1. The Expert Meeting on Criteria and Indicators for Sustainable Forest Management in Dry-Zone Africa, was jointly organized by FAO and UNEP, and held at UNEP Headquarters in Nairobi from 21 to 24 November 1995. The Agenda of the meeting is given in Annex 1.
2. The attendance at the Expert Meeting is shown in Annex 2. The 14 experts invited by the organizers were selected on the basis of their specialized knowledge and their role in the management of forest resources in their country. They were from dry-zone African countries presently not involved in any international initiative on formulation of criteria and indicators for sustainable forest management. Observers included representatives from ongoing initiatives on the development of criteria and indicators of sustainable forest management at national level (Helsinki Process) and at the forest management, unit level (CIFOR, ATO), intergovernmental organizations (IGADD, UNDP/UNSO) and from NGO's (IUCN, Ecoterra, etc.).
3. The focus of the meeting was on the sustainable management of the mixed forest/grassland formations and other woody vegetation types in dry zone Africa, south of the Sahara. FAO plans to organize in 1996 a similar expert meeting in collaboration with other, concerned international organizations to address the same issues in the Near East and North Africa region.
4. The objectives of the expert meeting were to review, discuss and report to the African Forestry and Wildlife Commission, and/or any other fora as appropriate, on the following issues:
(i) Relevance for the dry-zone African countries of the general aims and objectives of the on-going international initiatives for the formulation of criteria and indicators of sustainable forest management at the national level, and their applicability to the ecological, economic, social and cultural needs and aspirations of the countries in the region.(ii) Specific aspects of, and conditions for, sustainable forest management in dry-zone African countries not presently covered in such initiatives.
(iii) Validity for dry-zone African countries of existing, defined criteria and national level indicators of sustainable forest management, identified in ongoing international and regional initiatives.
(iv) In light of prevailing needs and management objectives in the ecological region under review, identification of additional or complementary criteria and indicators for sustainable forest management in dry-zone African countries applicable at national level.
(v) Strategy, modalities and a proposed time-frame for the promotion of action at regional and national level of a process aimed at facilitating possible efforts in the start-up of initiatives for the formulation of criteria and indicators for sustainable forest management in dry-zone african countries.
