CHR News Desk | New Delhi
To confront escalating environmental and socio-economic challenges, the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF) has called for heightened political commitment and collaborative partnerships to advance the Global Forests Goals (GFG).
Addressing a gathering of global stakeholders, Juliette Biao, Director of the UNFF Secretariat, underscored the imperative of sustainable forest management as a potent tool in combatting worsening climate change, conflict, poverty, and unemployment.
Against the backdrop of mounting natural disasters and deepening socio-economic disparities, Biao stressed the urgent need to realign efforts towards achieving the GFG by the 2030 deadline.
Despite concerted international endeavours, Biao lamented the off-track trajectory of current progress, urging nations to bolster their political resolve and forge synergistic partnerships in support of sustainable forest management initiatives. “We want a world where all types of forests are sustainably managed,” she affirmed, advocating for the recognition of healthy forests as indispensable nature-based solutions to contemporary sustainable development challenges.
The UNFF, operating as a subsidiary body under the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), is committed to advancing the objectives of the International Arrangement on Forests (IAF) while championing diverse international forest-related instruments and commitments.
Assessing Progress and Identifying Gaps
Peter Gondo, Inter-Regional Adviser of the UN’s Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA), outlined the agenda for this year’s UNFF session, spanning until May 10th. The session will feature a High-Level Segment and a comprehensive review of the IAF, aimed at assessing progress and identifying gaps in the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030. Gondo highlighted the anticipated outcomes, including a High-Level Segment declaration and an omnibus resolution encapsulating the midterm review and the Quadrennial Programme of Work of the Forum for 2025-2028.
Paving the Way for Small Island Developing States (SIDS)
Preceding the fourth session of the Small Island Developing States Conference (SIDS4) scheduled from May 27th to 30th in Antigua and Barbuda, UNFF19 underscores its unwavering support for the sustainable development aspirations of small island nations. Recognizing the pivotal role of forests and trees in enhancing the well-being of SIDS, Gondo underscored their critical contribution to freshwater availability, coastal protection, biodiversity conservation, and economic development.
In the fight against the triple planetary crisis encompassing climate change, pollution, and biodiversity loss, forests emerge as indispensable allies. Gondo emphasized their pivotal role in climate regulation, air purification, and the provision of livelihoods and food security, advocating for strategic investments in forest-based solutions to generate multiple biodiversity and social benefits.
As the UNFF19 session unfolds, global stakeholders converge with a shared commitment to fortifying sustainable forest management initiatives, underscoring the imperative of collective action in confronting the multifaceted challenges confronting our planet.
