(5th meeting) UN Forum on Forests, 21st session (UNFF21)

Excellencies, Distinguished delegates.
I call to order the fifth meeting of the United Nations Forum on Forest at its 21st session.
Dear colleagues, this afternoon, the forum will consider agenda items three and its sub items A to G, as well as items four, five and six.
Following the informal consultations held yesterday and today, I now invite the forum to consider agenda item three entitled, Policy discussions on the implementation of the United Nations Strategic Plan for for 2017, 2030, including consideration of relevant proposals contained in the case summary from the T session, and it's sub items A to G, as well as Item four, entitled, Initial Discussions on the final review of the effectiveness of the International arrangement on forests in achieving its objectives.
Item five entitled Trust Fund for the United Nations Forum on Forests, and Item six entitled Emerging Issues.
I now invite the vice chairs of the UNFF 21 to report on the outcome of the informal consultations.
I will first give the floor to U NFF 21 Vice Chair, Javad Momani.
Mr.
Momani, you have the floor, please.
Thank you, Chair for the floor.
Chair, let me appreciate the very constructive role of all delegates and member state and major groups as well as other stakeholders for their inputs, very constructive inputs.
I would like to inform you that we had a very positive and constructive informal negotiation from yesterday.
We go through the text section by section, and then the member state and major groups and other secular provided their languages and for the transparency, we had two readings as you also mentioned.
We choose section by section because such a approach helping member states to provide their inputs in a very constructive way.
And yesterday we had yesterday and today we had the first and second reading.
Whenever we come to some section, especially the section related to interlinkages of GFGs and major global forest related development and section of means of implementation, There was some different views and approaches in the room.
To help the member states to constructively and giving more time to come with more languages, we conveyed an informal meeting today at 3:00 in conference room D, and then we name it a small group, but it was not in a small group.
I the peoples available in the room, 36 people was in the room and then all constructively came with not a new idea with a new bridging proposal.
That's unfortunate that we are able to solve some of the pending paragraphs, and then we have a paragraph that almost agreed with some, but we are not able to come to the conclusion on three paragraphs.
Although it was not possible to solve the issues in the room, the main reason was time.
Unfortunately, we don't have enough time to go through the text and giving more time to delegate, but delegates provided some alternate that alternate helping the bureau to provide some agreed language that will be accepted by all by such a deliberation, we come to conclude the informal meeting.
Then finally, we have some alternative and we can work based on the paragraphs that we have.
And the bureau and then during this night can provide the final text based on all alternative and the languages that we have.
Then at the end, allow me to thank our delegation, especially the delegation of Brazil that lead the paragraph 13, 12, 13, and 17, and our colleague from Cyprus on behalf of the EU that lead the negotiation on paragraph 18.
Thank you very much, Chair for the floor.
Back to you.
Thank you.
Thank you for all the work you have done together with our estimate delegates.
Mr.
Jabat Mamani, thank you so much.
Now, I give the floor to Mr.
Andrés Napripita You have the floor, please.
Thank you very much Chair.
A very good afternoon, distinguished colleagues.
I'd like to align myself with the words expressed by the Vice Chair.
Thanking you for the constructive participation on the part of all delegations, in particular the discussions on the last two sections of the document.
This is the beginning of our discussions on the final revision of the International Agreement on forests and also The last section of the document on prohibition of resources, the forum the Secretariat itself.
Now, in general terms, I can say that we have made progress at a good pace with respect to the discussions that we had yesterday on the draft.
We heard comments from delegations, their concerns, their suggestions and in the test that was circulated last night, we have tried to suggest language that we hope would accommodate the positions of the different delegations that participated in the discussions on this section.
In this regard, I think we're on the right footing towards achieving a substantive final text that reflects the challenges that the Secretariat faces, in particular the forum Secretariat.
And we hope that the delegations will be able to see the final version tomorrow and that we'll be able to achieve consensus, chair.
I just wanted to round off by thanking all of the delegations again for all of their constructive participation.
Thank you, and we hope that tomorrow we will all be satisfied with the result of this 21st session of the forum.
Thank you.
Thank you Andrés.
Dear colleagues.
The Bureau will further revise the text based on the informal consultations that took place today and the views expressed and we will share the final draft with participants this evening.
