Kick-starting action on the recently-adopted Global Forest Goals to protect, sustainably manage and increase world’s forest area will be a key focus for delegations gathered in New York for the twelfth session of the UN Forum on Forests, which opened today at United Nations Headquarters.
The six forest goals and 26 associated targets, all to be achieved by 2030, the deadline set by UN Member States for the universal attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDSs), were adopted late last week by the UN General Assembly as part of the UN Strategic Plan for Forest 2017-2030, which includes a landmark target to expand the world’s forests by three per cent, an area of 120 million hectares, by 2030.
"Let us make no mistake on this matter – the health of the world’s forests is fundamental to humanity’s place on this planet," said Assembly President Peter Thomson at the opening of the Forum’s current session, emphasising that forests were home to 80 per cent of the Earth’s land-based animal, plant and insect species.
"If we are to succeed in the implementation of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, the protection and sustainable management of our forests will be fundamental to the security of humanity’s place upon this planet," Thomson said, adding that the Assembly’s decision to adopt the first-ever strategic plan was "a critical one."
Forests presently cover 30 per cent of the Earth’s land area, or nearly four billion hectares. Sustainably managed forests are healthy, productive, resilient and renewable ecosystems, which provide vital goods and ecosystem services to people worldwide. An estimated 25 per cent of the global population depends on forests for their subsistence, livelihood, employment and income.

Source: WAM