Joint Session of the UNECE Committee on Forests …...2017/10/09 · be held 9 - 13 October 2017 in...

Las2017 and the 4th European Forest Week

Joint Session of the UNECE Committee on Forests and the Forest Industry (COFFI) and the FAO

European Forestry Commission (EFC)9 – 13 October 2017, Warsaw, Poland

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Table of contents

Las2017 and 4th European Forest Week at a Glance ................................... 3

High Level Meeting at Las2017 ................................................................. 7

Las2017 .................................................................................................... 9

Overview ....................................................................................................9

Provisional Daily Programme .....................................................................9

Market Discussion ....................................................................................12

Capacity Building Workshop “Sustainable Forest Management and Sustainable Forest Products in the Caucasus and Central Asia” ........15

4th European Forest Week ........................................................................16

Special Events at Las2017 .........................................................................16

Forest Carbon Farms: The Polish State Forests’ innovative project for climate protection ..............................................................17

Circumboreal Cooperation ...................................................................17

Developing a communication strategy for the UN Strategic Plan for Forests ................................................................17

New Green Jobs in the Forest Sector....................................................17

Development projects of the Polish State Forests as a ajor stimulator for rural and less urbanized areas .............................19

Linking livelihoods to climate resilient landscapes: Forest and farm producer organizations (FFPO) as key actors in achieving the SDGs and the Paris Accord .............................................................19

The Timber Inventory System Project - Combating illegal logging: Tools technologies and education ...........................................20

Criteria and Indicators for Sustainable Forest Management from the perspective of the Caucasus and Central Asia – Updates from the ongoing UNECE/FAO, UNDA project ......................................21

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Forest management planning in Poland - organization, history, future ...21

The natural and cultural heritage of the Bialowieża Forest ..................22

Outcomes of the survey on perception of SFM and Forest Certification ..22

“Meet the Specialists” at Las2017 ............................................................23

Exhibitions at Las2017 ..............................................................................24

Forestry Pub Quiz .....................................................................................24

City Tour of Warsaw .................................................................................25

Country Events taking place in Poland .....................................................25

Field Trips ................................................................................................28

Trip 1: Białowieża Forest: Mankind’s natural and cultural heritage ..........29

Trip 2: Forest Carbon Farms: The State Forests’ innovative project for climate protection ..................................................................30

Trip 3: Visit of the head office of the Forest Research Institute in Sękocin Stary ..........................................................................31

70th Anniversary of the Cooperation between UNECE and FAO .................33

Practical Information ...............................................................................35

The Venue.................................................................................................35

Information and Registration Desk ...........................................................35

Interpretation ...........................................................................................35

Catering ....................................................................................................35

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Las2017 and 4th European Forest Week at a GlanceThe following colour code applies to the tables below:

High Level Meeting

Las2017

Capacity Building Workshop

Special Events at Las2017

Meet the Specialists at Las2017

Receptions / Evening Activities

Meetings of the Team of Specialists

Monday, 9 October 2017

Time Event Location Page9:00-10:00 Registration Foyer -

10:00-10:45 High Level Meeting Plenary 7

13:10-13:45 Press conference Frezja -

13:15-14:30 The Polish State Forests’ innovative project for climate protection Promenada 17

13:15-14:30 Meet the Specialists of the ToS on Sustainable Forest Products Gerbera A 23

13:15-14:30 Meet the Specialists of the ToS on Monitoring Sustainable Forest Management Gerbera B 23

14:30-15:00 Opening of the European Forest Week Plenary 16

15:00-17:00 Tree planting by Ministers Zachodni Park Warsaw 7

15:00-15:15 Las2017: Opening of the Joint Session Plenary 9

15:15-18:00 Las2017: Joint Matters Plenary 9

19:00-19:30Guided walks for participants of Las2017 to the venue of the reception; groups will leave every 10 minutes

In front of the Novotel -

19:15 Transfer of Ministers from the Novotel to the Culture and Science Palace in Warsaw

In front of the Novotel 7

19:30-23:00Reception hosted by the Minister of the Environment of the Republic of Poland for the High Level Meeting and “Las2017”

Culture and Science Palace

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Tuesday, 10 October 2017 Time Event Location Page8:00-10:00 Informals on IPoW if needed Plenary -

10:00-13:00 Las2017: COFFI matters - Market Discussion Plenary 12

13:15-14:45 Developing a communication strategy for the UN Strategic Plan for Forests (UNSPF) Plenary 17

13:15-14:45Development projects of the Polish State Forests as a major stimulator for rural and less urbanized areas

Promenada 19

13:15-14:45 New Green Jobs in the Forest Sector Frezja 18

13:00-15:00Circumboreal Cooperation

Open to boreal forest countries only (by invitation)Orchidea B 17

13:15-14:45 Meet the Specialists of the ToS on Forest Products Statistics Gerbera A 23

13:15-14:45 Meet the Specialists of the ToS on Forest Sector Outlook Gerbera B 23

13:15-14:45 Meet the Specialists of the ToS on Forest Communication Orchidea A 23

15:00-16:30 Las2017: COFFI matters - Market Discussion Plenary 12

16:30-18:00 Las2017: COFFI matters Plenary 10

18:00-20:00 Forestry Pub QuizRestaurant of the Novotel

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20:00-22:00 Informals on IPoW if needed Plenary -

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Wednesday, 11 October 2017Time Event Location Page8:00-10:00 Informals on IPoW if needed Plenary -

9:00-10:00 Meeting of the ToS on Sustainable Forest Products Gerbera A -

10:00-13:00Capacity Building Workshop “Sustainable Forest Management and Sustainable Forest Products in the Caucasus and Central Asia”

Promenada 15

10:00-13:00 Las2017: EFC matters Plenary 10

13:00-15:00 Drafting Committee of the Market Statement Orchidea A 14

13:15-14:45Linking livelihoods to climate resilient landscapes: Forest and farm producer organizations as key actors in achieving the SDGs and the Paris Accord

