It is with great pleasure that I welcome the XXII International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO) World Congress to Australia. It is the first time the World Congress will be held in the Southern Hemisphere and Australia is proud to have been chosen to host this important event.
IUFRO is one of the world’s oldest and largest international voluntary institutions committed to promoting international dialogue and collaborative research on forest science and the sustainable management of world forest resources. The Congress will bring together stakeholders from all parts of the globe, ensuring that countries have the opportunity to participate in the future direction of the forest industry.
Forestry plays an important role in the local and regional development of many parts of the world, including Australia. The theme for the 2005 Congress — Forests in the Balance: Linking Tradition and Technology — is particularly relevant to the Australian Government, which supports collaboration between science, governments and industry. In the Asia-Pacific region, Australia supports a wide range of forest sector activities ranging from large institutional capacity building activities to small community forestry projects aimed at strengthening sustainable forest management.
Globally, the forest sector faces many challenges and opportunities. As a key forum for international forest science cooperation, the IUFRO Congress presents an important opportunity to promote greater understanding of the benefits of sustainable management of the world’s forest resources.
I wish you well for a productive and successful conference.
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