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Highlights and images for 6 May 2019
14th Session of the UN Forum on Forests (UNFF14)
Highlights for Monday, 6 May 2019
UNFF14 participants observing a moment of silence in honor of the victims of the plane crash in Ethiopia
The fourteenth session of the UN Forum on Forests (UNFF14) opened on Monday, 6 May 2019, at UN Headquarters in New York. In the morning, delegates approved the agenda, but requested discussions on the impacts of UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA) reforms on the UNFF Secretariat be brought forward from Thursday to Wednesday. The Bureau agreed to consider the change.The Forum then heard opening statements. Inga Rhonda King President, UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), urged the Forum to present a strong message to the 2019 High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) on the importance of forests for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Maria-Francesca Spatolisano, Assistant-Secretary-General for Policy Coordination and Inter-Agency Affairs, noted the crucial role forests play in climate mitigation and thanked countries for their contribution to the UNFF Trust Fund.This was followed by general discussions on the implementation of the UN Strategic Plan for Forests 2017-2030, with several countries announcing voluntary national contributions. In the afternoon, delegates participated in two thematic technical panel discussions on forests and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) under review by the HLPF 2019:
Forests and Climate Change, which focused on forests in the context of SDG 13 (climate action) and 17 (partnerships); and the objectives of the Paris Agreement on climate change, and
Forests, Inclusive and Sustainable Economic Growth and Employment, which focused on links between forests and SDG 8 (decent work and economic growth) and 17 (partnerships).
For the second year running, the Forum proceedings are haunted by the question of whether all the recent progress UNFF has made on raising the profile of forests in sustainable development and the momentum created in collaborative global cooperation to achieve the full benefits of sustainable forest management might be impeded, lost or submerged as a result of UN DESA reform.
IISD Reporting Services, through its Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) meeting coverage, has provided daily web coverage and a summary and analysis report from UNFF14, which is available in HTML and PDF.
Photos by IISD/ENB | Franz Dejon
For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page
Boris Greguška, Slovakia, UNFF14 Chair
Inga Rhonda King, President of ECOSOC
Hossein Moeini Meybodi, UNFF Secretariat
Maria-Francesca Spatolisano, Assistant Secretary-General for Policy Coordination and Inter-Agency Affairs, UN DESA
L-R: Maria-Francesca Spatolisano, Assistant Secretary-General for Policy Coordination and Inter-Agency Affairs, UN DESA; Inga Rhonda King, President of ECOSOC; Boris Greguška, Slovakia, UNFF14 Chair; Lesley Brough, UNFF Secretariat; and Juwang Zhu, Officer-in-Charge, UNFF Secretariat
Cheikh Niang, Senegal, on behalf of the African Group
Sahar Abu Shawesh, Palestine, on behalf of G-77/China
Silvio Gonzato, EU
Tegan Brink, Australia
Boris Greguška, Slovakia, UNFF14 Chair, consulting with Lesley Brough, UNFF Secretariat
Asaf Karavani, Israel
Zhang Hong Won, China
Kutaiba Al-Saadon, Saudi Arabia
Benito Owusu-Bio, Ghana
Tomasz Grysa, Holy See
Matthias Schwoerer, Germany
L-R: Fazliyev Farrukh Fakhriddinovich and Novitskiy Zinoviy Bogdanovich, Uzbekistan
UNFF14 plenary session
Thematic Panel on Forests and Climate Change
Igor Viszlai, Forest Europe
Duncan Brack, Royal Institute of International Affairs, UK
Elena Paoletti, Italian Society of Silviculture and Forest Ecology
Khalid Chekri, Morocco, UNFF14 Rapporteur
Forest Europe video presentation
Luciana Melchert, Brazil
Catherine Karr-Colque, US
Ghanshyam Pandey, Federation of Community Forestry Users, Nepal
Siddhanta Das, India
Thematic Panel on Forests, Inclusive and Sustainable Economic Growth and Employment
Pia Katila, International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO)
Jose Joaquin Campos Arce, Co-Chair, Board of Trustees of the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) and World Agroforestry (ICRAF)
Gill Shepherd, London School of Economics and Political Science, UK
Jessica Coronel, Ecuador
Delegates from Canada, New Zealand and Australia consulting
UNFF14 side event on "Scaling Up Sustainable Wood Value Chains" presented by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO) and Collaborative Partnership on Forests (CPF)
Highlights and images for 7 May 2019
14th Session of the UN Forum on Forests (UNFF14)
Highlights for Tuesday, 7 May 2019
L-R: Ibro Adamou, Niger, consulting with Abraham Keita, Guinea