Plenary 19

13:15-14:45 The Timber Inventory System Project - Combating illegal logging: Tools technologies and education Frezja 20

13:15-14:45 Meet the Specialists of the ToS on Wood Energy Gerbera A 23

13:15-14:45 Meet the Specialists of the ToS on Forest Policy Gerbera B 23

13:15-14:45 Meeting of the ToS on Green Jobs Orchidea B -


Promenada 15


18:00-19:00 FAO Reception (tbc) tbc -

20:00-22:00 Informals on IPoW if needed Plenary -

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Thursday, 12 October 2017Time Event Location Page8:00-10:00 Informals on IPoW if needed Plenary -


Promenada 15


12:00-13:00 Las2017: Joint matters Plenary 11

13:15-14:45

Criteria and Indicators for Sustainable Forest Man-agement from the perspective of the Caucasus and Central Asia – Updates from the ongoing UNECE/FAO, UNDA project

Promenada 21

13:15-14:45 The natural and cultural heritage of the Bialowieża Forest Frezja 22

13:15-14:45 Outcomes of the survey on perception of SFM and Forest Certification Orchidea B 22

13:15-14:45 Forest management planning in Poland - organization, history, future Orchidea A 21

13:15-14:45 Meet the Specialists of the ToS on Green Jobs Gerbera A 23

15:00-18:00 Las2017: Joint matters Plenary 11

19:00 Guided city tour of Warsaw Sigismund’s Column 25

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High Level Meeting at Las2017The Minister of the Environment of the Republic of Poland invites all participants of Las2017 to the High Level Meeting, taking place at the meeting venue on 9 October 2017 from 10:00 to 13:00. Lunch is offered to Ministers and High Level participants in the restaurant of the Novotel. During the afternoon, Ministers are invited to attend a tree planting ceremony, while the official Joint Session of UNECE-COFFI and FAO-EFC will begin at 15:00.

In the evening, Minister Szyszko will be welcoming the guests, including all participants of Las2017, at a reception at the Palace of Science and Culture at 19:30.A buffet dinner will be available from 20:00 to 23:00. As special highlights, the Representative Orchestra of the State Forest is performing during the dinner, and you will have the opportunity to take the lift to the 30th floor of Palace and visit the viewing terrace

There is a transfer organized for Ministers, leaving in front of the Novotel at 19:15. All other participants will be guided to the Palace of Science and Culture, which is in walking distance of the hotel (see map below). Starting from 19:00, there will be groups leaving the hotel every 10 minutes.

Time Event Location

9:00-10:00 Registration Foyer of the Novotel

10:00-10:45 Opening of the High Level Meeting Plenary

10:45-11:00 Coffee Break Outside the Plenary

11:00-11:40 Roundtable with Ministers and/or Chiefs of National Forestry Agencies on the topic “Forests, our common good. Enhancing sustainable development in light of the Paris Agreement”

Plenary

11:40-11:50 Break

11:50-12:30 Roundtable with Ministers and/or Chiefs of National Forestry Agencies on the topic „Functional model of forests – national perspective. Challenges and expectations”

Plenary

12:30-12:40 Break

12:40-13:00 Sum-up by Mr. Jan Szyszko, Minister of the Environment of the Republic of Poland

Plenary

13:00-14:30 Lunch Break Restaurant of the Novotel

14:30-15:00 Opening Ceremony of the European Forest Week (EFW), including the award ceremony for the EFW Art Contest and the award ceremony for the EFW photo competition

Plenary

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15:00-17:00 Tree planting (Open to Ministers only)

Bus will leave in front of the Novotel at 15:00

Zachodni Park Warsaw

17:00-19:15 Free time

19:15 Transfer of Ministers from the Novotel to the Culture and Science Palace in Warsaw

In front of the Novotel

19:30-23:00 Reception hosted by the Minister of the Environment of the Republic of Poland on the occasion of the High Level Meeting and “Las2017”

Culture and Science Palace

Venue of the reception:Culture and Science Palaceplac Defilad 100-901 Warszawa, Poland

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Las2017

Overview

Las2017 - the joint 75th session of the UNECE Committee on Forests and the Forest Industry (COFFI) and the 39th session of the FAO European Forestry Commission (EFC) will be held 9 - 13 October 2017 in Warsaw, Poland. The event is called Las2017, “las” meaning forest in Polish. The official venue of Las2017 is the Hotel Novotel Warsaw Center.

The forth European Forest Week will be organized during Las2017. The European Forest Week 2017 under the theme “Forests, our common good”, hosted by the city of Warsaw, highlights the contribution that European forests make to people’s lives. See page 16 for more information.

More than 20 events will take place throughout the week of Las2017 and will bring together a large variety of stakeholders from forest and non- -forest sectors. The week will end with an option of different field trips on Friday, about which you can find more information on page 28.

Provisional Daily Programme

Monday, 9 October

14:30 – 15:00 Opening of the European Forest Week (EFW)

15:00 – 15:15 Official opening of the joint session and welcome remarks

15:15 – 15:25 Item 1 Adoption of the agenda

15:25 – 15:45 Item 2(d) Report of the Working Party

15:45 – 16:15 Item 2(a) Global Forest Policy Matters

16:15 – 16:30 Item 2(b) Regional cooperation

16:30 – 16:45 Item 2(c) Seventieth anniversary of the UNECE/FAO Partnership

16:45 – 17:15 Item 2(g) System for the Evaluation of Management of Forests

17:15 – 18:00 Item 2(h) Introduction of the Integrated Programme of Work

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Tuesday, 10 October

10:00 – 13:00 Item 3(a) Market DiscussionsKeynote presentations on:- Tall buildings, Iain McDonald- The future of furniture, Lotta HahnDiscussions on forest products and trends in the different subregions- Europe (Paper Industry), Andrzej Samborski- Europe (Policy), Sten Nilsson- CIS, Nikolai Ivanov- North America, Russ Taylor

15:00 – 16:30 Item 3(a) Keynote presentation on:- The role of the forest sector in climate change mitigation,

