The challenge for other ECE countries is to support them in this effort. A necessary first step is to ensure that national development plans recognise the importance of forest sector issues. Governments and society as a whole should recognise both the dangers from unsustainable forest management and the potential contribution of a sustainably managed forest sector to social and economic development. Sustainable forest management should be addressed at the highest policy level, because of, not despite, the low forest cover in many of these countries.