Activities in 2007-2010

Continuing on the good experiences of the previous phase (2002-2006), WFSE will continue to produce publications and documents, to participate in international events, to further develop collaboration with other IUFRO working parties, and specifically to strengthen the focus on regional policy issues. The activities and products will even more strongly support the participation of regions in global processes and their capacity building. The partners are an essential link to their region. With emphasis on policy formulation, the project will take an even more active role in on-going international processes.

Networking and communication activities (collaboration and cooperation, joint workshops, seminars, posters and the internet) continue to be the key means of operations.

During 2007-2010 in regional forest-related policy issues WFSE will actively support regional and global policy processes related to forests and tree resources with cross-sectoral, critical analysis based on existing solid scientific knowledge. Policy briefs will be produced on regionally critical issues of global importance in the forests-society-environment interface, also considering e.g. the UNFF Global Objectives. Through the process of composing the policy briefs, the capacity of regional actors to contribute to on-going global processes is enhanced. Logistical benefits are derived through cooperation with IUFRO’s Special Project on Developing Countries (IUFRO-SPDC).

Planned schedule of policy briefs: Europe in 2007, Latin America 2008, Africa 2008, Asia 2009, North America/Boreal regions 2009.


For scientific audience a quality scientific publication on the key issues in forests-society-environment interface will be prepared and launched in the XXII IUFRO World Congress in South Korea 2010.
On strengthening the partnerships and collaboration we are eager to collaborate in the forthcoming activities of the science and technology initiative of CPF providing research information demanded by the intergovernmental forest-related policy processes.
Activities in partnerships and cooperation see News on partnership and collaboration


Process of main activities 2007-

Policy Brief on Latin America:
Bosques de América Latina que beneficien a la gente y sustenten la naturaleza
In March 28 – 30, 2007 WFSE and CATIE organized a workshop to discuss the contents of the Policy Brief in Turrialba, Costa Rica. Fourteen participants from eleven countries attended the workshop. The draft is being worked on, and will be launched in the forthcoming Latin American Forestry Congress (COFLAT) to be organized in the University of Mérida, Venezuela, April 2008.

Policy Brief on Europe:
EFI Policy Brief 1 Making European Forests Work for People and Nature is now online at: http://www.efi.int/portal/virtual_library/publications/policy_briefs/

A task force of eight persons from WFSE and the European partner organizations European Forest Institute EFI, Finnish Forest Research Institute Metla and Institute for World Forestry BFH-HU met in June 2007 in Vienna for discussing a draft presented by the four editors. The edited manuscript was further discussed at the IUFRO European Congress in September 2007 in Warsaw. The Policy Brief is published in EFI’s new Policy Brief series and will be launched in the Ministerial Conference on Protection of Forests in Europe MCPFE in November 2007.

Scientific publication for 2010:
The Steering Committee has started in October 2007 the discussion on the theme, contents and potential Convening Lead Authors for the book.