Werner KurzOpen discussion

16:30 – 16:45 Item 3(b) Matters arising from the sixty-seventh session of the Economic Commission for Europe (ECE)

16:45 – 17:00 Item 3(c) Matters arising from the seventy-fourth session of the Committee

17:00 – 17:15 Item 3(d) Draft Rules of Procedure for the Committee

17:15 – 17:30 Item 3(e) Programme of Work and publications 2018-2019

17:30 – 17:45 Item 3(f) Strategic Framework 2020-2021

17:45 – 17:50 Item 3(g) Election of officers

17:50 – 17:55 Item 3(h) Date and place of next meeting

17:55 – 18:00 Item 3(i) Any other business

Wednesday, 11 October

10:00 – 10:30 Item 4(a) Follow-up to the decisions of the thirty-eighth session of the European Forestry Commission

10:30 – 11:15 Item 4(b) Forestry activities of the FAO Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia

11:15 – 11:45 Item 4(c) Establishment of Forest Invasive Species Network for Europe and Central Asia

11:45 – 12:15 Item 4(d) Forest and Landscape Restoration works under climate change conditions in the region

12:15 – 13:00 Item 4(e) Progress of Silva Mediterranea and the Working Party on the Management of Mountain Watersheds

15:00 – 15:45 Item 4(f) Strengthening FAO’s work on boreal and temperate forests

15:45 – 16:15 Item 4(g) Contributions of FAO’s work in forestry to the implementation of the SDGs within the scope of FAO-REU regional initiatives

16:15 – 17:00 Item 4(h) The Committee on World Food Security (CFS) High-level Panel of Experts (HLPE) study on Sustainable forestry for food security and nutrition

17:00 – 17:30 Item 4(i) A new strategic document for FAO in forestry

17:30 – 18:00 Item 4(j) FAO contributions to the global process

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Thursday, 12 October

10:00 – 10:30 Item 4(k) Frequency of the EFC sessions

10:30 – 11:15 Item 4(l) Contributions to FAO governance

11:15 – 11.45 Item 4(m) Election of officers, date and place of next meeting

11:45 – 12:00 Item 4(n) Any other business

12:00 – 13:00 Item 2(f) Forest Resources Assessment 2020 (FRA2020), enhanced and streamlined international reporting

15:00 – 16:00 Item 2(h) Integrated Programme of Work

16:00 – 16:15 Item 2(e) Review of 2017 activities, and activities and publications planned for 2018

16:15 – 16:30 Item 2(i) Any other business

16:30 – 18:00 Item 5 Adoption of the joint session report and closure of the joint session

Friday, 13 OctoberFour different options for the field trip are offered:

Field Trip 1 (13 October, 8:00 – 14 October, 18:00)Białowieża Forest: Mankind’s natural and cultural heritage Cost: 70-75 EUR per person for the hotel room

Field Trip 2 (13 October, 9:00 – 17:00)Forest Carbon Farms: The State Forests’ innovative project for climate protection

Field Trip 3 (13 October, 9:00 – 14:30)Visit of the head office of the Forest Research Institute in Sękocin Stary

For more information about the field trips, please see page 28. To register for a field trip, please visit the information desk.

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Market Discussion

Background Information

The UNECE/FAO Forestry and Timber Section organizes annual market discussions to present and discuss trends of forest products in Europe, North America and the Commonwealth of Independent States. The main objective is to provide a platform to discuss market trends and policies and their potential impacts on forest products’ production, trade, consumption, and outlook. The Participants will include representatives from forest products companies, national delegates and other relevant stakeholders.

Structure of the discussion: In the morning there will be two keynote presentations on the future use of wood, one on tall wood construction in North America (Mr. Iain McDonald from Tallwood) and a second one on future societal preference and needs for furniture (Ms. Lotta Hahn, architect and concept developer). These will be followed by presentations of the market overviews by regions covering all the developments and sectors in the regions (Europe: Mr. Sten Nilsson and Mr. Andrzej Samborski; CIS: Mr. Nikolai Ivanov; North America: Mr. Russ Taylor). After each of the sub-regional presentations, the floor is open for Q&A and comments. Countries are most welcome to make statements from the floor after the presentation on their sub-region. The afternoon will begin with a keynote presentation on the role of the forest sector in climate change mitigation (Mr. Werner Kurz from Natural Resources Canada), followed by time for discussion. The results of the presentations and discussions will feed into the draft market statement. See below the information on the Drafting Committee.

The UNECE/FAO Forestry and Timber Section provides the following data before the discussion: forest products production, trade and consumption for 2016 (collected in May/June 2017), the country forecast tables which provide an outlook until the end of 2018 (collected in September 2017), individual country reports, and the Forest Products Annual Market Review 2016-2017.

Speakers

Iain MacDonald is currently the acting director of the TallWood Design Institute, which focuses exclusively on the advancement of structural wood products, serving as a national research, education, teaching and outreach hub in the development of tall wood buildings. Prior to this, Mr. Macdonald was with the University of British Columbia for ten years as the Manager of a national industry training and technical consulting centre for the wood products manufacturing industry sector in Canada.

Lotta Hahn is an architect and concept developer. After 27 good years in IKEA, having been part of developing the IKEA of today, Ms. Hahn started her own company in 2011,

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now working for several companies and in different fields. She does creative planning, concept development and strategies. Currently, Ms. Hahn is working for IKEA of Sweden, IKEA wood direction, Svenssons in Lammhult, on a new shop concept, and as a lecturer at Linnaeus University.

Andrzej Samborski works as an Expert for The Polish Papermakers Association as well as a Fiber Manager for International Paper Kwidzyn sp. z o.o. He has an educational background in engineering, marketing and management. Mr. Samborski is an expert in the fields of sustainable forestry, plantation and wood management, biomass, recovered paper and the broadly understood circular economy.

Prof. Sten Nilsson has his Ph.D in forest economic planning from the Royal College of Forestry, Sweden. He worked many years at the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA). After retiring from the Institute, he is now working as an independent adviser to governments, international organizations and the industry. Professor Nilsson is an expert on global forest sector analysis.