The forum will consider the draft for adoption tomorrow morning.
So it is your turn.
If any delegation wish to make a statement, please remind me that the time for 3 minutes for the regional group and 2 minutes for the individual delegations.
Please button your microphone.
If you would like to say something, Yeah.
It seems everything is clear.
Thanks, Vice Chair, Jawad Abahim.
United Kingdom.
Of course we are we are waiting.
The first one is the United Kingdom.
You have the floor, please.
Many thanks, Chair.
If I may, just to seek a clarification on the process for tomorrow morning, is there a suggestion that there will be a new version of the text that we will then consider tomorrow morning, or is there some other plan in terms of how we will move forward in adopting a text? I'm just keen to understand whether we will be continuing consultations tomorrow morning or if you are suggesting that there will be some final version that we will then be asked to adopt? Is that the proposal? Just for clarity in the room.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Yes.
Thank you for this question to clarify, there will be no more consultation in the morning of tomorrow.
After the Bureau meeting, we will circulate the final version to all of you.
What happens if they have any objection? Say Today you can say everything, but not tomorrow.
Thank you.
Do you ask again for the floor? Thank you.
A further clarification, if I may, chair, which is just will then the text be under a silence procedure tomorrow morning for us to adopt or not adopt and then of course, an opportunity for people to speak in that process.
Thank you.
Yeah.
I thank you for this question.
It is really beneficial.
Thank you.
Is there any other one.
Today we have time to speak, but I see everything is clear.
Okay.
So dear colleagues, it seems there is no European Union.
Cyprus, please.
You have the floor on behalf of European Union.
Of the European Union and its 27 member states.
Yes.
Thank you, Chair.
Apologies for coming back to this, but it seems to be a bit unclear.
At the beginning, we were informed that a revised text would be circulated.
At this stage, you are suggesting that a revised text will be circulated tonight and as UK has been asking, will we be able to comment on it or will the text go to silent procedure or if we were to comment on it, will you send a revised text, but there won't be any consultations tomorrow.
Could you please explain on the procedure on how we move forward, please? Thank you.
You are right.
This is the right question.
So what are we going to say Thank you again, Cyprus, for this question.
Tomorrow morning, we will be here for the adoption.
So today, we have time.
I mean, until the bureau meeting if you have any objection, any proposal.
We have time now.
You can raise if you say.
But as you agree with me, we received enough proposal from the member states and tomorrow we need to finalize our session on time.
If you have any objection and proposal, please raise your hand.
No, we can solve them.
We can talk all together.
I see this request on this one.
I see it mixed up insiders.
Yes, Cyprus again.
First, Mexico.
First, Mexico, then Cyrus.
Mexico you have the floor, please.
Thank you, Chairman.
Just to follow up the question asked by the United Kingdom and also by the EU, above and beyond having this space and this time to be able to discuss things, I think that it looks like it's not possible since we don't have a final budget of the tests yet.
In any case, we need to be working on the same ta that we were working on yesterday and today.
I think the question is more appropriately framed as whether we get the final version of the tax.
Once we have that, if that is going to be put under silent procedure or not, or what is going to be the procedure that will be adopted for its adoption tomorrow in case there's any objection or reservation raised to it.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you for your question.
Clus.
Chair, we're only echoing the rest of the delegates are expressing now.
We just need to understand on the provision of the revision of the text that was mentioned at the beginning of the informal consultations today.
There were informal consultations taking place in parallel of the discussions of the remaining of the paragraphs for the last two parts of the draft resolution.
We would like to be able to look at the revised text.
And beyond that to understand whether reflections could be provided.
In that case, what will happen to the procedure? If it goes to silence procedure and there are comments.
If the silence procedure is broken, how is the text going to be adopted? What is the procedure until tomorrow morning? At the beginning of today, I reiterate what I said before.
There was a mention for the revised text to be provided.
We would like to see that text before we reach tomorrow's adoption in the morning.
We are insisting on getting more clarification on that.
Thank you.
Thank you.
I totally agree with you.
You are right.
You will have the final text this night after the bureau meeting.
Then better to read.
A final version will be shared with all delegations tonight.
There will be no silence procedure.
Delegation will be invited to take the floor at the meeting tomorrow morning.