On Tuesday, delegates at UNFF14 resumed discussions on the Implementation of the UN Strategic Plan for Forests 2017-2030 (UNSPF). Throughout the day, delegates made general statements on progress made nationally, with some announcing voluntary national contributions. Governments participated in a panel discussion on the Contributions of the Collaborative Partnership on Forests (CPF) Members to Implementation of the UNSPF 2030. This panel allowed CPF members to report on their activities supporting UNSPF implementation.The Forum thereafter engaged in interactive discussions within the framework provided by three thematic technical panel discussions on links between the Global Forest Goals (GFGs), and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) under review by the 2019 High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF):
Forests, Peaceful and Inclusive Societies, Reduced Inequality, Education and Inclusive Institutions at all Levels, which discussed links between forests with with SDGs 4 (quality education), 10 (reduced inequalities), 16 (peace, justice, and strong institutions) and 17 (partnerships).
Mobilizing Private Sector Action in Support of Implementation of the UNSPF and the Agenda 2030, in which private sector initiatives in support of SFM were presented. Delegates provided suggestions on ways to change negative perceptions of the private sector and recognize their contributions to sustainable forest management (SFM).
Communication, Outreach and International Day on Forests 2019, where participants shared best practices and success stories related to communication and outreach, including activities carried out in the context of the International Day on Forests, under the theme ‘Forests and Education.’
The technical thematic sessions drew diverse levels of attention from delegates with the panel on private sector actions attracting the largest number of participants. Some delegates noted that public-private partnerships (PPP) provide innovative solutions for forest financing, and thus the implementation of the GFG 4 (mobilize financial resources), which has been and may well continue to be for many years to come, the key to implementation of all goals.
IISD Reporting Services, through its Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) meeting coverage, has provided daily web coverage and a summary and analysis report from UNFF14, which is available in HTML and PDF.
Photos by IISD/ENB | Franz Dejon
For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page
Thematic Panel on Forests, Peaceful and Inclusive Societies, Reduced Inequality, Education and Inclusive Institutions at all Levels
L-R: Mika Rekola, University of Helsinki, Finland; Mónica Gabay, National University of General San Martin, Argentina; Javad Momeni, Iran, Vice-Chair UNFF14; Lesley Brough, UNFF Secretariat; and Maureen Whelan, Canada
Javad Momeni, Iran, Vice-Chair UNFF14
Mónica Gabay, National University of General San Martin, Argentina
Maureen Whelan, Canada
Mika Rekola, University of Helsinki, Finland
Video message by Beth MacNeil, Assistant Deputy Minister, Canadian Forest Service
Catherine Karr-Colque, US
Wan Wazlan Wan Mahmood, Malaysia
Elias Sekaleli, Lesotho
Nita Kartika, Indonesia
Panel on Contribution of the CPF Members to Implementation of the UNSPF
L-R: Hiroto Mitsugi, CPF Chair and Assistant Director General, Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO); Kimberly Todd, UN Development Programme (UNDP); and Adriana Vidal, International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN)
Sheam Satkuru, International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO)
Adriana Vidal, IUCN
Kimberly Todd, UNDP
Hiroto Mitsugi, CPF Chair and Assistant Director General, FAO
L-R: Sheam Satkuru, ITTO; Garo Batmanian, World Bank; and Chair, and Mher Margaryan, Chair, UN Commission on the Status on Women
Aysha Ghadiali, US
Faryde Carlier, Colombia
Lisa Janishevski, Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)
Myungkil Kim, Republic of Korea
John Parrotta, International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO)
Jorge Mario Rodriguez Zuñiga, Costa Rica
Presentation by Sheam Satkuru, ITTO
Thematic Panel on Mobilizing Private Sector Action in Support of Implementation of the UNSPF and the Agenda 2030
View of the room during the panel
Ana Belen Noriega, Programme for Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC)
Rob Busink, the Netherlands, Vice-Chair UNFF14
José Carlos da Fonseca Júnior, Indústria Brasileira de Árvores (IBÁ), Brazil
Kwameh Asamoah Adam, Ghana Timber Millers Organization
Keith Anderson, Switzerland
Cristina Goralewski, Paraguay
Christian Bushiri Ongala, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Jaakko Nippala, Finland
Thematic Panel on Communication, Outreach and International Day on Forests 2019
Mita Sen, UNFF Secretariat
Peter Csoka, FAO
Steffen Dehn, International Forestry Students' Association (IFSA)
Cécile Ndjebet, The African Women's Network for Community Management of Forests, on behalf of the Women Major Group
L-R: Peter Csoka, FAO; Mita Sen, UNFF Secretariat; Rob Busink, the Netherlands, Vice-Chair UNFF14; Lesley Brough, UNFF Secretariat; and Steffen Dehn, International Forestry Students' Association (IFSA)
UNSPF 2030 communication and outreach strategy
Highlights and images for 5 December 2019
Young and Future Generations Day took place at COP 25, showcasing and celebrating youth climate action around the globe.