Nikolai Ivanov, Vice President of the Union of Timber Manufacturers and Exporters of Russia, graduated from the Moscow State Institute of International Relations. Mr. Ivanov has more than 20 years of experience in the forest sector of the Russian Federation, including manufacturing and logistics with a focus on foreign economies. He is a member of the Public Council of the Federal Forestry Agency.

Russ Taylor led the WOOD MARKETS team starting in 1992 and, as of August 2017, manages the FEA-Canada’s office, publications and business. Mr. Taylor conducts wood products marketing analysis/intelligence and business assessment/investment projects for many global industry clients and travels extensively. As well, Mr. Taylor manages numerous multi-client reports that involve strategic insights and outlooks for global markets.

Dr. Werner Kurz is a Senior Research Scientist at the Canadian Forest Service (Natural Resources Canada) in Victoria, BC. He leads the development of Canada’s National Forest Carbon Monitoring, Accounting and Reporting System and the Forest Carbon Management Project of the Pacific Institute for Climate Solutions. Dr. Kurz co-authored six reports of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and published over 125 peer-reviewed scientific papers.

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COFFI Market Statement and the Drafting Committee

The COFFI Market Statement is an official document agreed by consensus about forest products market developments, and policies affecting forest products markets. The Drafting Committee will be invited to review the official draft document (ECE/TIM/2017/9 - FO:EFC/2017/9). The Secretariat will amend the draft Market Statement based on information provided by member States prior to the meeting (country market statements / forecast information for the forthcoming year), as well as based on interventions and presentations during the Market Discussion. The Secretariat will circulate an amended version of it on the morning of 11 October 2017 (Wednesday). Delegates and participants to COFFI are then invited to attend the Drafting Committee Session to finalize the Market Statement. This will take place on Wednesday at 13:00 in room Orchidea A. The meeting will be held in English, without interpretation. Delegates may submit their proposed revisions to the Secretariat before the beginning of the Drafting Committee. The final version of the Market Statement will be provided on Thursday morning and will be annexed to the meeting report.

https://www.unece.org/fileadmin/DAM/timber/meetings/20171009/Las_Documents/ECE_TIM_2017_9_FO_EFC_2017_9__Draft_Forest_Products_Markets_E.pdf

https://www.unece.org/fileadmin/DAM/timber/meetings/20171009/Las_Documents/ECE_TIM_2017_9_FO_EFC_2017_9__Draft_Forest_Products_Markets_E.pdf

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Capacity Building Workshop “Sustainable Forest Management and Sustainable Forest Products in the Caucasus and Central Asia”This workshop is a parallel event at Las2017, taking place on Wednesday, 11 and Thursday, 12 October 2017 in room Promenada. The workshop languages are Russian and English.

This workshop is being organised especially for forest sector experts and forest-related government officials from the Caucasus and Central Asia, namely from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. The objective of the workshop is to build the capacity of experts from the Caucasus and Central Asia on (i) monitoring and assessment of sustainable forest management (SFM); (ii) forest restoration; and (iii) sustainable forest products and markets.

Most of the target countries are “low forest cover countries” that struggle with degradation of their scarce natural resources due to deforestation, illegal logging and overgrazing. Regular monitoring of the status of their forests is central to developing a holistic approach to sustainable development and the full economic, social and environmental potential. Yet, forest monitoring is a challenging task in many countries.

As a result of the workshop, participants will have an increased knowledge about (i) monitoring and assessing sustainable forest management, (ii) opportunities and challenges for forest restoration under the Bonn Challenge, and (iii) the economic potential of a developed forest products market. If countries have specific requests and needs concerning the development of sustainable forest management monitoring systems, restoration of degraded land or forest product markets, or other related areas, the UNECE/FAO Forestry and Timber Section will engage in finding ways to support appropriate activities to address the issues raised during the workshop related to future projects.

Moderator:Mr. Vardan Melikyan

Speakers:Mr. Horst Freiberg, German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety

Mr. Andrey Vasilyev, UNECE Deputy Executive SecretaryMr. Roman Michalak, UNECE/FAO Forestry and Timber SectionMr. Antoine Nunes, UNECE Environment DivisionMr. Boris Erg, IUCN Regional Office for Eastern Europe and Central AsiaMr. Florian Steierer, UNECE/FAO Forestry and Timber SectionForest Market Expert, tbc

European Forest Week

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4th European Forest Week

The European Forest Week 2017 under the theme “Forests, our common good”, hosted by the city of Warsaw, highlights the contribution that European forests make to people’s lives. These include providing wood and renewable energy, promoting fresh water supply and protecting the environment.

First celebrated in 2008, the European Forest Week provides a unique opportunity to increase the forest sector’s visibility and to influence pan-European and global discussions related to forests. The week is jointly organized by FAO and UNECE together with the Ministry of Environment of Poland.

Special Events at Las2017

Day / Time Event Location

Monday13:15-14:30 The Polish State Forests’ innovative project for climate protection Promenada

Tuesday13:15-14:45

Developing a communication strategy for the UN Strategic Plan for Forests (UNSPF) Plenary

Tuesday13:15-14:45

Development projects of the Polish State Forests as a major stimulator for rural and less urbanized areas Promenada

Tuesday13:15-14:45 New Green Jobs in the Forest Sector Frezja

Tuesday13:00-15:00

Circumboreal CooperationOpen to boreal forest countries only (by invitation) Orchidea B

Wednesday13:15-14:45

Linking livelihoods to climate resilient landscapes: Forest and farm producer organizations as key actors in achieving the SDGs and the Paris Accord

Plenary

Wednesday13:15-14:45

The Timber Inventory System Project - Combating illegal logging: Tools technologies and education Frezja

Thursday13:15-14:45

Criteria and Indicators for Sustainable Forest Management from the perspective of the Caucasus and Central Asia – Updates from the ongoing UNECE/FAO, UNDA project

Promenada

Thursday13:15-14:45 The natural and cultural heritage of the Bialowieża Forest Frezja

Thursday13:15-14:45

Outcomes of the survey on perception of SFM and Forest Certification Orchidea B

Thursday13:15-14:45

Forest management planning in Poland - organization, history, future Orchidea A


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Forest Carbon Farms: The Polish State Forests’ innovative project for climate protectionA presentation of the assumptions and practical actions carried out by the Polish State Forests as part of its innovative project for climate protection. The project assumes that as a result of the so called additional activities in forestry, carbon dioxide sequestration by forests will increase. As a result, additional amounts of organic carbon will be captured and will become either a part of the forest organic matter or will be held in timber gathered in energy storage facilities.

