As written for the Kathmandu Post on 6 July 2011.

Nepal’s community forestry programme has been shortlisted for Future Policy Award 2011″ a renowned international prize that recognises inspiring” innovative and influential policies worldwide.

The World Future Council (WFC)” an international policy research organisation providing effective policy solutions to decision makers” will hand over the award to the top three winning forest policies on Sept 21 at the United Nation’s Headquarters in New York to mark the UN’s International Year of Forests 2011.

Alongside Nepal” policies from Bhutan” Gambia” Rwanda” Switzerland and the US are shortlisted for the award that recognises policies that have most effectively contributed to conservation and sustainable development of forests for the benefit of current and future generations. Altogether 20 forest policies from 16 countries have been nominated for the award.

Hailing the shortlisting” Ghanashyam Pandey” coordinator of Global Alliance of Community Forestry and former president of Federation of Community Forestry Users’ Nepal” said that with the international recognition” Nepal’s community forestry has taken a new leap in the world history of forest conservation by the communities. “I am confident that Nepal will bag the award later this year. If that happens” it will be a great achievement for the country and people into forest conservation”” he added.    

A press statement issued by WFC on Tuesday said the announcement will be followed by an award ceremony hosted by WFC” Secretariat of the United Nations Forum on Forests” Secretariat of the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity” Food and Agriculture Organisation and Wildlife Conservation Society.

“The Future Policy Award celebrates the world’s most exemplary national policies that create better living conditions for current and future generations and which produce practical and tangible results”” the statement said. The award’s theme” in which policy progress is particularly urgent” is chosen on an annual basis.

Ahmed Djoghlaf” executive secretary of Convention on Biological Diversity and Honorary Councillor of WFC” said” “These six short-listed candidates all demonstrate leadership towards the achievement of the 2020 Biodiversity targets: Halving deforestation” restoring forests worldwide and ensuring that all forests are managed sustainably.”