This information document is to facilitate discussion among member States on streamlining the work of the Teams of Specialists in support of the next Integrated Programme of Work (2022-2025). This document provides a brief description of the role and function of the Teams of Specialists, outlines resources available in the secretariat for servicing the Team of Specialists, and briefly summarizes recent discussions on the topic. The paper assesses existing synergies among Team of Specialists considering experts having membership to several Teams. It also considers synergies and cooperation among various teams in meeting the aims of the current Integrated Programme of Work (2017-2021).
The secretariat would like to emphasize that Teams of Specialists made significant contributions to the implementation of the current Integrated Programme of Work. The secretariat concludes that resources available within the Forestry and Timber Section and the need to implement the tasks in the future Integrated Programme of Work, allow for the servicing up to four Teams.
Mindful of the ECE guidelines on Teams of Specialists, the resources available and based on the information provided, the secretariat proposes the following:
o Confirm the mandate of the Team of Specialists on Boreal Forest and include specific tasks and outcomes for the period of its mandate;
o Renew the Team of Specialists on Monitoring Sustainable Forest Management;
o Renew the Team of Specialists on Sustainable Forest Products;
o Merge the Team of Specialists on Forest Products Statistics with the Team of Specialists on Wood Energy into one new team called Team of Specialists on Forest Products - and Wood Energy - Statistics;
o Nonrenewal of the Team of Specialists on Forest Sector Outlook for the duration of the Integrated Programme of Work;
o Nonrenewal of the Team of Specialists on Green Jobs and the Team of Specialists on Forest Communication.