Substantiated additional number of carbon dioxide units, which are accumulated as a result, will be sold by the State Forests to entities interested in purchasing them. Letters of intent have already been signed with a number of representatives of the industry. It is planned that the funds obtained from the sale of CO2 units will be spent on joint projects of the State Forests and local government units, to the benefit of nature conservation. The buyers of CO2 units will be authorized to indicate any activity from the list of initiatives proposed by the State Forests in line with the company’s own corporate social responsibility efforts.

Circumboreal CooperationOpen to boreal forest countries only (by invitation)

The Circumboreal working group will be planning the process towards the Boreal Summit in June 2018, where the ministers responsible for forests of the circumboreal cooperation countries will meet (Canada, United States, Russian Federation, Norway, Finland and Sweden).

Developing a communication strategy for the UN Strategic Plan for ForestsIn January 2017, Member States of the UN Forum on Forests agreed on the first-ever United Nations Strategic Plan for Forests 2030, creating an ambitious vision for global forests in 2030. On 27 April 2017, the Plan was adopted by the UN General Assembly. The Strategic Plan features a set of six Global Forest Goals and 26 associated targets to be reached by 2030, which are voluntary and universal.

Member States recognized that communication and outreach is a critical element in both raising awareness of the Strategic Plan, and in achieving its goals and targets. Accordingly, the upcoming thirteenth session of the UN Forum on Forests in May 2018 has on its agenda, consideration of a communication and outreach strategy for the UN Strategic Plan for Forests 2030.

The objective of the Las2017 special event is to gather input on the development of this communication and outreach strategy. In September 2017, a forest communication expert meeting was held in collaboration with the UNECE/FAO Forest Communicators Network, as well as FAO’s Global Group on Forest Communication. Forest communication experts


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identified possible target audiences, key messages, methods, activities and success criteria for the draft communication and outreach strategy. Some of the key ideas that emanated from this expert meeting will be presented at the special event.

SpeakersMr. Manoel Sobral Filho, Director, UN Forum on Forests SecretariatMr. Tomas Krejzar, Director, Department of Forest Policy and Economics, Czech Republic and Vice-Chair of the UNFF13 BureauMs. Paola Deda, Chief, Joint UNECE/FAO Forestry and Timber SectionMs. Mita Sen, Programme Management Officer, Forest Affairs, UN Forum on Forests SecretariatMr. Damiano Cilio, Regional Representative for Southern Europe, International Forestry Student’s Association (IFSA)

New Green Jobs in the Forest SectorThe transition to a greener economy offers important opportunities for new green jobs in the forest sector. Considering the worldwide megatrends in society, the natural environment and technology, European forests give a new boost for jobs, growth and investment in urbanized, but specially and most important also in rural areas.

During this special event, the UNECE/FAO Team of Specialists (ToS) on Green Jobs in the Forest Sector – ILO/UNECE/FAO/ Joint Expert Network will show the results of their work, including the report on Green Jobs in the Forest Sector and will discuss its findings.


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Development projects of the Polish State Forests as a major stimulator for rural and less urbanized areasThe presentation will discuss the development projects of the Polish State Forests which are focused on the social and economic development of local communities through creation of jobs related to forestry, tourism and education development, as well as the promotion of timber and projects concerning energy technology within the framework of a closed circuit management.

Linking livelihoods to climate resilient landscapes: Forest and farm producer organizations (FFPO) as key actors in achieving the SDGs and the Paris AccordAn estimated 1.5 billion forest and farm producers make up 90 percent of the world’s farmers. These producers supply approximately 80 percent of food supplies in Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, managing 500 million family farms and control approximately 30 percent of forest lands in the global south and a significant proportion of forests in the global north. Collectively they represent a vast, neglected and often unrecognized component of the private sector. The aggregate value of the production of firewood and wood energy by small holder forest and farm producers rivals the largest multi-national energy companies. These producers are more powerful when they are organized.

Formal and informal FFPOs exist all over the world and are growing in both number and in demand. In many remote areas, FFPOs are the only organized groups and they depend on public services and infrastructure. However, government institutions and large-scale private sector businesses are not always equipped to effectively reach and support producers to optimize returns from value chains and market systems. Producers also have limited access to decision making processes to claim their rights and to social benefits. Collectively, forest and farm producers have the transformative potential to achieve sustainable development and respond to climate change at landscape scales. Empowering FFPOs will be critical to delivering on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) for fighting climate change as part of the Paris Agreement.

This panel will illuminate the importance and role of FFPOs and the significant efforts underway to further strengthen enabling policies, secure forest and farm tenure, support business development, provide extension and investments, and help with capacity development on governance and member services.

Moderator:Mr. Peter Csoka, FAO


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Panelists:Mr. Lennart Ackzell, Vice President, International Family Forestry AllianceMs. Emma Berglund, CEPF Policy Advisor and representative of the Nordic Family Forestry (NSF) to the European UnionCentral Union of Turkish Forest Cooperatives OR-KOOP, tbdMr. Penti, MTK, Finland, tbc

The Timber Inventory System Project - Combating illegal logging: Tools technologies and education

TIS Group Poland was established to offer comprehensive solutions for the forestry sector in order to better face current challenges. Its goal is to create a system, which is based on the team’s experience in forestry, and will support combatting illegal logging as well as facilitate implementation of new forestry law regulations such as the FLEGT programme and the EU Timber Regulation. The idea is to combine currently applied methods and tools with new technology solutions e.g. mobile applications, satellite technology etc.

