USG Liu: International Day of Forests 2019

The International Day of Forests provides us with an opportunity to reflect on the many values of forests, and to share our experiences on how forests and trees enrich our daily lives and communities around the world.

The theme of this year’s International Day is Forests and Education. As we all know, education is a key enabler for any positive change, and this is particularly true when the change we seek to create is sustainable development, and sustainable management of the world’s forests.

Quality education and lifelong learning are key benchmarks of SDG 4, which will be reviewed in depth at the 2019 High Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development. The interconnection of forests and education will also be explored by the UN Forum on Forests at its 14th session in May this year.

There is an old proverb that says: “The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second-best time is now.” On this International Day of Forests, let us take that ancient wisdom to heart, by sharing our success stories and looking ahead to the future with optimism – hoping that the seeds of trees and knowledge that we plant today will grow and thrive to provide shelter and shade to future generations.

Happy International Day of Forests!

Source: DESA website