and all those interested to improve their understandings in the processes. A large number of young scientists, students involved in forestry research, and the stakeholders, previously mentioned, involved in the processes often get confused about the terminologies which are frequently and interchangeably used in the processes (description, reports) and their outcomes (decisions, declarations). This chapter defines (framework) convention and protocol and describes how the processes have been used as an approach of international law making. This chapter deals with forest loss due to deforestation and forest degradation as an international problem and argues for an international framework of action as a global solution. Management, conservation, and sustainable development of forests have been key issues of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) in 1992. Despite the scores of international negotiations and initiatives on sustainable forest management (SFM) and forest-related issue areas like climate change, biological diversity, and illegal logging and associated trade, deforestation and forest degradation continue at an alarming rate. This chapter reviews the international processes in tropical forestry from Stockholm to Rio, post-UNCED intergovernmental processes, regional processes for SFM, and initiatives supporting the legality in and governance of the forest sector. The chapter concludes that due to the global nature of forest problem and lower effectiveness and political realism of the fragmented forest regime, the need for an international high-level forest policy forum - the Missing Fourth Convention of Rio - is stronger than ever.