United Nations Forum on Forests

Infobox UN
name = United Nations Forum on Forests
type = Functional Commission
acronyms = UNFF
established = 2000
status = Active
website = [http://www.un.org/esa/forests/ www.un.org/esa/forests/]

The United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF) is a high-level intergovernmental policy forum, composed of all United Nations Member States.

History

In 1992, the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, (“Earth Summit”) held in Rio de Janeiro, adopted the Non-legally Binding Authoritative Statement of Principles for a Global Consensus on the Management, Conservation and Sustainable Development of All Types of Forests (Forest Principles) together with Agenda 21, which included a chapter (Chapter 11) on “Combating Deforestation”.

Following the Earth Summit, the UN established the Intergovernmental Panel on Forests (IPF) and its successor, the Intergovernmental Forum on Forests (IFF), to implement the Forest Principles and Chapter 11 of Agenda 21. From 1995 to 2000, the IPF/IFF processes dealt with such issues as underlying causes of deforestation; traditional forest-related knowledge; international cooperation in financial assistance and technology transfer; development of criteria and indicators for sustainable forest management; and trade and environment. The IPF/IFF processes resulted in a set of 270 proposals for action for the promotion of the management, conservation and sustainable development of all types of forests.

In 2000, the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) established the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF) 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…” based on the Rio Declaration, the Forest Principles, Chapter 11 of Agenda 21 and the outcome of the IPF/IFF Processes and other key milestones of international forest policy..

Principal Functions

* To facilitate implementation of forest-related agreements and foster a common understanding on sustainable forest management;
* To provide for continued policy development and dialogue among Governments, international organizations, including major groups, as identified in Agenda 21 as well as to address forest issues and emerging areas of concern in a holistic, comprehensive and integrated manner,
* To enhance cooperation as well as policy and programme coordination on forest-related issues
* To foster international cooperation and
* To monitor, assess and report on progress of the above functions and objectives
* To strengthen political commitment to the management, conservation and sustainable development of all types of forests.

Global Objectives on Forests

In 2006, at its sixth session, UNFF agreed on four shared Global Objectives on Forests which seek to:

* Reverse the loss of forest cover worldwide through sustainable forest management (SFM), including protection, restoration, afforestation and reforestation, and increase efforts to prevent forest degradation;
* Enhance forest-based economic, social and environmental benefits, including by improving the livelihoods of forest-dependent people;
* Increase significantly the area of sustainably managed forests, including protected forests, and increase the proportion of forest products derived from sustainably managed forests; and
* Reverse the decline in official development assistance for sustainable forest management and mobilize significantly-increased new and additional financial resources from all sources for the implementation of sustainable forest management.

Non-legally binding instrument on all types of forests

On December 17, 2007, the UN General Assembly adopted the [http://www.fordaq.com/www/news/2007/UN_Instrument%20on%20all%20types%20of%20forests.pdf Non-Legally Binding Instrument on All Types of Forests] negotiated by the UNFF earlier that year. The purpose of this instrument is:
* To strengthen political commitment and action at all levels to implement effectively sustainable management of all types of forests and to achieve the shared global objectives on forests;
* To enhance the contribution of forests to the achievement of the internationally agreed development goals, including the Millennium Development Goals, in particular with respect to poverty eradication and environmental sustainability;
* To provide a framework for national action and international cooperation;

Collaborative Partnership on Forests (CPF)

This partnership of 14 forest-related international organizations, institutions and convention secretariats was established in April 2001, following the recommendation of the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations. The CPF works to support the work of the UNFF and its member countries and to foster increased cooperation and coordination on forests. Member organizations of the Collaborative Partnership on Forests:
* Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR)
* Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
* International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO)
* International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO)
* Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)
* Secretariat of the Global Environmental Facility (GEF)
* Secretariat of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD)
* Secretariat of the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFFS)
* Secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)
* United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
* United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
* World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF)
* World Bank
* World Conservation Union (IUCN)

ee also

* International Year of Forests
* United Nations System
* UN General Assembly
* Economic and Social Council

External links

* [http://www.un.org/esa/forests/index.html United Nations Forum on Forests] - Official site
* [http://www.un.org/ United Nations] - Official site
* [http://www.un.org/ecosoc/ United Nations Economic and Social Council] - Official site