§ Mr. MeacherTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) if he will make a statement on decisions taken during the 11th meeting of the FAO's Committee on Forestry in Rome during March;
(2) what action will be taken by the United Kingdom in accordance with decisions taken at the 11th meeting of the FAO's Committee on Forestry held in Rome during March.
§ Sir Hector Monro[holding answer 2 April 1993] I have been asked to reply.
The biennial meetings of FAO's Committee on Forestry provide an opportunity for the exchange of views on important subjects related to forestry and for the provision of advice to FAO on its forestry activities. The Committee acts in an advisory capacity and does not take executive decisions.
At its 1993 meeting, the Committee reviewed and commented on FAO's regular programmes, criticised the reduction in FAO's forestry budget, and discussed the increasing political recognition of the importance of forestry, the implementation of the Forest Principles agreed in Rio de Janeiro, the role of the UN Commission on Sustainable Development and the future of the Tropical Forests Action Programme.