Publications

Forest Products Annual Market Review 2020-2021 (November 2021) 

The Forest Products Annual Market Review 2019-2020 provides a comprehensive analysis of markets in the UNECE region and reports on the main market influences outside the UNECE region. It covers the range of products from the forest to the end user - from roundwood and primary processed products to value-added, housing and wood energy. Statistics-based chapters analyse the markets for wood raw materials, sawnwood, wood-based panels, paper, paperboard and woodpulp. Underlying the analysis is a comprehensive collection of data. The Review highlights the role of sustainable forest products in international markets. Policies concerning forests and forest products are discussed, as well as the main drivers and trends. The Review also analyses the effects of the current economic situation on forest products markets.

Wood Energy in the ECE Region

Wood Energy in the ECE Region highlights the use of wood for energy and includes the most recent statistics on wood energy markets across the UNECE region. It aims to communicate the relevance of wood energy in the region and help bridge information about the forest and energy sectors. It also intends to offer some of the best-available information on the role that wood energy can play in various sectors to support environmental, energy, and socio-economic strategies toward a greener economy. It focuses on commercial wood energy uses in the UNECE inclusive of energy generated for cooking, heating and electricity generation.

Forest Ownership in the ECE Region (March 2020)

This study examines forest ownership in the UNECE region. Based on data on 35 countries, and the first to include all forest ownership categories, this study investigates the changing nature and patterns of forest ownership, the ways in which governance and social structures influence forest owners and users, as well as forest management. Within the limits of data availability and harmonization, the publication provides an overview of, and a new baseline for, understanding the diversity and dynamics of forest ownership in the ECE region.

Country Overviews of the State of Forests and Forest Management in the Caucasus and Central Asia (May 2020)

The series of Bilingual Overviews of the State of Forests and Forest Management in eight countries of the Caucasus and Central Asia derives from the study on the state of forests in that region ...

State of Forests of the Caucasus and Central Asia (May 2019)

The study on the state of forests in the Caucasus and Central Asia aims to present the forest resources and the forest sector of the region, including trends in, and pressures on the resource, to describe the policies and institutions for the forest sector in the region and to list the major challenges the sector faces, and the policy responses in place or planned. The study is a cooperative effort by the author, the UNECE/FAO secretariat and national experts, done with the use of the best available data. It attempts to cover all dimensions of sustainable forest management and includes national overviews of all countries of the region.

Forests in the ECE Region (March 2015)

This study is the contribution of the ECE Region to the Eleventh Session of the United Nations Forum on Forests. Using the best available data, it examines progress of the forest sector in the ECE Region towards the achievement of the four Global Objectives on Forests, adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 2007. On the basis of this assessment as well as the forest sector outlooks and policy commitments by ECE member States, thirteen major challenges for the forest sector in the region are identified and analysed. The study provides policy recommendations for consideration in the discussions by UNFF.

Forest Sector Outlook Study, 2020-2040 (November 2021)

The study provides information for the UNECE region that supports decision making by showing the possible medium- and long-term consequences of specific policy choices and structural changes, using scenario analyses whenever possible. The study is the first to cover the entire region and provides results for the main UNECE subregions of Europe, North America and the Russian Federation.

Forest Sector Workforce in the UNECE Region (August 2020)

This study provides a comprehensive overview of the current state of the forest sector workforce in the UNECE region. It analyzes working conditions and occupational safety and health as well as the economic and social contexts that have led to structural changes in the sector, to the extent possible, through statistical data available at the regional level. It links the statistics to wider research, conducted in a range of disciplines and contexts, which shed light on the causes of, and experiences with the changes in the sector and possible ways to make the forest sector more future-proof.

Guidelines for the Development of a Criteria and Indicator Set for Sustainable Forest Management (May 2019)

Criteria and indicators constitute an increasingly common policy tool to implement sustainable forest management (SFM) and to define clear priorities and targets. This should improve monitoring, reporting and assessment of key aspects of SFM performance. These guidelines provide specific concepts, definitions, tools and reference materials to guide the development process of national criteria and indicator sets for SFM. These guidelines have been developed to support the project “Accountability Systems for Sustainable Forest Management in the Caucasus and Central Asia” which is implemented through the UNECE/FAO Forestry and Timber Section and funded through the UN Development Account. The guidelines and the methods described within are used and applied for the development of national criteria and indicator sets for sustainable forest management in Armenia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan. The guidelines might be also relevant for other countries.

SEMAFOR - System for the Evaluation of the Management of Forests (March 2017)

The study presents the results of the SEMAFOR (System for the Evaluation of the MAnagement of FORests) pilot study, which tested the method through voluntary assessment of the sustainability of forest management in European countries, on the basis of the Pan-European set of criteria and indicators. Scale-neutral indicators were developed and used to describe and assess the situation in 20 participating countries. Thresholds were used for the assessment indicators. Results which exceeded the thresholds were the subject of a discussion with national correspondents to check accuracy, put the data in context and describe the policy response, if any. The study presents detailed results, by indicator and by country, and discusses the main issues arising from the experience. This activity is experimental in nature: its only purpose is to check and test the method. The material presented does not constitute any formal conclusion or statement regarding the status of sustainable forest management in countries taking part in this exercise.