As a closing celebration of the International Year of Forests in France, a conference on tropical forests
took place in Paris on 11-12 January 2012. Entitled “taking stock and new challenges, what guidance
for French stakeholders?”, this conference brought together over 300 stakeholders from government,
public agencies, civil society (international solidarity and environment NGOs), the private sector (timber,
retail and banking sectors) and scientific institutions. The conference was organised in partnership
between the ministries of Foreign affairs, Sustainable development, Agriculture and Overseas territories,
the French Fund for Global Environment (FFEM), the French Development Agency (AFD), the International
Centre for Agronomic Research for Development (CIRAD), the Association of Professionals for Fair
Development (GRET), the International Association of forest communities (COFOR international), the
Technical International Association for Tropical Timber (ATIBT), the public interest group on forest
ecosystems (ECOFOR), the Paris Institute of Technology for Life, Food and Environmental Sciences
(AgroParisTech), the Institute for Sustainable Development and International Relations (IDDRI) and the
National Forestry Office (ONF).
Download working documents and presentations made at the conference.
After the conference and at the occasion of Rio+20, the national group on tropical forests published
a collective report to take stock of tropical forests issues, to deepen the consensus of French
stakeholders over these issues and to define new policy guidance in the areas of conservation and
sustainable management of tropical forests in France’s overseas territories, French forestry
development aid and for sustainable consumption patterns. The report examines the following issues in
particular: (i) the model for management planning and certification of the sustainable management of
tropical forests designated for timber production purposes, its successes and its limitations with regard
to protection of biodiversity and benefits for local populations; (ii) the models for conservation and
restoration of tropical forests designated for protection purposes; (iii) the sharp rise in worldwide
demand for energy, food and mined resources against the backdrop of population expansion, economic growth
and globalised trade; (iv) instruments for the promotion of legality and sustainability through
international trade in tropical timber, as well as the situation of local timber markets and the demand
from emerging countries; (v) investing in tropical forests and financing environmental externalities, with
particular attention to the REDD+ mechanism and trust funds for protected areas; (vi) governance issues
relating to forest areas, from the local level – the role of local governments, representation of
indigenous and local communities – to the global level, focusing on the opportunities offered by
Rio+20 to address the current fragmentation of the international governance on forest-related issues; (vii)
priorities in the area of higher education and research and the growing role of remote sensing tools for
protecting tropical forests.
Download the report in
French or English, or its summary in French, English, Portuguese or Spanish.
english