Source: 20th Session of the UNFF | IISD Earth Negotiations Bulletin
Forests cover 31% of the world’s land surface, and are crucial for planetary well-being. They help mitigate climate change by storing carbon, and are home to most of the world’s terrestrial biodiversity. They improve soil, air, and water quality; services we are at risk of losing due to deforestation, forest degradation and other threats. Around 1.6 billion people worldwide depend directly on forests for food, shelter, energy, medicines and income.
The United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF) was established in 2000 by the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) with the main objective to promote the management, conservation and sustainable development of all types of forests and to strengthen long-term political commitment to this end. Its principal functions include facilitating the implementation of forest-related agreements, providing continued policy development and dialogue among governments and other actors, enhancing policy and programme coordination on forest-related issues, and foster international cooperation to monitor, assess and report on progress to these ends.
At its twentieth meeting, UNFF will discuss the implementation of the UN Strategic Plan for Forests 2017–2030 (UNSPF), with topics including enhanced cooperation with partners, interlinkages with other international agreements, communication and outreach strategies, means of implementation, and monitoring, assessment and reporting.
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