FAO National Forest Monitoring and

Assessment (NFMA) Advisory Panel

Terms of Reference & Operational Mechanism

Anne Branthomme

1st NFMA Advisory Panel - October 19th 2009 – Buenos Aires, Argentina

Mandate of the NFMA AP

• Informal body• Long-term arrangement • Review and make recommendations aimed at

strengthening existing institutional networks, to make future forest resources monitoring and assessments increasingly policy relevant, demand-driven and more closely linked with other international processes

Tasks

Provide recommendations to FAO and its partners on NFMAs

Strategic

Technical Networking

Advise FAO and its partners on...(1) Scope definition & how

to reach our goals

• Implementation of EC recommendations• How NFMA can support national policy for SFM

& livelihood• Review and regularly update NFMA work plan • Adaptation of NFMA to evolving needs &

information requirement

Strategic

Advise FAO and its partners on...(2) NFMAs implementation

• Strategic planning, considering national information priorities

• Resources mobilisation • Organization• Process

Strategic

Advise FAO and its partners on... (3) Methodology

development• NFMA approach & methodology adaptation to

meet evolving information needs (incl. REDD, climate change)

• Integrate and strengthen linkages between social and biophysical data

• Address technical matters related with forest inventory or assessment: scope of information, quality assurance for NFMAs...

Technical

Advise FAO and its partners on...(4) Dissemination

• Scope• Content• Reporting format • Dissemination system

...of NFMA results

Technical

Advise FAO and its partners on...(5) Build networks

• Communication processes and meetings between stakeholders (regional and international expert meetings and consultations)

• Measures to strengthen and adapt the NFMA capacity to serve as platform addressing forest and land use related information for national and international policy processes.

Networking

Advise FAO and its partners on...(6) Partnerships, linkages

• Links with other international processes (e.g. REDD and carbon accounting)

• Advise on collaborative efforts for strengthened linkages with National Forest Programme (NFP) Facility and Global Forest Resources Assessment (FRA).

Networking

(7) and...

• Any other NFMA related task approved by the AP.

NFMA Advisory Panel

Operational mechanism

AP Members

• Informal body• Not more than 25 members• Each member serves a term of 3 years,

renewed at the discretion of the ADG of FAO Forestry Department

AP meeting schedule and participants

• Once a year• Other AP meetings can be called as/when

required• Participants:

– AP Members – FAO member countries representatives, if

country request, as observers– Invited technical experts, to provide technical

advice during its meetings– Invited professionals, as observers.

AP StructureSecretary

• Who: NFMA Supervisor, Forest Resources Development Service, FAO

• Tasks: – manage, document and process AP

operations – develop the draft and the final version of

the minutes of meetings– manage the website for the AP

AP StructureChairperson & Co-Chair

• 1 Chairperson and 1 Co-chair • Who:

– selected by AP members among themselves. – Co-chair selected at the beginning of a meeting and

will act as a Chairperson at the following meeting. – Both will continue till the beginning of next meeting.

• Tasks: – Chairperson: direct the operation of the meeting and

approve the minutes of the meeting

Minutes of AP meetings1. Drafted by the Secretary 2. Distributed to AP members for comments. 3. Finalised by Secretary, based on comments 4. Submitted to the Chairperson for approval 5. Posted on the website.6. Submission:

– to the Forest Management Team of the FAO Forestry Department for consideration

– may also be submitted by AP members to their respective reviewing bodies in their organization

Communication

• Regular meetings• Email group discussions• FAO will develop and maintain a

website on the AP that will be open to public

• Opportunity: Information sharing on NFMA & AP events & publications?

Changes in OM

• The AP may make changes to its operational mechanisms as and when required

Thank youMerci

Gracias