FIRST QUARTERLY PROGRESS REPORT
 OF THE JOINT TECHNICAL WORKING GROUPS
For the Period:  December 2004- February 2005

This quarterly progress report from each Joint Technical Working Group is requested by the Secretariat of the Government-Donor Coordination Committee (GDCC) before 25 February 2005. It will be used to prepare a briefing note for the Second GDCC Meeting scheduled to be held on 7 March 2005. Please return the completed questionnaire to H.E. Chhieng Yanara at CDC in both soft and hard copy.

TECHNICAL WORKING GROUP (TWG):     FORESTRY AND ENVIRONMENT
 

  1. Did the TWG prepare its Terms of Reference?           Yes  þ      No  ¨

  2. Did the TWG prepare an Action Plan?  Yes  þ      No  ¨  (if No, please continue to question 9)

If Yes:  When was the Action Plan approved by the TWG?  (date / month / year) 19/11/2004

  1. Since the 7th CG Meeting held in December 2004 how many times has the TWG met?   One time
                                                                                                                                 04/02/2005
    Is the scheduling of activities in the Action Plan done by month/quarter?  Yes      ¨      No  þ

If No, please go to Q8, but first please identify the methodology that is planned to be employed by the TWG to monitor and report on progress made:
* The TWG-F&E has identified 11 specific benchmarks, most of which are monitored quarterly
 
 

  1. Please list below activities in the Action Plan that were scheduled to be implemented during the last quarter (December 2004 and February 2005).

  1.  See workplan for 2005 timing of this has not been established at of now

 

  1. Which of the activities listed in question 5 are being implemented as scheduled?

Activity (please use the same number as shown in Q5)

Comments, if any

List the 5 major output from the workplan and indicate timing The TWG has not at present prioritized the work plan Part of next TWG meeting including identification of financial and human resource to carry out the tasks

 

  1. Please list the activities that are behind schedule, reasons for delay, and the TWG's recommendations for solving the problems.

 Activity
(please use the same number as shown in Q5)

 Reasons for Delay TWG's Recommendation
     

Please use an extra sheet if you need more space.


If you answered "No" to Q4 then please complete Q8 below, otherwise please go to Q9.
 

  1. Please list below activities in the Action Plan that have been implemented during the last quarter (December 2004-February 2005).

Activity

 Comments, if any
i. Continue forest Crime Monitoring and Reporting, and SGS-Independent Monitor (1.2.1) ongoing, until end of June 2005
iii. Studies of domestic demand for forest products and potential export markets (1.3.1) Study initiated
iv. Formulate National Community Forestry Program and develop community forestry (3.2.1) Regional workshops held and draft NCFP expected to present in May 2005.
v. Implement Overall Capacity Building program (4.1.1) 2005 annual work plan prepared and discussed at Supporting Meeting in February 2005
vi. Studies of market and consumption conducted (5.1.1) Studies conducted and the draft report prepared
vii. Tree planting for socio-economic purposes and environmental services by multi stakeholders (5.1.2) Planting plan being developed. No planting season yet.
viii. Capacity Building (6.1) Phase I Project completed in December 2004 and waiting for official approval of Phase II
ix. Tree Seed and Forest Gene Conservation Program (6.2) According to Work Plan, long-term donor needed to support the Program
x. Learning and Capacity Development (6.3) To be terminated in June 2005.
xi. Independent Forest Sector Review including support to sector a program and support to a TWG Secretariat (6.4) Reflection period of IFSR ongoing and TWG Secretariat being initiated.

 

  1. Is (are) there any Joint Monitoring Indicator(s) agreed at the 7th CG Meeting held in December 2004 that fall within the mandate of this TWG?  Yes  þ      No  ¨ (please go to Q11)

If Yes, please list the indicators below:

  1. Maintain suspension/moratorium on logging, transport of logs (except those which have been already inventoried and for which royalties have been paid in full), and new economic land concessions pending completion of applicable review processes and/or a legal framework.

  2. Increase transparency of state management of natural resources through immediate public disclosure of existing contracts and compliance status (royalties and other key provisions) of contracts governing economic land concessions, mining concessions, fishing lots and continued disclosure of status of review of forest concessions.

  3. Application of sustainable management planning, including ESIAs, investor evaluations, consultation with local communities, public disclosure and comment period prior to entering into new contracts for private use/management of state managed natural resources (land, fisheries, forestry, and mines).

  4. RGC disclose the location and legal status and process for termination of mining concessions, Military Development Zones, economic land concession and other development arrangements situated on forest land or on protected areas and inconsistent with law governing management of these areas.

 

  1. What progress has been made toward achieving the targets of the Joint Monitoring Indicator(s) listed in Q9 above?
Joint Monitoring Indicator Progress Constraints Recommendation
a) Maintain suspension /moratorium on logging, transport of logs (except those which have been already inventoried and for which royalties have been paid in full) Fulfilled.    
b) Increase transparency of state management of natural resources through - - - continued disclosure of status of review of forest concessions. Status of forest concession review available at Public Affairs Unit of FA.    
c) Application of sustainable management planning, including ESIAs, investor evaluations, - - -  etc. for private use/management of state managed natural resources (land, fisheries, forestry, and mines). These planning procedures also applied to forest concession.    
d) RGC disclose the location and legal status and process for termination of mining concessions, Military Development Zones, economic land concession and other development arrangements situated on forest land or on protected areas and inconsistent with law governing management of these areas. TWG-F&E not soly responsible for this. Other institutions to disclose this information to be able to review contracts. Ministry of National Defense confirmed that there are not military development zones in forests or protected areas.    

 

  1. Please list below activities in the Action Plan that are planned for the next quarter (March 2005-May 2005).

  1. Practical implementation of forest demarcation and demarcation of protected areas (1.1.1)

  2. Formulate National Forest Management Plans and manage the forests based on the plans (1.1.2)

  3. Develop Management Plans for protected area (1.1.3)

  4. Sustainable increase forestry incomes and environmental services in consistent with the real forestry potentials (2.1.1)

  5. Assess and test out “Partnership Forestry” in pilot communes as a alternative form of forest management and a mechanism for forest revenue to contribute to local development (3.2.2)

  6. Which of the 5 workplan items have the highest priority?

Note: The listed above are new activities to be initiated from the next quarter.
 
  1. REPORT ENDORSED BY:
Signature:


Chairman, TWG

 Signature:
Donor Lead Facilitator
       
Name:

Ty Sokhun

 Name:

Morgens L. Christensen
       

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