The question that what happens if we have more objections? The problem colleagues, tomorrow we have to finalize our session by adopting the omnibus resolution.
If you have any objection, anything to say, this is the time to raise.
We can talk here, but do not wait for tomorrow.
So tomorrow.
But the question, we don't have the final version.
Okay.
You will have the final version soon.
The distinguished delegates of European Union and Cyprus, my dear colleague, and of course, for all of us.
Just after this preliminary session, we will have bureau meeting to review for the final stage and we will distribute immediately after the bureau meeting.
You will have the final version.
If you have any major objection because so far during the four days, we discussed everything in detail apparently.
I hope you will have no major objection.
Of course tomorrow morning you can raise your hands.
But tomorrow morning we have to finalize, we have to make our adoption.
After that, you will have one week before.
Tomorrow morning we have to finalize everything.
Today, you will receive the final version.
Is it clear dear colleagues? Any questions? Cyrus? Yes, please.
Yes.
Thank you, Chair.
I will try to explain.
We need really clarity we have tomorrow morning to consider a revised text that the Bureau will do tonight.
Our understanding is that if we have major objections to the text, we can provide them and they can be considered with a view for amendments and then a final adoption.
We just like to be clear that this is the procedure because if there's not clarity on that, it will not be possible for us to prepare for the meeting.
Maybe we could also have clarification on the text that would go for a consultation for a week.
We understood from Monday that that had to do with a draft message for the high level political forum.
If we got that wrong, please correct us because there was some information about the message going to the high level political forum.
And could you clarify also what the procedure would be with that text or did we get it wrong? You said something about the consultation period for a week and we would like to have clarity what was said about.
Could you repeat that? Thank you.
Thank you, Cyrus.
Is there any other question before inviting the Secretariat for further clarification about the procedures, about the time.
Thank you so much for this question.
This is really important.
Any other question or delegation would like to speak? I see.
With your permission, I would like to invite Secretariat, Hussein to give more clarification.
Hussein, you have the floor, please.
Thank you very much, Mr.
Chairman and our apologies if there has been any confusion.
As the chair announced on day one at the opening about the modalities for conducting the informal consultation during the week, and the bureau and the chair on behalf of the Bureau indicated that the final version of the draft resolution will be shared with delegation based on the outcome of the informal consultation tonight, which the Bureau is going to do it after this meeting and share with you the final draft.
Then in tomorrow's meeting, of course, in the official program, it is for consideration and adoption.
By the forum.
In the past, we have had some instances that there was no major point or major objection about the whole resolution, but there were some small things to be adjusted.
And I do recall that at those instances, there was a short suspension of the meeting for quick consultation among different delegations during the preliminary meeting, of course, the pleing will be suspended and There were some adjustment, quick adjustment to those key points during the discussion and come back and resume the preliminary after basically coming to an agreement on some of the adjustment.
This is still the possibility.
Of course, it's up to the Bureau.
The problem is that we cannot have the meeting to go forever because tomorrow at noon at 1:00 P.M.
We have to conclude the meeting.
There will be no further official meeting of the forum.
But still if there are some minor things to be adjusted, still the Bureau may consider allowing some quick exchange among delegations and fixing those points.
That's about the resolution.
Regarding the input for the HLPF, we are going to share with you tonight as the chair announced on Monday and you will have one week to review it and to provide your comments, suggestion changes.
To the Bureau.
Of course, we will provide you with the contact information in the Secretariat and we will provide the bureau with the compilation of the views that we are receiving and the Bureau will review and then finalize the text and submit it, and of course, you will also receive the final text.
But we will send that input separately from the draft resolution in order not to make any confusion.
There will be separate emails from the Secretariat with regard to the draft resolution and draft input.
I hope that I made it I mean, I helped to clarify some of the point, not to adding to the confusion.
Thank you so much.
Thank you, Sam.
Thanks so much.
Is it clear? Okay.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you so much for cooperation.
Is there any other I I see no.
I believe that you were satisfied with our text.
I hope you will be happy with that one.
Distinguished delegates, I see no other requests for the floor.
With your permission, the forum will reconven tomorrow at 10:00 A.M.
In this conference room to continue with and conclude its program of work.
The meeting is adjourned.
Have a nice evening.