During the event visitors are encouraged to:

• Test the new electronic caliper and mobile application for forest inventory

• Learn how to use satellite images as a tool to combat illegal logging

• Learn about forestry software which helps to promote legally harvested timber and allows buyers to check all necessary information concerning imported wood

• Listen and discuss with the project team about sustainable forest management, international cooperation for forest protection and challenges regarding forest education

The Event will include:

• 5 short lectures (approximately 3-5 minutes) followed by discussions

• Activities, in which participants will have the possibility, amongst others, to use the equipment and the application for forest inventory, download the application’s demo, analyse satellite images and take part in the forestry education initiative.


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Criteria and Indicators for Sustainable Forest Management from the perspective of the Caucasus and Central Asia – Updates from the ongoing UNECE/FAO, UNDA project

Armenia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan are advancing monitoring of forest and forest management. Under the UNECE/FAO, UNDA project “Accountability Systems for Sustainable Forest Management in the Caucasus and Central Asia” the countries started with the development of national criteria and indicator sets for sustainable forest management (SFM). The project is funded through the UN Development Account (UNDA) and is implemented between 2016 and 2019.

At the special event, representatives from these countries will present their progress and discuss perspectives in developing national sets of criteria and indicators for SFM. A participatory approach of the session will enable all participants to engage in discussions and exchange opinions.

The special event will be moderated and facilitated by Mr. Vardan Melikyan, regional coordinator of the project. The languages of the event will be English and Russian with interpretation provided.

Moderator:Mr. Vardan Melikyan

Panelists:Mr. Maxat Elemessov, KazkhstanMr. Ruslan Akulov, KyrgyzstanMr. Ruben Petrosyan, ArmeniaMr. Olimjon Kakhkharov, Uzbekistan

Forest management planning in Poland - organization, history, futureThe event will present the Polish forestry planning system, its objectives, methods and organization, as well as its traditions. Two to three lectures are planned, covering general presentation of the subject, presentation of Poland’s National Forest Inventory and the Forest Data Bank, with a possibility of live presentations, as well as a screening of the film “Plan for the Forest”. The film is aimed at the general public. The film has been produced in five languages: Polish, English, German, Russian and Ukrainian.


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The natural and cultural heritage of the Bialowieża ForestDespite of many years of research conducted in the area of Białowieża Forest, its value and contributions have not been completely understood. This applies to the biodiversity of the Białowieża Forest, the elements of inanimate nature, as well as aspects related to the presence of humans in the area.

The aim of the project is to evaluate the biodiversity of selected elements of the Białowieża Forest on the natural level (plant and animal species, forest habitats, soil, SBO) and cultural (traces of human presence). This will be achieved through a collection of multiple data on the inventories/verified positions of organisms, natural habitats, historical and cultural elements of the Białowieża Forest, as well as a determination of the degree of accumulation of organic carbon in soils. This will demonstrate the consequences of past human activity on this ecosystem and its biodiversity. Ultimately, the results of the project will serve to formulate objective conclusions regarding the future protection of this unique natural site.

The event aims to familiarize the participants with the state of diversity of Białowieża Forest and its forming. In addition, an important focus will be on human activities, which in recent times have significantly shaped the structure and function of the forest ecosystem.

Outcomes of the survey on perception of SFM and Forest Certification“Facts are facts - perception is reality” - This short event during lunchtime will highlight the findings of the online survey on perceptions on forest certification. Despite the facts that clearly indicate that forest management in the UNECE region is highly sustainable, different perceptions remain on the role of forest management and certification. Factual information on forest certification is presented on an annual basis in the second chapter of the FPAMR 2017. The UNECE/FAO Forestry and Timber Section issued a survey on perceptions in order to better understand what the different opinions on forest certification are. The survey was initially conducted by UNECE in preparation for the event “Marianske Lazne +70: Celebrating 70 years of UNECE/FAO cooperation on forests”, held on 5 to 7 September 2017 in Czech Republic. The special event will be held in English only, without interpretation.

https://www.unece.org/index.php?id=45440

https://www.unece.org/index.php?id=45440


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“Meet the Specialists” at Las2017At Las2017, meeting participants have the opportunity to “Meet the Specialists” of the various Teams of Specialists (ToS) of the UNECE/FAO Forestry and Timber Section. During every lunch time you can gain insights into the work of the ToS at these informal meetings.

Day / Time Event Location

Monday

13:15-14:30

ToS on Sustainable Forest Products

Specialist: Eoin O’Driscoll, Forestry Statistics Specialist, Department of Agriculture, Food & the Marine, Ireland

Gerbera A

Monday

13:15-14:30

ToS on Monitoring Sustainable Forest Management

Specialist: Stein Tomter, Senior Scientific Adviser, Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research

Gerbera B

Tuesday

13:15-14:45

ToS on Forest Communication

Specialist: Tomass Kotovičs, Head, Corporate Communications, LVM, Latvia’s State Forests

Orchidea A

Tuesday

13:15-14:45

ToS on Forest Products Statistics

Specialist: Branko Glavonjic, Professor, Faculty of Forestry, Belgrade State University, Serbia

Gerbera A

Tuesday

13:15-14:45

ToS on Forest Sector Outlook

Specialist: Jeffrey Prestemon, Research Forester, Forestry Sciences Laboratory, Southern Research Station, USDA Forest Service, United States of America

Gerbera B

Wednesday

13:15-14:45

ToS on Wood Energy

Specialist: Dinko Vusić, Senior Assistant, University of Zagreb, Faculty of Forestry, Croatia

Gerbera A

Wednesday

13:15-14:45

ToS on Forest Policy

Specialist: Marta Gaworska, Head of International Cooperation, General Directorate of the State Forests, Poland

Gerbera B

Thursday

13:15-14:45

ToS on Green Jobs

Specialist: Diarmuid McAree, Director, Crann - Trees for Ireland

Gerbera A


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Exhibitions at Las2017

Photo ExhibitionThe photo contest was organized by the Ministry of Environment and participants were students from forestry high schools. Photos were submitted in three categories: Polish forest landscapes, fauna and flora of Polish forests, and humans in the forests. The 13 best photos were awarded and are presented at the Photo Exhibition.

