European and U.S. influence on forest policy at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Year: 2008
Type: report
Abstract: A few outstanding American foresters and conservationists were instrumental in the incorporation of forestry into the mandate of the Food and Agriculture Organization, which was created in 1945 as one of the specialized agencies of the United Nations. A brief presentation of the machinery governing FAO helps understanding how member countries can exert influence on its forestry policies and programs. Factors of influence include the relative size of the statutory contribution of the country, its extra-budgetary contribution in the form of “funds-in-trust,” its expertise in the relevant field, the importance it attributes to this part of the mandate of FAO, and its location. Here, the influence of Europe and the United States at FAO is tracked through time: prior to 1945 and the decision to include forestry in FAO mandate; from 1945 to 1951, when the headquarters was moved from Washington to Rome; from the early 1950s to the early 1970s and the Stockholm Conference on the Human Environment; and then up until 2000. This historical review shows that through active participation in its governing and statutory bodies, western European countries have had a more direct involvement in forestry at FAO and a much larger representation in its Secretariat and extra-budgetary contributions, whereas the United States has exerted influence through the work of individuals, universities, and research groups and, more generally, thanks to the importance and diversity of its forestry expertise.
Author: Lanly, Jean-Paul
Language: English
Topic: Forest Management and Policy
Subfield: Forestry
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2518755061