Expert workshop in support of the CPF joint initiative on streamlining forest-related reporting

Strengthening the Global Core Set of Forest Indicators to support the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the UN Strategic Plan for Forests 2030

22-24 October 2019 at FAO headquarters, Rome

©FAO/Karen Minasyan

Goal and Objectives

The overarching goal of the Expert Workshop (EWS) is to review progress on the Global Core Set of forest indicators and develop recommendations to make full use of the set, particularly by further improving methodology and data availability of selected indicators.

The specific objectives are:

  • To take stock of progress and existing gaps related to methods an data needed to use the Global Core Set for measuring progress towards Global Forest Goals and SDGs at national, regional and global levels;
  • to discuss and develop recommendations and proposals for selected “Tier 3” GCS forest indicators for whichboth methodology and data availability challenges exist:definition, classifications and other metadata specifications;possible national approaches for data
    collection/generation; piloting:
    • Indicator 13 (Number of forest dependent people in extreme poverty)
    • Indicator 14 (Contribution of forests to food security)
    • Indicator 15 (Financial resources from all sources for implementation of SFM)
  • to discuss and develop recommendations for selected “Tier 2” global core set of forest indicators (methodology is sound but data challenges still exist): addressing data availability issues, national approaches for data collection/generation through existing structures and mechanisms,

data generation through analytical tools; possible pilot studies;

    • Indicator 10 (Wood based energy share of total final energy consumption)
    • Indicator 12 (Employment related to the forest sector)
  • to discuss and develop recommendations on next steps/roadmap to further develop methodology and data availability on Tier 3 and Tier 2 indicators and to share views and discuss possible actions on enhancing the use of GCS indicators.

Participation

The EWS is a meeting of technical experts. Participation is by invitation, drawn from all Member States, CPF members, representatives of international and regional organizations/processes, UN system organizations/agencies/programmes/
commissions, other relevant entities and processes, including criteria and indicators processes, major groups and other interested stakeholders.

Plenary sessions will be held in English, French and Spanish. Some working group sessions will be conducted in English only. Background and working group discussion documentation will be provided in English.