European Forest Week Art Contest 2017This exhibition features the winning artwork from the European Forest Week Art Contest 2017. Katie Amos from the United Kingdom, Olesya Balashova from Russia, and Caroline Ulaga from Slovenia have won the European Forest Week 2017 Art Contest.

A total of 360 entries from participants aged 5-19 from 19 European countries were submitted. The contest challenged young people to create a drawing or painting illustrating this year’s European Forest Week theme: Forests, our common good.

Entries reflected a wide range of benefits that European forests contribute to people’s lives and to the Sustainable Development Goals, such as providing, wood, renewable energy, food, fresh water and protecting the environment.

Historical Forestry Photo Exhibition This exhibition was organized in the context of the 2017-celebrations of the 70th anniversary of collaboration of UNECE and FAO on forests. In the spirit of exchange, countries shared pictures from the post-war period to nowadays, showing forest workers, forest related meetings, excursions, saw-mills, forest related industries in the UNECE region. These pictured are now displayed in the “Historical Forestry Photo Exhibition” during Las2017.

The UNECE Timber Committee and the FAO European Forestry Commission were a result of the International Timber Conference held in 1947 as the key bodies of the United Nations tasked with working on matters related to the forest sector in the region. During their first 70 years of joint activity, the Committee and the Commission have contributed to post war reconstruction, to the expansion of the forest sector, to meeting the major challenges of the sector and to promoting and monitoring sustainable forest management.

Forestry Pub QuizJoin us for a special forest quiz in the traditional pub-quiz format, where you will get a chance to test your knowledge on forest-related trivia and perhaps win ultimate bragging rights! In addition to those, the Polish State Forest will present awards to the three teams that scored highest. The event will be held in English with Russian translation. The Polish Hunting Association will provide us with some tasty finger food to accompany our traditional pub quiz.


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City Tour of WarsawJoin us for a guided walking tour of Warsaw on the evening on Thursday, 12 October. The tour will start at 19:00 at the Sigismund’s Column (see picture) and will last about 1 hour. Participants can take a 30 min walk (best along the famous Nowy Świat street) or take

the direct tram (number 4) from the stop by the Hotel (Centrum 08) and then get off at the Stare Miasto 01 station (5 stops). From there it is a 2 minutes walk to the column (See map for the tram option).

During the tour, participants will have the opportunity to see the Royal Castle, former seat of the Polish kings, the King Zygmunt III Waza Column, the oldest and tallest non-church monument in Warsaw, the Cathedral Basilica of the Martyrdom of St. John the Baptist, the Kanonia, a small, triangular square near the cathedral, the Old Town Market Square, the Monument of the Warsaw Mermaid, the Barbican and defensive walls and the Little Insurgent Monument.

Country Events taking place in PolandNational and local activities held simultaneously in participating countries will raise awareness on “Forests, our common good”, through contests, exhibitions, talks and videos. In Poland, the following events are taking place:


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Event in Poland for junior high school students (9-13 October)Educational activities will take place in 10 forest districts located near large urban areas where inhabitants are less likely to come in contact with forests. Participants will learn about the role of forests in the carbon cycle and climate change mitigation in the context of the 2015 Paris Agreement. Participating forest districts include: Gdańsk (RDSF in Gdańsk), Gryfino (RDSF in Szczecin), Łopuchówko (RDSF in Poznań), Oborniki Śląskie (RDSF in Wroclaw), Katowice (RDSF in Katowice), Niepołomice (RDSF in Cracow) Brzeziny (RDSF in Łódź), Celestine (RDSF in Warsaw), Dojlidy (RDSF in Białystok), and Świdnik (RDSF in Lublin).

Forest Research Institute in Poland (10 October)Classes and workshops will be hosted by the Forest Research Institute for university students. Topics to be covered include environmental monitoring and biodiversity.

Activities taking place in all 23 Polish National Parks, including:• Educational activities for kids and adults about the forest ecosystem

• Opening of the exhibition “Biabiogórskie forests in photography” in the Babiogórski National Park

• Open day for red deer

• Open day for private forest owners – visit to a forest nursery

• Field trips in the forests of national parks


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Wood products exhibition inside and outside the Palace of Culture and Science (9-14 October)


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Field Trips

Field Trip 1 (13 October, 8:00 – 14 October, 18:00)Białowieża Forest: Mankind’s natural and cultural heritage Cost: 70-75 EUR per person for the hotel room

Field Trip 2 (13 October, 9:00 – 17:00)Forest Carbon Farms: The State Forests’ innovative project for climate protection

Field Trip 3 (13 October, 9:00 – 14:30)Visit of the head office of the Forest Research Institute in Sękocin Stary

! Please visit the Las2017 information desk for further information and in case you would like to register for a field trip. Places will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis

! Meals will be provided on all field trips

! For all field trips: on the return trip to Warsaw the bus will stop at the airport before returning to the Novotel


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Trip 1: Białowieża Forest: Mankind’s natural and cultural heritage

13 October8:00: Departure from Warsaw (Bus leaves in front of the Novotel)Arrival in the Białowieża Forest District, check-in at the hotelField presentation of spruce tree stands damaged by a bark beetle, degraded and endangered habitats within Natura 2000 network and works performed by foresters that are aimed at preventing the consequences of gradation

Meeting with the representatives of the Ministry of the Environment, the State Forests and local community in forest education centre (presentation regarding inventory results of natural and cultural heritage of the Forest)

Return to the hotel14 October

Transfer to Hajnówka Forest District, next to the narrow gauge railway ride through forest complexes of the Białowieża Forest in order to familiarize participants with natural and tourist values of the Forest

Transfer to Narewka in order to present natural regeneration within the area of Browsk Forest District, dinner, end of session

