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Calls for ‘breakthrough’ at UN Forum on Forests

Apr 25, 2009 News

“We must achieve a breakthrough in this Forum,” Boen M. Purnama (Indonesia), new Chairman of the United Nations Forum on Forests, has emphasized in reference to its task of moving the landmark 2007 non-legally binding instrument on all types of forests from the realm of concept to that of practical reality.
Speaking after his election at the two-week-long eighth session, he said that the political commitment shared by all members called for concrete actions, resources and timelines.
Mandated to forge agreement on an appropriate and effective financial mechanism to ensure full implementation of adopted instruments, the Forum meets biennially in New York, with each session focusing on clusters of specific thematic and cross-sectoral issues, as set forth in its multi-year programme of work.
The thematic focus of the current session is on “Forests in a changing environment” and “Means of implementation for sustainable forest management”.
Echoing the first theme, Sha Zukang, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, emphasized the need to recognize the change in the environment, noting that the management of the world’s forests was a critical factor in developing integrated solutions to today’s unprecedented “cascade of crises”.
Forests were the lungs of the planet and billions of people relied on them for income, food, medicine and shelter.
Reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation, with financial and technical support from development partners, would contribute both to fighting climate change and promoting sustainable livelihoods, he continued.
That had been recognized in the Bali Action Plan and, as preparations continued for the Copenhagen Conference later this year, the Forum could send the message that the full scope of forests must be considered in addressing the issue of forests and climate change. Forests provided much more than the carbon sequestration services valued in the context of climate change.
Taking up the second theme, “Means of implementation for sustainable forest management”, he said the decisions that the Forum faced this year would challenge the ability of participants to be creative, to persuade those concerned with other crises that forests needed resources now, and that investing in forests would generate dividends for sustainable, inclusive and green growth for decades to come.
“We now have a chance to do things differently,” he continued, referring to the experience of the 1997 Asian financial crisis, when large areas of forest had been converted to other uses. The current global financial and economic crisis provided an opportunity to develop innovative solutions and strategies for investment in green technology approaches, and to build towards an economic recovery that would include long-term sustainable development gains.
Also addressing the Forum was Jan Heino, Assistant Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and Chair of the Collaborative Partnership on Forests, which was formed in 2001 to support the Forum’s work and enhance cooperation and coordination on its issues.
The Partnership had been established with the secretariats of 14 forest-related organizations, institutions and instruments.
He stressed the need to send clear messages to decision makers and stakeholders both within and outside the sector about key issues before the Forum.
No longer could anyone deny the importance of forests and trees in mitigating and adapting to climate change, combating desertification, reversing land degradation and increasing agricultural productivity or conserving biodiversity. Similarly, no one could disagree with the need for significant new and additional financial resources to help countries implement forest and other related commitments.
Moving from words to action had been “far too slow”, he said. What was needed was an arrangement that had all mechanisms and funds related to forests working together to implement sustainable forest management worldwide.
“We must also address the serious gap in forest financing to combat land degradation and desertification, as evidence has shown.” Another priority was implementing the Collaborative Partnership’s Strategic Framework on Forests and Climate Change, in addition to work already started.

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