As the Chile/Madrid Climate Change Conference continued, several of the key issues received increased attention. Discussions on loss and damage continued throughout much of the day, with progress emerging, but some deep divisions among parties, particularly on finance, remaining. Delegates addressing loss and damage, and those discussing Article 6 (market and non-market mechanisms) worked into the night.
Transparency issues were discussed in several contexts, all aimed at transitioning toward the Paris Agreement’s national reporting system. Countries discussed how to revise the terms of reference for the Consultative Group of Experts, a body that supports developing countries in their national reporting, in light of the Paris Agreement’s reporting obligations. Other negotiations focused on the tables and forms that countries will use to prepare their national reports in the future system.
While negotiations focused on transitioning toward the Paris Agreement’s institutional machinery, other events were highlighting a range of issues key to climate action. A special event on unpacking the new scientific knowledge and key findings in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate showcased findings related to, among others, hazards in high mountain regions that affect water availability and quality, recreational activities, and tourism. In the Arctic, the Special Report outlines the regions at risk from permafrost thaw by 2050, leading some communities to plan their relocation.
The COP Presidency held a ministerial event on forests with the aim of encouraging countries to leverage forests to reduce emissions and build resilience through their nationally determined contributions (NDCs). Ministers from a range of countries, many from Latin America, and other global organizations spoke to forests’ role in climate action, and to supporting local communities and forest owners. Chile announced it would double its reforestation target in its forthcoming NDC and Pakistan and Armenia pledged to plant 10 billion and 10 million trees, respectively.
The Marrakech Partnership for Global Climate Action discussed agri-food chains in a roundtable with businesses, farmers, and international organizations, among others. High-Level Champion for the Partnership, Gonzalo Muñoz outlined the challenge: to realize a hunger-free, prosperous, and climate-safe world by 2020. Closing the roundtable, UNFCCC Senior Director Martin Frick underscored the need to support farmers and farming, particularly family and small-scale farmers.
For more details on the day’s negotiations and to hear what delegates said in the corridors, see our daily Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB).
Charlina Vitcheva, Director-General, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, European Commission - Oceans2022 - 1Jul22 - photo
Charlina Vitcheva, Director-General, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, European Commission
Tapiwa Roy Rupende, Zimbabwe - Oceans2022 - 1Jul22 - photo
Tapiwa Roy Rupende, Zimbabwe
Abraão Vicente, Minister of the Sea, Cabo Verde - Oceans2022 - 1Jul22 - photo
Abraão Vicente, Minister of the Sea, Cabo Verde
Pennelope Beckles-Robinson, Minister of Planning and Development, Trinidad and Tobago - Oceans2022 - 1Jul22 - photo
Pennelope Beckles-Robinson, Minister of Planning and Development, Trinidad and Tobago
Stefania Romano, ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability - Oceans2022 - 1Jul22 - photo
Stefania Romano, ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability
Daily report for 2 September 2019
14th Session of the Conference of the Parties to the UNCCD (COP 14)