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Papers by Juliette Moussa

A deepening forest crisis worldwide has been documented in alarming trends in global deforestatio... more A deepening forest crisis worldwide has been documented in alarming trends in global deforestation and forest degradation. During the last decade, in particular, the forest crisis has received increasing attention and has prompted many initiatives by governments and intergovernmental agencies. Still, these and other responses appear to be insufficient in achieving a significant deceleration and reversal of the above-mentioned trends. Many have analyzed the potential explanations of why these recent responses to the forest crisis have failed to generate the significant progress needed. There seems to be broad agreement that these initiatives have focused far too much attention on the proximate causes of deforestation/forest degradation (and factors within the forest sector), and have largely ignored the underlying (root) causes of these problems.
This report is the first outcome of a 16-month initiative of a diverse group of NGOs, governments, Indigenous Peoples’ Organizations, intergovernmental agencies and other stakeholders that included 7 regional workshops, one Indigenous Peoples workshop, and a Global Workshop to Address the Underlying Causes of Deforestation and Forest Degradation. The latter was attended by 125 participants from 40 countries, and took place in Costa Rica, from 18 to 22 January 1999.
In all, over 40 case studies were collected, along with numerous discussion papers, documenting the underlying causes of forest loss all over the world. A number of key points clearly emerge from the actions
recommended by the Global Workshop. Full participation of local communities and other stakeholders in decision-making over management of natural resources at the national and international level
is required if we intend to reverse the current rates of forest loss. Also, forests are more than just stands of timber. Their rich biological diversity, particularly natural forest biological diversity, constitutes complex ecosystems that provide valuable services such as water, air purification, stabilization of climate, soil protection, and have spiritual meaning for individuals, communities, and society as a whole. These lessons seem to be absent in current international policy deliberations that affect forests, and we urge all responsible actors to include them in the future. From our participation in this process we have learned an important lesson: that a participatory process such as this carried forward by collaboration between governments, international
organizations, NGOs, Indigenous Peoples and local communities can significantly advance the international agenda.

A deepening forest crisis worldwide has been documented in alarming trends in global deforestatio... more A deepening forest crisis worldwide has been documented in alarming trends in global deforestation and forest degradation. During the last decade, in particular, the forest crisis has received increasing attention and has prompted many initiatives by governments and intergovernmental agencies. Still, these and other responses appear to be insufficient in achieving a significant deceleration and reversal of the above-mentioned trends. Many have analyzed the potential explanations of why these recent responses to the forest crisis have failed to generate the significant progress needed. There seems to be broad agreement that these initiatives have focused far too much attention on the proximate causes of deforestation/forest degradation (and factors within the forest sector), and have largely ignored the underlying (root) causes of these problems.
This report is the first outcome of a 16-month initiative of a diverse group of NGOs, governments, Indigenous Peoples’ Organizations, intergovernmental agencies and other stakeholders that included 7 regional workshops, one Indigenous Peoples workshop, and a Global Workshop to Address the Underlying Causes of Deforestation and Forest Degradation. The latter was attended by 125 participants from 40 countries, and took place in Costa Rica, from 18 to 22 January 1999.
In all, over 40 case studies were collected, along with numerous discussion papers, documenting the underlying causes of forest loss all over the world. A number of key points clearly emerge from the actions
recommended by the Global Workshop. Full participation of local communities and other stakeholders in decision-making over management of natural resources at the national and international level
is required if we intend to reverse the current rates of forest loss. Also, forests are more than just stands of timber. Their rich biological diversity, particularly natural forest biological diversity, constitutes complex ecosystems that provide valuable services such as water, air purification, stabilization of climate, soil protection, and have spiritual meaning for individuals, communities, and society as a whole. These lessons seem to be absent in current international policy deliberations that affect forests, and we urge all responsible actors to include them in the future. From our participation in this process we have learned an important lesson: that a participatory process such as this carried forward by collaboration between governments, international
organizations, NGOs, Indigenous Peoples and local communities can significantly advance the international agenda.