SPEECH
BY MR MARTTI AHTISAARI, PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF
FINLAND, AT THE FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF
THE UNITED NATIONS IN ROME
SUSTAINABLE
FOREST MANAGEMENT IN FINLAND: ITS DEVELOPMENT AND
POSSIBILITIES
First of all I should
like to take this opportunity to thank the FAO for
providing this opportunity to address this extremely
important issue. These days forests are not only a
local and regional issue. They are very much a global
issue.
Let me begin with the
concept of sustainable forest management. We can then
move on to the Finnish example of enhancing
sustainable forest management and finish up with a
discussion on some international forest issues.
Sustainable
forest management
A forest symbolises
something different for each and every one of us. For
some it might be a source of essential firewood, a
place to go hiking, or even a spiritual place. For
others it’s a source of pure drinking water or
raw materials for a sawmill. Different perceptions
sometimes make it harder to understand other peoples'
perspectives and needs. Although we might agree about
the importance of the sustainable use of forests, do
we really have a common understanding of what forests
are and therefore what kind of sustainability we are
seeking?
The general
recognition of the sustainability of forestry has
broadened. Stable economic growth nowadays has an
equal standing with concepts such as environmental,
social and cultural sustainability: the desire to
pass on the legacy of welfare and well-being from one
generation to another.
Sustainable forest
management, however, is becoming a more and more
complex question of balancing. It includes the
balancing of private and public interests, present
and future generations' needs, environmental and
economic benefits, to mention just a few examples.
Forestry must address increasingly complex demands
from a growing number of users.
Based on
the definitions and the general criteria of
sustainable forest management at the European level,
the following principles were agreed upon in Helsinki
in 1993: Forest resources should be maintained and
enhanced for the health and vitality of forest
ecosystems as well as for the global carbon balance.
Forests should be tended for the biological diversity
of forest ecosystems and to advance the
socio-economic functions and conditions of forests.
Wood and non-wood productive functions of forests
should be encouraged.
In Northern Europe, we have a tendency to take it for
granted that the stability of society needed for
sustainability is easily achieved - unlike in some
other places in this world. We might offer some
experiences about the development and present state
of our forestry, but we have to keep in mind that the
development of our forestry is based on a combination
of circumstances that are not present anywhere else.
The
development of Finnish forestry
In Finland climatic
conditions are not the most favourable for forest
growth, yet the forestry sector and the export of
forest products are very important for our economy.
The forest sector alone accounts for a third of
Finland's gross export income. With approximately 0.5
percent of the world's forests, Finland accounts for
15 percent of the world's exports of paper and
paperboard.
In the history of
social and industrial development in Finland, forests
have gone through many different phases: from the
balanced co-existence between forests and early
hunters, to the crude exploitation of forests for
grazing, shifting cultivation and the distillation of
tar in the late 19th century, leading up to the
current situation where forest resources are managed
through sustainable use, which is based on a large
variety of forest products, ranging from timber to
berries and from pleasant scenery to the mere
existential value of a forest.
At the end of 19th
century the growing demand for timber for the
expanding European market and the domestic
exploitation of forests for tar and shifting
cultivation raised for the first time concerns for
the future sufficiency of wood as a raw material. The
Senate invited the German forestry expert Edmund von
Berg to evaluate Finnish forests.
Our first known
foreign forest consultant gave us the following
questionable appraisal: "The Finns have
become very skilful in the art of destroying
forests". And furthermore: "The
Finns live in and from the forest, but out of
stupidity and greed - like the old woman in the fairy
tale - kill the goose that lays the golden
eggs". As a consequence of the report, our
first forest law was written in 1886. The statement
was simple but effective: The forest should not be
destroyed. In a small country it was easy to realise:
If we didn’t plant when we harvested, we
wouldn’t have trees in the future.
Forestry in
Finland today
The most recent reform
of Finland’s central forest legislation took
place in the 1990's. It retains the prohibition on
the destruction of forests, and in addition the
renewed forest legislation covers all the aspects of
the Rio conference - such as social and environmental
sustainability. I would like to give you some
examples of our efforts.
In the long run we see
the Finnish National Forest Programme as one of the
best ways to ensure the sustainable use and
development of our forests and to maintain a
sufficient level of forest conservation in Finland.
The idea behind our National Forest Programme is to
meet domestic and international requirements in order
to develop forest management and protection along
such lines that forests will provide Finns with as
much work and sources of livelihood as possible,
remain healthy, vital and diverse and provide
spiritual and physical recreation for the Finnish
people.
The sustainability of
forest ecosystems rests on protected areas and the
management of commercial forests. In Finland 7.6
percent of forests and other wooded land is
protected. Today the emphasis is, however, on
maintaining the level of biodiversity in managed
forests. The 1997 Forest Act and the 1997 Nature
Conservation Act have created a good framework for
this work. For instance, according to the Forest Act,
during harvesting, large trees are left on site as
nesting trees for large birds of prey and dead trees
to host a variety of insects.
According to the
National Forest Programme, social sustainability is
supported by strengthening family forestry, by
decreasing rural unemployment and by supporting the
creation of new employment opportunities. In rural
areas forests and wood are more and more essential in
creating and supporting employment and developing
business ventures - such as value-added wood
processing, wood-based energy production or the
multiple use of forests.
As part of enhancing
sustainable forest management, Finland has also been
active in developing criteria and indicators for
sustainable forest management and in creating
favourable circumstances for forest certification.
Based on the Helsinki process, Finland has drawn up 6
criteria and some 150 indicators adjusted to local
conditions which are now being tested in practice.
