Accelerating Innovation and Data Management for Forests: A UN DESA Global Policy Dialogue.

Join the UN DESA for a Global Policy Dialogue looking at Sustainable Development Goal 15, Life on Land, which is in the spotlight as International Day of Forests is commemorated on March 21st.

Watch the Accelerating Innovation and Data Management for Forests: A UN DESA Global Policy Dialogue!

Statement by the Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity on behalf the International Day of Forests 2024; March 21st ''Forests and Innovation''.

Forests harbor some 80 per cent of the world’s terrestrial biodiversity; they support more than a billion people with food, shelter, income, and energy. And they provide three quarters of the world’s accessible freshwater. Containing over half of the global carbon stock in soils and vegetation, forests also support us in combating climate change. The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, or the Biodiversity Plan, is a comprehensive plan to protect forests and all ecosystems. Its goals are closely aligned with the Global Forest Goals. They aim to to protect and restore nature; to prosper with nature; to share benefits fairly; and to invest and collaborate for nature. Over the past year, we have seen bold actions on forest conservation regionally and globally. A number of countries have achieved major reductions in the rate of deforestation. The Belem Declaration on the future of the Amazon Forest, the Three Basins Summit, and the Climate Change Conference all set renewed commitments to step up action to protect forests. But forests continue to face major threats. The theme this year for International Day of Forests “Forests and Innovation: New Solutions for a Better World” is thus very pertinent. We need innovation and new solutions to provide early warning of forest fires and other threats, to combat organized crime, and to promote sustainable forest management and fair supply chains in support of a sustainable bioeconomy. New solutions can build on the knowledge, innovations and practices of indigenous peoples and local communities and help to secure their rights over land and resources. Let us all work together to protect forests and to implement the Biodiversity Plan. Let us work to halt and reverse the loss of biodiversity by 2030, towards our vision on living in harmony with nature. We can all be part of the Plan.

David Cooper, Acting Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity, International Day of Forests 2024.

How innovation is driving change in forestry?

Join us for this hybrid series of technical sessions to find out about some of the outstanding innovations that are helping to protect forests and unlock the many benefits they bring.

Innovation and technology are revolutionizing the way we protect and use forests as the world faces unprecedented challenges threatening human well-being and nature. New solutions are transforming forestry, allowing more accurate mapping and monitoring, empowering Indigenous Peoples to be the guardians of forests, promoting ecosystem restoration and driving the development of more sustainable wood and forest products.

Watch the webcast or join the Zoom webinar. Interpretation will be provided in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Spanish and Russian.

Programme

Master of Ceremonies: Julian Fox, Senior Forestry Officer and team leader, Forest Monitoring and Data Platforms

13.00-13.30 Opening

Opening remarks from Zhimin Wu, NFO Director, FAO 

Video remarks from The Rt. Hon. Graham Stuart, Minister for Energy Security and Net Zero, United Kingdom 

Launch of the International Day of Forests video

Welcome remarks from Rebecca Moore, Director, Google Earth

Launch of “Open Foris Ground” application 

Signing of the Google-FAO Memorandum of Understanding (Zhimin Wu, NFO Director and Rebecca Moore, Director, Google Earth)

Innovation and technology have transformed countries’ ability to monitor and report on their forests.

13.30-14.30 - Panel Discussion entitled '' Innovation and technology have transformed countries’ ability to monitor and report on their forests'' 

Keynote speaker: Marieke Sandker, FAO Forestry Officer Moderator: Till Neeff, FAO Forestry Officer 

Panelists

Marieke Sandker, FAO Forestry Officer

Roselyn Adjei, Forestry Commission of Ghana

Fiona Stringer, International Forests Unit, United Kingdom

Daniel Irwin, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)-SERVIR

Ellen Bruzelius Backer, Norway International Climate and Forest Initiative

Luisa Teixeira, Planet 

Innovation is advancing ecosystem restoration as a powerful nature-based solution to multiple global challenges.

14.30-15.30 - Panel Discussion entitled'' Innovation is advancing ecosystem restoration as a powerful nature-based solution to multiple global challenges.''

Keynote speaker: Tom Crowther, Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich (ETH) Moderator: Khalil Walji, The Center for International Forestry Research and World Agroforestry (CIFOR-ICRAF)

Panelists

Tom Crowther, Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich (ETH)

Yelena Finegold, FAO Forestry Officer       

Chetan Kumar, International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN)       

Adrien Leitoro, Nature and People as One       

Fabiola Zerbini, Brazilian National Secretariat for Biodiversity, Forests and Animal Rights

Technological innovations can empower Indigenous Peoples through mapping and securing customary land.

