Above photo:Minister Dhaliwal together with his colleague, Minister Hamad, declared the meeting closed at 11:37 EST.

A General Session convened in the morning to hear conclusions and recommendations of Theme Session C on "People and Forests in Harmony." The Final Statement of XII WFC was also presented. During the Closing Ceremony, concluding addresses were given by XII WFC Secretary General Jean-Louis Kérouac and FAO Assistant Director General Hosny El-Lakany, among others.

General and Closing Sessions:

Above photo:XII WFC President Dhaliwal and XII Co-President Sam Hamad 

At the General Session, Gérard Szaraz notes that continued international deliberation and dialogue will result in concrete actions for people in the field.

Angela Cropper, Cropper Foundation, makes introductory remarks before the presentation of the Congress¿s Final Statement, which she notes reflects the discussions of past week.

Jason Jabbour, University of Toronto, presents the Congress¿s Final Statement, which includes a vision for the future, strategies and ways to implement the strategies.

Below photo: The morning general session panel

Sam Hamad, Minister of Natural Resources, Wildlife and Parks for Québec and Co-President of the XII WFC, recognized the important contributions of the youth and the broad and open discussions of high standard throughout the congress.

Hosny El-Lakany, FAO, recalling his opening speech, whether forestry is where it should be, thanked the Congress for the new direction received, and called on the forest sector to commit to physical and psychological rejuvenation, taking into account cultural values.

Herb Dhaliwal, Minister of Natural Resources Canada, President of the XII WFC, found the congress to have been a resounding success, due to participation of people from all walks of life, especially youth and indigenous peoples who called on nation states to recognize their rights to natural resources and meaningful participation.

Above photos: L-R: Gérard Szaraz thanking Jean-Louis Kérouac with a big hug. Sam Hamad, Minister of Natural Resources, Wildlife and Parks for Québec and Co-President of the XII WFC presenting a gift to Hosny El-Lakany 

Left photo:Herb Dhaliwal, Sam Hamad and Hosny El-Lakany gives Jean-Louis Kerouac a well deserved standing ovation.

Town Crier Daniel Richer, reminded participants that when they arrived the leaves were still green and now they have started to change color, marking the beginning of winter, but at the same time promising the coming of spring and future meetings.