International Activities

Canada is steward of 10 percent of the world's forests. We play an active part in the global dialogue on forest management, in order to ensure that our domestic environmental, economic, social and cultural interests are protected. Working closely with the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade and the provincial and territorial governments, the Canadian Forest Service (CFS) of Natural Resources Canada has taken a leadership role in many international forestry initiatives.

Trade Issues

As the world's largest exporter of forest products, Canada must strive to protect and expand its access to markets. The CFS provides expertise to resolve trade issues involving forestry. It helps Canadian industry to identify and take advantage of market opportunities abroad. The CFS also works to ensure that the rules governing trade take Canadian interests into account
and support sustainable forest management.

The CFS also manages the International Forestry Partnerships Program on behalf of the Canadian Council of Forest Ministers. This program endeavours to keep foreign audiences well informed about Canada's sustainable forest practices and to prevent misinformation from causing problems for Canadian forestry exports.

Criteria and Indicators

In many respects, Canada has led the world during the past decade in developing and adopting new approaches to sustainable development of forests. Canada's commitments made at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) have been set out in the National Forest Strategy. Further to these commitments, Canada is influencing the development of criteria and indicators (C&I) for sustainable forest management. Canada is one of twelve countries participating in the Montreal Process. This international initiative will define key forest values and track progress toward sustainable forest management in boreal and temperate forests outside Europe. A first report on the Montreal Process C&I will be available in October 1997. Information generated from this process will help to research, develop policies and inform audiences of the condition of the world's boreal and temperate forests.

Model Forests

Building on strong public participation and using the most advanced scientific knowledge available, the CFS's Canadian Model Forest Program has become an international success story. Ten model forests now exist in Canada. Their innovative approaches to defining and applying sustainable management in forestry have led to the expansion of the program internationally. Under the International Model Forest Program, managed by the International
Development Research Centre, model forests have been established or are being developed in more than 20 countries including Mexico, Russia, Malaysia and the United States.

Science and Technology

Canada is involved in a broad range of international forest science and technology (S&T) initiatives. These include formal collaborative research programs with other nations and working arrangements between individual scientists. Canada also participates in international forest S&T organizations, such as the International Union of Forestry Research Organizations
(IUFRO).

Other Initiatives

United Nations Fora and Treaties

Canada has signed and is implementing the international conventions on biological diversity, climate change, trade in endangered species and desertification, all of which are important to forest management.

It also participates in a number of other multilateral fora aimed at improving sustainable forest management worldwide, including the United Nations Forum on Forests, the successor organization of both the Intergovernmental Panel on Forests (IPF) and the Intergovernmental Forum on Forests (IFF) in which Canada played a very active role. Over the next few years, the UNFF will not only facilitate the implementation of the IPF/IFF proposals for action, but will also consider the parameters of a mandate for developing a legal framework on all types of forests.

In preparing Canadian positions for these fora, the Canadian Forest Service of Natural Resources Canada works closely with the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, the Canadian International Development Agency and Environment Canada and actively seeks the views of provincial and territorial governments, the Aboriginal community, industry and non-governmental organizations.