ENB @ UNFF8, New York: Highlights for 21 April 2009

Linkages: a multimedia resource for environment and
development policy makers

	Eighth Session of the United Nations Forum on Forests United Nations Headquarters, New York \| 20 April - 1 May 2009


Daily Web Coverage	English		Español
Daily Web Coverage	HTM	PDF	HTM	PDF
Curtain Raiser
Mon 20 Apr
Tue 21 Apr
Wed 22 Apr

Fri 01 May &
Summary

Click for additional translations...

Panels and Working Groups at UNFF8

On Tuesday, 21 April, the eighth session of the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF8) convened at UN headquarters in New York. In the morning, delegates discussed forests in a changing environment, including a panel discussion on forests and biodiversity, climate change and desertification. In the afternoon, plenary addressed regional inputs to the UNFF, and heard a panel of invited speakers discuss the topic. Delegates then convened in two working groups (WG): WGI focused on forests in a changing environment; and WGII discussed means of implementation.

Above: Jan McAlpine, UNFF Director, Thomas Stelzer, Assistant Secretary-General, UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, and Boen M. Purnama, UNFF8 Chair.

Tuesday, 21 April
Plenary
On forests in a changing environment, delegates discussed reports on: forests and climate change; reversing the loss of forest cover, preventing forest degradation in all types of forests and combating desertification; forests and biodiversity conservation; low forest cover countries, small island developing states and high and medium forest cover countries; and recommendations for addressing key challenges of forests in a changing environment. Jan McAlpine, UNFF Director, also presented on the Secretary-General's report on regional and subregional inputs.
Risto Seppälä, Chair, Global Forest Expert Panel on Adaptation of Forests to Climate Change.	Ecuador.	Ranjana Gupta, India.
Panel: Forests and Biodiversity, Climate Change and Desertification
The Executive Secretaries of the three Rio Conventions were invited to present on forests and biodiversity conservation, climate change, and land management and desertification.
Ahmed Djoghlaf, Executive Secretary, CBD.	Luc Gnacadja, Executive Secretary, UNCCD.	Jan Heino, CPF Chair.
Gustavo Fonseca, GEF.		Maria Sanz-Sanchez, UNFCCC.
Israel.	Mame Baba Cisse, Senegal.	Azizou El-Hadj Issa, Benin.
Sibylle Vermont, Switzerland.	DongKyun Park, Republic of Korea.
Panel: Regional and Subregional Inputs
Delegates heard from presenters on regional and subregional perspectives on forests in a changing environment.
Christian Küchli, Switzerland.	Abdul Wahid Abu Salim, Chair of the ASEAN Senior Officials on Forestry.	Richard Huber, Organization of American States.
Martin Tadoum, Central African Forestry Commission.	Arne Ivar Sletnes, Ministerial Conference on the Protection of Forests in Europe.	Marilyn Headley, Jamaica.
Maria Palenova, Montreal Process.		Wang Xue Hong, China.
Working Group I: Forests in a Changing Environment
Delegates heard a presentation on the publication "Adaptation of Forests and People to Climate Change," and made general statements on SFM and climate change, and the role of UNFF in climate discussions.

Working Group II: Means of Implementation
Working Group II discussed the outcomes of the meeting of the Ad Hoc Expert Group on Financing, the Country-Led Initiative on Financing for SFM, and other recent initiatives.

Side Events
The Mission of Japan and ITTO hosted a side event on addressing gaps for sustainable forest management.
The World Bank organized a side event on achieving global objectives on forests through innovative participatory approaches.
Around UNFF8
	L: Ambassador Claudia Blum, Colombia, signaled an intervention. R: Director McAlpine with a fan during lunch.