Departure for Warsaw18:00: Arrival in Warsaw


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Trip 2: Forest Carbon Farms: The State Forests’ innovative project for climate protection

13 October9:00: Departure from Warsaw (Bus leaves in front of the Novotel)

Arrival in the Celestynów Forest District, introduction to the topic by Konrad Tomaszewski, Director General of the State Forests, movie presentation

Field presentation of selected additional activities in forestry, which increase the absorption of CO2 by forest ecosystem, such as the introduction of oak underplanting, active protection of palustrine areas, natural regenerations

Meeting with the representatives of the Ministry of the Environment, the State Forests and local community in forest education centre (presentation regarding inventory results of natural and cultural heritage of the Forest)

Visiting a forest education centreDinner17:00: Arrival in Warsaw


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Trip 3: Visit of the head office of the Forest Research Institute in Sękocin Stary

The participants will have the opportunity to learn about the main research topics in Polish forestry. The organizers are going to present general information about capacity building of national research in areas such as remote sensing and Lidar measurements, prevention and monitoring of forest fires, methods and results regarding carbon sequestration in forest soils, the progress in DNA analyses used

in forestry, best practises in forest environmental education, forest inventory systems in Poland and data management by the Forest Data Bank. Besides the presentations, there will be visits to both, the laboratories as well as the local forest.

The two host organizations, the Forest Research Institute (IBL) and the Bureau for Forest Management and Geodesy (BULiGL) are the leaders in national forest science and inventory. IBL was established in 1930 and currently is subordinated to the Ministry of Environment. BULiGL is a state enterprise. It is the main contractor of forest management planning in Poland.

13 October8:30: Departure from Warsaw (Bus leaves in front of the Novotel)

9:00: Welcome (IBL, BULiGL)

9:10: The Forest Research Institute’s activities, goals and tools (presentation of general information about forest research in Poland, film about IBL history and activities)

9:45: Forest fire protection system in Poland (presentation of Polish results in fire protection of forests, Laboratory of Forest Fire Protection)

10:05: Remote sensing and Lidar measurements as a tool for better forest management and monitoring - office presentation (presentation in the field of forest measurements by Terrestrial Lasers Scanner – TLS and other tools using in remote sensing)

10:35: Coffee break

11:00: Carbon sequestration in forest soil (presentation of analysis of carbon content in forest soil, visit of Laboratory of the Natural Environment Chemistry - certified by Polish Centre for Accreditation)


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11:45: Continuing in the field - Remote sensing and Lidar measurements as a tool for better forest management and monitoring (field presentation of tools using in remote sensing and Lidar measurement)

12:15: Application of DNA analyses in forestry (presentation of DNA analysis in Laboratory of Molecular Biology)

12:45: Forest environmental education (presentation of best practices in informal forest education)

13:30: General information about the Bureau for Forest Management and Geodesy (presentation of general information about forest inventory system in Poland)

14.00: Forest Data Bank (the aims and scope, users of data)

14.30: Lunch

16:00: Arrival in Warsaw

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70th Anniversary of the Cooperation between UNECE and FAO

International Timber Conference, Mariánske Lázně 1947

On 5 to 7 September 2017, over seventy participants from twenty-five countries were welcomed by the Czech Republic to celebrate seventy years of cooperation between UNECE and FAO for sustainable forest management while meeting the demand for forest goods and services. The joint work of UNECE and FAO on forests was a result of the International Timber Conference held in Mariánské Lázně in 1947, after which new intergovernmental bodies were created to improve cooperation and promote mobilization of wood on a sustainable basis after the wartime levels of harvest: the UNECE Timber Committee, later renamed the Committee on Forests and the Forest Industry (COFFI), and the FAO European Forestry Commission (EFC).

At the meeting in Mariánské Lázně in September 2017, participants reviewed and endorsed an Anniversary Message, which highlights the important achievements in protecting and managing forests in the region over the past seventy years, as well as the need for cooperation to address future challenges.

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70th Anniversary Celebrations, Mariánske Lázně 2017

The UNECE/FAO Secretariat prepared an anniversary publication titled “ECE Committee on Forests and the Forest Industry and FAO European Forestry Commission: 70 years working together in the service of forests and people “, which chronicles the history of the Committee and the Commission’s work. The anniversary publication will be distributed to participants at Las2017.

UNECE Timber Committee 20th anniversary session, Geneva 1967

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Practical Information

The VenueHotel Novotel Centrum94/98 Marszałkowska St.00-510 Warsaw, Poland

Information and Registration DeskAnd desk for registration and information can be found at the foyer of the Notovel throughout the week. The updated programme of Las2017 and the 4th European Forest Week can be accessed scanning the QR code on the back of your badge. At the information desk you may find various publications of the UNECE/FAO Forestry and Timber Section.

InterpretationInterpretation is available at the Joint Session in Russian and French.

CateringCoffee: Coffee and other refreshments will always be available outside the Plenary room.

Lunch: Participants may choose to have lunch à la carte at the hotel restaurant.

Dinner: Participants may dine at the hotel or discover Warsaw’s restaurant scene. There will be some food offered on the following evenings:

• Monday, 19:30: Reception hosted by the Minister of the Environment of the Republic of Poland on the occasion of the High Level Meeting and “Las2017 at the Culture and Science Palace, plac Defilad 1, 00-901 Warszawa, Poland

• Tuesday, 18:30: Forestry Pub Quiz at the restaurant of the Novotel (please see page 24 for further information).

• Wednesday, 18:00: Reception sponsored by FAO (tbc), taking place at the Novotel.

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The Team of the UNECE/FAO Forestry and Timber Section thanks you for your support!

The UNECE/FAO Forestry and Timber Section at the Palais de Nations, Geneva 2017

Pictured left to right (front row): Birgit Lia Altmann, Alex McCusker, Paola Deda, Roman Michalak, Maike Carstensen;

(back row): Florian Steierer, Alicja Kacprzak, Karen Taylor, Matthew Fonseca, Theresa Loeffler, Ekrem Yazici.

Thank you for having attended Las2017 and the 4th European Forest Week!

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