Resource information
The paper briefly reviews the mandates and main activities of some major governmental and non-governmental international organizations concerned with the management of forest genetic resources, and the role that such organizations play in this field. It is noted that national forest genetic programmes will continue to constitute the building blocks of regional and global programmes, but that these can be usefully complemented by harmonization of action at international level. Joining efforts across national borders will make best use of scarce resources and will help fill existing information gaps as well as gaps in implementation more quickly. Special reference is made in the paper to the regional and sub-regional country-driven and action oriented workshops facilitated by FAO and international partners. There are clear indications, at all levels, of growing acknowledgement of the fact that conservation is not a limiting factor to development, but a precondition for lasting well-being.
