Protecting and restoring the world’s forests: Launch of a new multi-stakeholder platform

The European Commission launched its multi-stakeholder platform to help protect and restore the world’s forests. FAO represented by its Forestry Division participated in the launching event by providing its extensive expertise in forests’ sustainable governance and management.

The platform together with the EU Observatory on Deforestation and Forest Degradation will explore possible legislative measures, and reinforce the implementation of the EU Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) Action Plan, focusing on fighting illegal logging.

Participants of the platform include representatives of EU Member States, top NGOs in forest protection, industry organizations, international organizations, and non-European countries.

”Forests are indispensable for the well-being of all people on Earth, and yet we are losing them at an alarming rate,” said Virginius Sinkevičius, Commissioner for the Environment, Oceans and Fisheries. “The EU is determined to act to change this course, using all tools at our disposal to help protect the world’s forests. But we cannot do it alone. I hope this platform of most relevant stakeholders will be an excellent catalyzer for cooperation to halt and reverse deforestation.”

While urbanization and other factors continue to cause forest loss, it is estimated that since 1990, 420 million hectares of forest have been lost through conversion to other land uses--with agriculture being the main driver of deforestation and forest degradation.

Read more about the continued threat which forests and their biodiversity face in the “State of the World’s Forests 2020” report, published by FAO and the UN Environment Programme.