The participants recommended that a regional partnership to foster collaboration and coordination of forest-related initiatives in rehabilitation efforts in the tsunami affected countries should be established. The participants recognized that such regional partnerships for information sharing, technical support and capacity building are consistent with existing FAO-supported networks and other partnership mechanisms in which its member countries are actively participating. The proposed partnership would address the current needs and challenges presented by the tsunami disaster.
The partnership would include affected countries, international and regional organizations, NGOs, research organizations and other stakeholders, as well as donors supporting the partnership. The objective would be to support a forestry response to the tsunami that is cost effective, comprehensive, technically sound and developed within the context of integrated coastal area management and sustainable livelihoods.
The immediate benefits of the activities of the partnership would be targeted at the tsunami-affected areas in Asia, but would also be relevant to other affected areas and to mitigation and rehabilitation efforts in future coastal disasters.
The functions of the partnership would be the following:
The structure would consist of the following: affected countries, a wide network of partners, a support group (steering committee/coordination committee) made up of the countries and a small, representative group of partners, and a secretariat at FAO. An emphasis would be put on making it flexible, streamlined and able to evolve to accommodate emerging needs.
It further recommended that FAO, in collaboration with other potential partners, continue to work to develop and establish the partnership and, as an interim measure, formulate a programme of action related to the critical issues identified in this document.
FAO and other UN organizations together with affected countries and other partners should quickly work together to make specific requests for support through the mid-term review of the Flash Appeal, and other sources, for regional cooperation and other priority issues related to forests and tsunami.
The participants proposed that the summary report be made available at the Ministerial Meeting on Forests and the Committee on Forestry to be held at FAO, Rome on 14 and 15-19 March, respectively.
