UN Forum on Forests High-Level Opening Segment Statement

Your Excellences

The President of ECOSOC,

The President of the UN General Assembly,

Under Secretary General of UN DESA,

Distinguished Delegates,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Dear Colleagues, 

It is an honour to address this high-level session of the UN Forum on Forests on behalf of FAO and the Collaborative Partnership on Forests (CPF). 

This Forum provides a unique opportunity to take global stock of forest-related progress, challenges, and solutions, and marks a milestone with the midterm review of the International Arrangement on Forests.

Since the UN Forum on Forests was created in 2000, we have seen greater and more recognition of the importance of forests in addressing today’s multiple challenges.

The Forum has enabled key policy outcomes, including the UN Forest Instrument and the UN Strategic Plan for Forests and its Global Forest Goals. These, together with related SDGs, provide a clear vision of what must be accomplished by 2030.

We have come a long way, but we still face many challenges, including to meet the three percent increase of global forest coverage.

Every year, we lose 10 million hectares of forests, pests and diseases damage 35 million hectares, and wildfires destroy another 70 million. Still, the global rate of deforestation is slowing, with notable reductions in some countries. People need greener lands and more biodiversity.

Let us continue to work together in an efficient, effective and coherent manner to continue along the positive trend.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

We only have six years to achieve our vision. To do this, we urgently need to transform global agrifood systems to be more efficient, more inclusive, more resilient and more sustainable - including our forests and Agri forestry.

This calls for integrated legal policy and institutional solutions. and technological innovations. FAO is committed to continue supporting Members find the solutions they need, and to assist the concrete action on the ground, including within the context of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, as well as other initiatives such as the Great Green Wall, and the FAO Green Cities Initiative.

We are proud to chair the Collaborative Partnership on Forests (CPF), working closing with partners, each within their respective mandates, to support Members and achieve impact at scale.

Underlining our collective commitment, last September the CPF launched a Joint Call to Action for Forests towards 2030 to support Members in four key areas: implementation; data, science and innovation; finance for forests; and communication and awareness raising.

Dear Colleagues,

FAO looks forward to continuing working together with the Forum because we see strong linkages and many potential synergies with FAO mandates to achieve the Global Forest Goals, especially the Four Betters as set out in the FAO Strategic Framework 2022-31: better production, better nutrition, a better environment, and a better life – leaving no one behind.

As CPF Chair, I am pleased to announce that the theme of the 2025 International Day of Forests will be “Forests and Foods”.  This offers an important opportunity to champion landscape solutions in synergy, which both work towards eliminating hunger and ensuring the sustainable use of natural resources.

Let us work towards tangible outcomes of this UN Forum on Forests to strengthen our commitment, maintain momentum and increase our joint efforts in support of the global forestry community, for the benefits of people, the planet and prosperity, and for the better future generations.

Thank you.