International Forestry Group

 

What is the IFG?

The International Forestry Group works to promote 'sustainable forestry management' internationally.

It's objectives are:

• To formulate the UK’s position on forestry issues in Europe and globally.
• To ensure consistency between international and domestic forest policy objectives, priorities, commitments and actions.
• To promote discussion, co-ordination, consensus building and coherence on issues of inter-departmental interest and the devolved administrations in the area of international forest policy.

Membership of IFG

Officials from the Forestry Commission, the Department for International Development, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the Department of Trade and Industry, Treasury, No 10, Cabinet Office, and the Devolved Administrations. All Government departments are welcome and encouraged to participate and a contact list is maintained to ensure relevant departments are invited to meetings and sent minutes.

Lead Departments

The Forestry Commission (FC) and the Department for International Development (Dfid) share a joint lead. The FC currently provides the secretariat and hosts the website.

Scope of the IFG

All areas of international policy with a bearing on the sustainable management of forest resources, including the following forest-related issues and fora are discussed.

Want to know more?

The IFG doesn’t publish its own policy documents. Each member of the IFG places their current information on their department’s web sites.

Links to other Government Departments

• Defra
• FCO
• Dfid
• DTI
• DARDNI

Links to subjects

• United Nations (UN) Forum on Forests (UNFF)
• UN Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD)
• UN FAO Committee on Forestry & European Forestry Commission
• UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) Timber Committee
• UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)
• UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)
• Forest Law Enforcement Governance & Trade (FLEGT)
• Timber Procurement Group
• G8
• International Tropical Timber Organisation (ITTO)
• Standing Committee on Commonwealth Forestry
• Ministerial Conference on the Protection of Forests in Europe (MCPFE)
• European Tropical Forestry Advisers Group (ETFAG) and International Forestry Advisers Group (IFAG)
• World Bank

Contact the IFG