16.00-17.00 - Panel Discussion entitled'' Technological innovations can empower Indigenous Peoples through mapping and securing customary land."

Keynote speaker: Ramesh Sharma, Ekta Parishad Moderator: Eva Hershaw, International Land Coalition (ILC/IFAD)

Panelists

Ramesh Sharma, Ekta Parishad

Tania Eulalia Martinez Cruz, Land is Life

Jessica Webb, World Resources Institute

Maria Paula Rizzo, FAO Land Tenure and Indigenous Peoples Specialist

New technological innovations are needed to halt deforestation and forest degradation.

17.00-18.00 - Panel Discussion entitled ''New technological innovations are needed to halt deforestation and forest degradation.''

Keynote speaker: René Colditz, Joint Research Centre, European Commission – EU Observatory on Deforestation and Forest Degradation Moderator: Laura Vary, World Resources Institute

Panelists

Elke Sümnick-Matthaei, SAFE

Roselyn Adjei, Forestry Commission of Ghana

Nicholas Clinton, Google

Michaela Foster, European Forest Institute

Mikaela Weisse, World Resources Institute

Rémi d’Annunzio, FAO Forestry Officer

Showcasing transformative forest innovations.

On March 21st, the International Day of Forests 2024 will celebrate “Forests and innovation” with a livestreamed session showcasing transformative forest innovations. Discussions will focus on how innovation and technology enhance forest monitoring, reporting, protection, restoration, and sustainable use. The need to scale up innovations to halt deforestation, and empower indigenous peoples as forest guardians, will also be explored to develop new solutions for a better world.

PROVISIONAL PROGRAMME - Celebration of the International Day of Forests 2024.

On March 21st, from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm, at the United Nations Trusteeship Council chamber, New York;

- OPENING SESSION - Opening remarks: Ms. Juliette Biao, Director, UN Forum on Forests Secretariat  H.E. Ambassador Paula Narváez, President of the UN Economic and Social Council  H.E. Ambassador Zéphyrin Maniratanga, Chair of the UNFF19 Bureau  Mr. Li Junhua, Under-Secretary-General, DESA - PANEL SESSION - Chair: Ms. Leticia Zamora Zumbado, Vice-Chair of the UNFF19 Bureau  Mr. QU Guangzhou, Director, FAO Liaison Office, New York  Speaker tba, USDA Forest Service  Ms. Anna Rathmann, Executive Director, Jane Goodall Institute  Speaker tba, International Forestry Students’ Association  Mr. Derek Nighbor, President and CEO of the Forest Products Association of Canada  Mr. José Carlos da Fonseca, Executive Director, The Brazilian Tree Industry (Ibá)  Mr. Kai Lintunen, Head of International Communication, Finnish Forest Association - GENERAL DISCUSSION- Chair: Mr. Javad Momeni, Vice-Chair of the UNFF19 Bureau Statements by Member States, UN entities and other accredited IGOs and Major Groups FOREST VIDEO SHOWCASE Short films from FAO and the 2024 World Wildlife Day Film Showcase (CITES and Jackson Wild)  Forests and innovation – new solutions for a better world  How Old Cell Phones Are Protecting the Rainforest  This New AI Forensic Tool is Fighting Illegal Logging  NASA Joins Jane Goodall to Conserve Chimp Habitats

United Nations Forum on Forests, UNDESA on the International Day of Forests 2024.

Celebration of the 2024 International Day of Forests.

Forests sustain us in countless ways – from clean air and water to food and medicine, income and livelihoods, and even sustainable fashion. Being near trees and forests can inspire creativity, reduce stress, and improve your mood.

The world's forests cover nearly one-third of all land, providing carbon storage and biodiversity habitat while building our resilience to withstand storms and other natural disasters. Yet despite all that they provide us, forests are often undervalued, and every year we continue to lose ten million hectares of forests.

Innovations in science and technology now make it possible for countries to use remote sensing, drone technology, and artificial intelligence to monitor the health of their forests for mapping and monitoring, tree planting, measuring carbon, and early wildfire detection.

At the same time, innovative forest products provide sustainable alternatives for construction materials, textiles, and new types of plastic and medical products. Exploring the possibilities for forest products in building our greener future is limited only by the breadth of our imagination. This is why the theme of this year's International Day of Forests on 21 March 2024, is "Forests and Innovation".

