Distinguished Delegates,Ladies and Gentlemen,
I wish to thank the organizers for convening this important event. The topic of this dialogue is both timely and critical. We are accelerating our efforts across the UN system to combat climate change through forest-based actions and initiatives.
The significance of forests and their role in addressing major global challenges is now well recognized. At the September 2019 Climate Action Summit in New York, more than 150 Nature-Based Solutions to cut carbon emissions were announced, many of them involving forests. Many countries around the world made major commitments to plant more than 11 billion trees.
And at the SDG Summit, there was growing recognition of the importance of forests and other nature-based solutions in accelerating progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals. A Decade of Action to deliver the SDGs by 2030 was launched. And more than 100 acceleration actions have commenced, including 26 that are directly related to SDG15 on life on land.
Dear Colleagues,
Over the years, we continue to lose and degrade vast areas of natural forests in many parts of the world, particularly in the tropical domain, where seven million hectares of forests continue to be lost every year.
Zero net deforestation can only be achieved through concerted efforts of UN Member States, the UN system and other stakeholders. To be successful, all stakeholders should act as one. We should move forward on the basis of a common framework of action to achieve zero net deforestation.
In the UN system, there are a number of intergovernmental processes, including the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development and the United Nations Forum on Forests, which have taken action to tackle this issue of deforestation. The UN system continues to support Member States to accelerate global efforts to halt deforestation and promote sustainable management of all types of forests.
As you are aware, the UN Forum on Forests, UNFF, is the only global intergovernmental policy body with universal membership, that deals with all socio-economic and environmental issues related to all types of forests. The UNFF bears responsibility to enhance cooperation, coordination, coherence and synergies across sectors and stakeholders.
In 2015, the Forum strengthened and extended the International Arrangement on Forests until 2030, in line with the 2030 Agenda, and embarked on the development of a Strategic Plan for Forests. As a result, the first ever United Nations Strategic Plan for Forests 2030 was adopted by the UN General Assembly, in April 2017.
The Strategic Plan requires all countries and stakeholders to:
Serving as the secretariat of the UN Forum on Forests, my department, UNDESA, will continue to support Member States in their implementation of the Strategic Plan.
The UN system organizations can also collaborate and strengthen the capacity of countries concerned in areas of data and knowledge sharing, mobilization of funding for forest management, and deployment of technologies.
In this regard, I am pleased to report that UNDESA organized an event on forest-based climate actions, yesterday, on 11 December at the SDG Pavilion. At this event, the Collaborative Partnership on Forests (CPF) and member organizations, showcased their contributions to protect and restore forests in implementing the 2030 Agenda and the Paris Agreement.
UNDESA and other members of the CPF are now working to devise a strategic vision towards 2030 – to advance achievement of the Global Forest Goals, the SDGs and other forest-related global goals.
UNDESA is strongly committed to work with all UN system organizations to support the UN Strategic Plan for Forests 2030, the Paris Agreement and the 2030 Agenda, in partnership with Member States and other stakeholders.
Thank you.
I wish to thank the organizers for convening this important event. The topic of this dialogue is both timely and critical. We are accelerating our efforts across the UN system to combat climate change through forest-based actions and initiatives.
The significance of forests and their role in addressing major global challenges is now well recognized. At the September 2019 Climate Action Summit in New York, more than 150 Nature-Based Solutions to cut carbon emissions were announced, many of them involving forests. Many countries around the world made major commitments to plant more than 11 billion trees.
And at the SDG Summit, there was growing recognition of the importance of forests and other nature-based solutions in accelerating progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals. A Decade of Action to deliver the SDGs by 2030 was launched. And more than 100 acceleration actions have commenced, including 26 that are directly related to SDG15 on life on land.
Dear Colleagues,
Over the years, we continue to lose and degrade vast areas of natural forests in many parts of the world, particularly in the tropical domain, where seven million hectares of forests continue to be lost every year.
Zero net deforestation can only be achieved through concerted efforts of UN Member States, the UN system and other stakeholders. To be successful, all stakeholders should act as one. We should move forward on the basis of a common framework of action to achieve zero net deforestation.
In the UN system, there are a number of intergovernmental processes, including the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development and the United Nations Forum on Forests, which have taken action to tackle this issue of deforestation. The UN system continues to support Member States to accelerate global efforts to halt deforestation and promote sustainable management of all types of forests.
As you are aware, the UN Forum on Forests, UNFF, is the only global intergovernmental policy body with universal membership, that deals with all socio-economic and environmental issues related to all types of forests. The UNFF bears responsibility to enhance cooperation, coordination, coherence and synergies across sectors and stakeholders.
In 2015, the Forum strengthened and extended the International Arrangement on Forests until 2030, in line with the 2030 Agenda, and embarked on the development of a Strategic Plan for Forests. As a result, the first ever United Nations Strategic Plan for Forests 2030 was adopted by the UN General Assembly, in April 2017.
The Strategic Plan requires all countries and stakeholders to:
- tackle the drivers of deforestation and forest degradation;
- find a balance between economic growth, social progress and environmental sustainability; and
- improve governance so as to integrate forest issues across sectors and implement coherent policies and programmes.
- move us towards zero-net deforestation, and
- unlock the potential of forests to accelerate achievement of the SDGs and other forest-related international goals and targets, particularly the Aichi Biodiversity Targets and the Paris Agreement.
Serving as the secretariat of the UN Forum on Forests, my department, UNDESA, will continue to support Member States in their implementation of the Strategic Plan.
The UN system organizations can also collaborate and strengthen the capacity of countries concerned in areas of data and knowledge sharing, mobilization of funding for forest management, and deployment of technologies.
In this regard, I am pleased to report that UNDESA organized an event on forest-based climate actions, yesterday, on 11 December at the SDG Pavilion. At this event, the Collaborative Partnership on Forests (CPF) and member organizations, showcased their contributions to protect and restore forests in implementing the 2030 Agenda and the Paris Agreement.
UNDESA and other members of the CPF are now working to devise a strategic vision towards 2030 – to advance achievement of the Global Forest Goals, the SDGs and other forest-related global goals.
UNDESA is strongly committed to work with all UN system organizations to support the UN Strategic Plan for Forests 2030, the Paris Agreement and the 2030 Agenda, in partnership with Member States and other stakeholders.
Thank you.
File date:
Thursday, December 12, 2019