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05/05/2025 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 05/05/2025 14:13

United Nations Forum on Forests 20th session, Side Event “Achieving Global Forest Goals in the context of the UN Decade for Afforestation and Reforestation in line with[...]

United Nations Forum on Forests 20th session, Side Event "Achieving Global Forest Goals in the context of the UN Decade for Afforestation and Reforestation in line with Sustainable Forest Management (2027-2036)"

Zhimin Wu, Director of Forestry Division, FAO

05/05/2025

Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, distinguished guests,

  1. I would like to start by congratulating H.E. Mr. Aziz Abdukhakimov, Minister of Ecology, Environmental Protection and Climate Change of the Republic of Uzbekistan, and H.E. Ms. Rosalie Matondo, Minister of Forest Economy of the Republic of Congo, for their outstanding leadership in the declaration process of the United Nations Decade for Afforestation and Reforestation 2027-2036.
  2. This Decade will be an important global movement to mobilize the action needed to achieve the United Nations Strategic Plan for Forests 2017-2030 and its Global Forest Goals, in particular target 1.1 which aims to increase forest area globally by 3 percent.
  3. Last year, I had the opportunity to participate in the discussions at the International Conference on Afforestation and Reforestation held in Brazzaville, that laid the foundations for the declaration of this Decade.
  4. During the conference, FAO highlighted that forest restoration, and especially afforestation, reforestation, and tree planting outside of forests, can be a winning strategy to meet the increasing demand of wood and non-wood forests products while addressing environmental concerns - especially climate change and loss of biodiversity.
  5. Forest restoration is a cost-effective option to improve the provision of multiple benefits for both people and the planet.
  6. However, forest restoration needs to go together with continued efforts to halt deforestation and forest degradation and to sustainably manage forests.
  7. Forest and landscape restoration, including reforestation and afforestation can be successfully linked to the increased and sustainable production of wood and non-wood forest products. They can help enhance the productive capacity of existing production forests; expand planted forests and enhance agroforestry.
  8. It is critical to ensure that afforestation and reforestation activities are carried out in line with sustainable forest management, informed by the best available science, and that they do not lead to the degradation of non-forested natural ecosystems.
  9. Moving forward, three lines of action could be pursued to enable a sound upscaling of afforestation, reforestation, and tree planting initiatives:
    • Strengthen the knowledge-base and build tools and approaches;
    • Facilitate knowledge-exchange and capacity development; and
    • Test a balanced mix of approaches at landscape-level.
  10. At FAO, we are committed to supporting the implementation of these lines of action, and to continue fostering efforts at all levels to halt deforestation and forest degradation and to sustainably manage forests.
  11. We acknowledge the invitation to FAO, the United Nations Environment Programme, and the secretariat of the United Nations Forum on Forests to facilitate the observance of the Decade, and the need for full consistency and coordination with the ongoing UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration - which FAO co-leads with UNEP, the United Nations Strategic Plan for Forests, as well as relevant United Nations major outcome documents and multilateral environmental agreements.
  12. Thank you.
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