Global forest
policy
Throughout the last
decade a very active intergovernmental forest process
in various forms has taken place in which Finland and
the European Union have underlined the crucial role
of forests for sustainable development. Sustainable
forest management is an integral part of sustainable
development and it requires long-term commitment and
adequate arrangements for its execution and for
co-operation on all types of forests at the global
and national levels.
International
co-operation in forestry and environmental issues are
also growing fast. One example of this is the
valuable work performed by the Intergovernmental
Panel on Forests and the Intergovernmental Forum on
Forests. The outcome so far of the United Nations
Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) in
Rio in 1992 as well as the IPF-IFF process represent
a large spectrum of useful proposals which form a
solid base for further progress.
The negotiation
process at the IFF shows an emerging consensus for
the need to continue the international forest policy
dialogue for action and to reach a common
understanding on its basic functions. These in my
view should include objectives and global goals along
the lines of UNCED decisions and the valuable work of
the IPF-IFF process.
- We should
reach a common understanding and a
holistic view of sustainable forest
management which reflect global, regional
and local concerns.
- We should
promote and enhance the coordination of
forest-related actions between and among
forest-specific and forest-related
international instruments and
initiatives, and build synergies and
effective cooperation.
- We should
improve the implementation of
comprehensive programmes for the
management, conservation and sustainable
development of forests.
- And we should
provide an international forum for
addressing consensus building, decision
making, monitoring and actions on issues
of global concern through increased
transparency and with the appropriate
participation of the relevant actors.
Finland as the current
holder of the Presidency of the European Union is
convinced that the time between now and early 2000
should be used to find a negotiated solution to the
apparent divergence of views and sometimes strict
positions by all parties. After all we are making
decisions regarding the most important terrestrial
ecosystem on which mankind depends for its livelihood
and survival, the forests.
The forests merit an
international arrangement and agreement which takes a
comprehensive and holistic approach and also enhances
the effective execution of the global environmental
conventions with due regard to the coordination of
actions. The future arrangement and agreement should
also facilitate equality and equity between countries
and provide support to developing countries and
countries with economies in transition by taking into
account their specific circumstances.
In Finland's
development policy one priority area is support for
developing countries to implement international
environmental agreements like the Convention on
Biological Diversity, the Framework Convention on
Climate Change and the Convention to Combat
Desertification as well as the proposals for action
produced in the IPF-IFF process. In actual activities
support for national forest programmes and
forestry-related projects have a major role. Finland
is also keen to support the implementation of the
international forest regime and these conventions in
the future and to assist developing countries in this
context as a bilateral donor while working with
multilateral donors like the FAO.
However, these
international conventions have laid down
forest-related regulations and guidelines without
consideration of their possible implications on the
forest sector as a whole. Therefore I wish to
reiterate the importance of the international
community reaching consensus on a comprehensive and
holistic arrangement and international agreement on
the management, conservation and sustainable
development of all types of forests.
We are convinced that
the future arrangement should manifest the necessary
political will and a permanent high-level commitment
for policy making at the international and national
levels. A commitment by countries to apply a holistic
approach to forest-related issues within the
framework of national forest programmes is a
prerequisite.
FAO
In the ministerial
meetings on forestry covered by the FAO constructive
work has been done in promoting the management,
conservation and sustainable development of forests.
The conclusion of the ministries placed emphasis on
the importance of forests for people’s welfare,
livelihood and food security now and in the future,
as well as for the life supporting system of the
entire planet. The ministerial meetings have also
called on the FAO to continue to serve as a
facilitator and to give support to international
processes related to sustainable forest management.
The FAO has done an
excellent job in chairing the High Level Inter-Agency
Task Force on Forests and has facilitated in many
ways the intergovernmental negotiation process over
the past years. At the same time, the FAO has
continued to perform as a centre of excellence in
both normative and technical work, in the development
of forest policy strategies and instruments as well
as practices in the form of national forest
programmes, and in areas of special importance such
as the field of community forestry.
The FAO's work in
global forest resource assessment and the evaluation
of the state of the world's forests is commendable
and should be further strengthened. The valuable work
of the FAO in promoting national forest programmes
worldwide as one integral element in the
implementation of the emerging international forest
regime should gain even new momentum. The
organization- wide strategic planning process offers
renewed opportunities to effectively address the
interface between agriculture and forestry, and the
role of forests in food security and poverty
reduction through the enhancement of rural
livelihoods. The role of the FAO as a UN specialized
agency should offer yet again good prospects for
establishing partnerships between the Organization
and other key players, such as the UNDP and the World
Bank, in order to make the work on forests even more
efficient and effective.
Over one third of the
world's land area is forested. We certainly all agree
on the importance of forests on a local, national and
global scale. Forests continue to be a source of
environmentally friendly raw materials. Forests can
slow down climate change and contribute to
maintaining the habitability of the planet. But for
how long can forests continue to do this?
In the near future the
important question will be how the principles of
sustainable forest management, the forestry
guidelines and the resolutions of conventions can be
transformed into concrete measures. It's up to each
country to decide how to best balance human
activities with nature's ability to renew itself. It
also requires foresight: greater global understanding
of the current and potential values of forest
ecosystems, private and public investments in forests
and sometimes restrictions on utilisation by
curtailing exploitative short-term forest uses.
The world population
is expanding and it is our responsibility to see that
our children will have their chance to get to know
the forests. We can help the forests to survive for
future generations only through concrete measures -
so that our children will be able to collect firewood
for heating, will have books to read, water to drink,
a place for recreation and a chance to feel in
communion with the forests.
