ASEAN forestry meeting kicks off in Philippines

MANILA - A three-day regional forestry conference opened Tuesday in western province of Palawan, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) said.

The agenda of the 10th ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Social Forestry Network (ASFN) meeting include discussions on ASEAN Cooperation in Forestry, and Promoting Policy and Practice of Social Forestry, said DENR-Forestry Management Bureau Director Ricardo Calderon.

There will also be reports by ASEAN Member States and Implementing Partners and development of Strategic Plan of Action of ASFN to support ASEAN and Global objectives, he said.

Calderon said ASFN is a government driven social forestry network in Southeast Asia with the main goal to strengthen ASEAN cooperation in Social Forestry through the sharing of information and knowledge.

He also said that ASFN links government forestry policy makers directly with network members from civil society, research organizations, academe, private sectors and experts of related fields.

ASFN supports the development of the ASEAN Community, Calderon explained.

Representative of the Implementing Partners of ASFN such as the Centre for People and Forests (RECOFTC) Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR), Non-Timber Forest Products-Exchange Program (NTFP-EP), World Agroforestry Center (ICRAF), and the Southeast Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) are also participating in the meeting.

The establishment of ASFN was endorsed by the ASEAN Senior Officials on Forestry (ASOF) during their 8th Meeting in Phnom Penh, Cambodia in August 2005.