Your Excellency Ambassador Shahrul, Chairman of UNFF13,Your Excellency Ambassador Chatardová, President of the ECOSOC,Your honorable Ministers,Distinguished Delegates,Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is my distinct pleasure to address the thirteenth session of the United Nations Forum on Forests. Let me extend my warm congratulations to all members of the Bureau for your election.
Covering 30 per cent of all the land on our planet, forests are key in addressing some of the most pressing global challenges that our world faces today, including poverty, inequality and climate change.
Forests contribute to the livelihoods of over one fifth of the world’s population. They represent a safety net for both rural and urban poor in many developing countries by providing them with numerous goods and services free of charge – water, food and protein, medicine, construction materials, and millions of jobs. Those who benefit the most from forests are often those who are economically most vulnerable, especially women. In doing so, forests help reduce extreme inequalities at the poorest end of the spectrum.
Forests are central to mitigating and adapting to climate change. They have already removed nearly a third of human-produced carbon dioxide emissions from the atmosphere, and they could remove much more through sustainable forest management. Together, forests and agriculture could get us at least a quarter of the way to meeting the Paris Agreement’s goal of limiting the global increase in temperature to 1.5°C.
Forests are therefore vital in fulfilling the Sustainable Development Goals. As the 2018 High-Level Political Forum approaches, let us not forget that forests can help fulfil much more than just SDG15 – life on land. They can also contribute to achieving goals on eradicating poverty and hunger, promoting equality including gender equality, clean water and energy, decent work, sustainable cities and communities, sustainable production and consumption, climate change, and partnerships.
Distinguished Delegates,
I would like to take this opportunity to commend the Forum for its leadership and vision in adopting the first ever United Nations Strategic Plan on Forests (UNSPF) 2030. Through its 6 Global Forest Goals and 26 targets, the Strategic Plan serves as a global action framework for sustainable forest management across the United Nations System and beyond.
The Collaborative Partnership on Forests (CPF) has played an essential role in supporting the implementation of the United Nations Strategic Plan for Forests 2030. In this respect, I welcome the success of the recent International Conference on Working across Sectors to Halt Deforestation and Increase Forest Area, held in Rome in February. The Conference brought together around 300 participants to hold solutions-oriented and forward-looking discussions, and I look forward to the results being presented to the Forum during this session.
The achievements of the Global Forest Financing Facilitation Network is another excellent example of the leadership that the Forum has shown in supporting the means of implementation for sustainable forest management. In just 3 years, the Network has partnered with 19 countries and 6 other CPF member organisations, trained close to 500 representatives of government, civil society and the private sector in mobilizing forest finance, and supported the development of national forest financing strategies and project concepts on sustainable forest management worth over US$500 million.
I wish to congratulate the Forum on all these remarkable achievements and for providing a true global and participatory platform for promoting sustainable management of all types of forests.
Dear Colleagues,
In this room, we have all the necessary elements to implement the United Nations Strategic Plan for Forests and fulfil its goals and targets. The thirteenth session of the Forum will also provide crucial input into the 2018 High-Level Political Forum which will focus on the theme of “Transformation towards Sustainable and Resilient Societies” and will have in-depth review on SDG 6 – clean water and sanitation, SDG 7 – affordable and clean energy, SDG 11 – sustainable cities and communities, SDG 12 – responsible consumption and production, and SDG 15 – life on land.
This session of the Forum, therefore, constitutes an ideal opportunity to further enhance the coherence and essential contributions of the UNSPF to the Sustainable Development Goals, and to make sustainable forest management a crucial building block of sustainable development worldwide. Let us make history and help forests achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
DESA has been honored to host the UN Forum on Forest Secretariat.DESA remains your trusted partner to fully support you in this effort. On the agenda item proposed by the distinguished representative of Switzerland, as I highlighted a few minutes ago, I shall bring the matter to the attention of the Secretary-General and seek his guidance on the briefing of the information as requested. I will be honored and happy to engage with you on the matter.
