The workshop is being organized in response to a request made by the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA).  The SBSTA, at its sixteenth session, agreed on the terms of reference and an agenda for the work to develop definitions and modalities for including afforestation and reforestation project activities under the clean development mechanism (CDM) in the first commitment period.  The SBSTA requested the secretariat to organize a workshop, on February 2003, to facilitate an exchange of views on issues related to modalities.