Forest Action Day

Hosted by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and UN Development Programme (UNDP), Forest Action Day took place on 8 November 2016 during UNFCCC COP 22 in Marrkech, Morocco. Forest Action Day included a keynote speech from FAO Director-General José Graziano Da Silva, followed by three sessions on: forests in the implementation of the Paris Agreement; South-South cooperation, success stories and experience exchange; and Major initiatives by stakeholders. This event builds on Forest Action Day that took place during COP21 in Paris, France.

With COP 22 positioned as the COP of “action and solutions,” the Forest Action Day showcase segment presented initiatives that demonstrate real momentum and progress towards achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement. The presentations included progress made on previous commitments as well as new and innovative actions involving state and non-state stakeholders. Given the focus and location of COP 22, special attention was given to highlighting advances in Africa, including on climate change adaptation, although broader global stories were also represented.

Building on the earlier showcase Forest Action Day segment, there was a dialogue on forest that addressed key questions drafted by organizers, with the participation of a multi-stakeholder discussion among invited state and non-state actors on the path forward. The dialogue focused on identifying solutions and new approaches and policy options that could help overcome challenges and advance further, based, among others, on lessons learned from initiatives generated through the climate action agenda.