Thank you.
It is my distinct pleasure to address the thirteenth session of the United Nations Forum on Forests. Let me extend my warm congratulations to all members of the Bureau for your election.
Covering 30 per cent of all the land on our planet, forests are key in addressing some of the most pressing global challenges that our world faces today, including poverty, inequality and climate change.
Forests contribute to the livelihoods of over one fifth of the world’s population. They represent a safety net for both rural and urban poor in many developing countries by providing them with numerous goods and services free of charge – water, food and protein, medicine, construction materials, and millions of jobs. Those who benefit the most from forests are often those who are economically most vulnerable, especially women. In doing so, forests help reduce extreme inequalities at the poorest end of the spectrum.
Forests are central to mitigating and adapting to climate change. They have already removed nearly a third of human-produced carbon dioxide emissions from the atmosphere, and they could remove much more through sustainable forest management. Together, forests and agriculture could get us at least a quarter of the way to meeting the Paris Agreement’s goal of limiting the global increase in temperature to 1.5°C.
Forests are therefore vital in fulfilling the Sustainable Development Goals. As the 2018 High-Level Political Forum approaches, let us not forget that forests can help fulfil much more than just SDG15 – life on land. They can also contribute to achieving goals on eradicating poverty and hunger, promoting equality including gender equality, clean water and energy, decent work, sustainable cities and communities, sustainable production and consumption, climate change, and partnerships.
Distinguished Delegates,
I would like to take this opportunity to commend the Forum for its leadership and vision in adopting the first ever United Nations Strategic Plan on Forests (UNSPF) 2030. Through its 6 Global Forest Goals and 26 targets, the Strategic Plan serves as a global action framework for sustainable forest management across the United Nations System and beyond.
The Collaborative Partnership on Forests (CPF) has played an essential role in supporting the implementation of the United Nations Strategic Plan for Forests 2030. In this respect, I welcome the success of the recent International Conference on Working across Sectors to Halt Deforestation and Increase Forest Area, held in Rome in February. The Conference brought together around 300 participants to hold solutions-oriented and forward-looking discussions, and I look forward to the results being presented to the Forum during this session.
The achievements of the Global Forest Financing Facilitation Network is another excellent example of the leadership that the Forum has shown in supporting the means of implementation for sustainable forest management. In just 3 years, the Network has partnered with 19 countries and 6 other CPF member organisations, trained close to 500 representatives of government, civil society and the private sector in mobilizing forest finance, and supported the development of national forest financing strategies and project concepts on sustainable forest management worth over US$500 million.
I wish to congratulate the Forum on all these remarkable achievements and for providing a true global and participatory platform for promoting sustainable management of all types of forests.
Dear Colleagues,
In this room, we have all the necessary elements to implement the United Nations Strategic Plan for Forests and fulfil its goals and targets. The thirteenth session of the Forum will also provide crucial input into the 2018 High-Level Political Forum which will focus on the theme of “Transformation towards Sustainable and Resilient Societies” and will have in-depth review on SDG 6 – clean water and sanitation, SDG 7 – affordable and clean energy, SDG 11 – sustainable cities and communities, SDG 12 – responsible consumption and production, and SDG 15 – life on land.
This session of the Forum, therefore, constitutes an ideal opportunity to further enhance the coherence and essential contributions of the UNSPF to the Sustainable Development Goals, and to make sustainable forest management a crucial building block of sustainable development worldwide. Let us make history and help forests achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
DESA has been honored to host the UN Forum on Forest Secretariat.DESA remains your trusted partner to fully support you in this effort. On the agenda item proposed by the distinguished representative of Switzerland, as I highlighted a few minutes ago, I shall bring the matter to the attention of the Secretary-General and seek his guidance on the briefing of the information as requested. I will be honored and happy to engage with you on the matter.
Thank you.
File date:
Monday, May 7, 2018