UN DESA's UN Forum on Forests Secretariat will organize a special event to celebrate the International Day on 21 March at UNHQ in New York. The event will feature senior UN and government officials, technical experts, and civil society, all sharing their perspectives on how we can promote innovation to help the world's forests. It will highlight the importance of implementing the UN Strategic Plan for Forests and achieving the Global Forest Goals by 2030. 

Related Sites and Documents

International Day of Forests Webpage

Provisional Programme 

Watch the celebration of the International Day of Forests 2024.

Plant the right trees in the right places.

When we plant the right trees in the right places, we support a cooler, greener and healthier future. Mitigating Climate Change and increasing biodiversity.

HoW Africa drylands can stabilize the Global climate?

Regreening Africa aims to reverse land degradation on 1 million hectares across 8 countries in Africa. So far, the project has improved the #livelihoods, food security, and climate resilience of 500,000 households by restoring ecosystem services.

Forests do more for the climate than store and sequester carbon.

For example, they:

regulate rainfall

provide cooling benefits

protect coastal areas

provide forest products for local communities facing climatic threats

UN-REDD webinar "The right to carbon: From global perspectives to local impact".

Organized by FAO within the framework of the UN-REDD Programme, this webinar offers a unique platform to share experiences and insights to the nature and allocation of carbon rights, as well as the legal entitlements associated with REDD+ outcomes.

As part of the webinar, “Comparative study of carbon rights in the context of jurisdictional REDD+  - Case studies from Africa, Asia-Pacific, Latin-America and the Caribbean” will be launched. To conduct this study, legislation from more than 20 countries worldwide was reviewed between November 2021 and June 2023.

Operationalize the loss and damage fund to help compensate vulnerable nations for the impact of climate change.

This week, the 7th edition of the UNFF Clearing House on Forest Financing Quarterly Highlight newsletter was released. The newsletter provides a space to share information about recent developments, upcoming opportunities, learning materials, and other updates related to financing for forests.

The current edition highlights key developments at the UNFCCC COP28 the implications they have for forest financing. Climate finance discussions were a major highlight in Dubai with the agreement to operationalize the loss and damage fund to help compensate vulnerable nations for the impact of climate change. In addition, the global stocktake emphasized the current gap in climate finance and the importance of reforming the multilateral financial architecture and accelerating establishment of new and innovative sources of finance. Amongst the many announcements and pledges at COP 28, Brazil proposed the creation of the Tropical Forests Forever fund with an initial fundraising target of USD 250 billion and The World Bank announced a roadmap for growth of high-integrity carbon markets, including a target to produce up to 126 million forestry credits by 2028 through the Forest Carbon Partnership Facility.

Promote the conservation, protection and restoration of forests by Indigenous Peoples (IPs) and Local Communities (LCs).

This week, UNFFS Director Ms. Juliette Biao attended the first Conference of the Forests and Communities Initiative (FCI) in Monaco. The FCI is the result of a partnership between the Prince Albert of Monaco Foundation, IUCN World Commission on Environmental Law, International Ranger Federation, Global Forest Coalition and International Indigenous Forum on Biodiversity to promote the conservation, protection and restoration of forests by Indigenous Peoples (IPs) and Local Communities (LCs).

The conference brought together roughly 100 participants from all over the world, including strong representation of IPs and LCs, with the aim of connecting actors, fostering discussions, sharing lessons learned and supporting communities of practice around forest conservation. The event consisted of a series of panels and fireside chats on relevant themes, including the use of Rights-based and Gender-Just approaches, the role of environmental law, as well as national and international funding and governance frameworks.

Ms. Biao was invited by Dr. Christina Voigt, Chair of the IUCN World Commission on Environmental Law, to comment on the UN’s policy and legal frameworks pertaining to IPs, and the engagement of IPs and LCs in the UNFF’s work and deliberations, including though participation in the Indigenous Peoples Major Group. The discussion further addressed the need for inclusive legislation as it relates to forest conservation, and highlighted good practices and lessons learned from around the world.

Ms. Biao took the opportunity of meeting His Serene Highness Prince Albert II of Monaco to extend an invitation to UNFF19 in May 2024, which was accepted.

Country-led Initiative on forest fires, forest certification and SFM.

The panel discussions and interactive discussions under the thematic areas of forest fires, forest certification and sustainable forest management put forward a set of technical and policy recommendations for consideration by the upcoming UNFF19 session. These included:

Need for planning and implementation of integrated fire management strategy that requires a concerted approach to the prevention, management, and restoration of forest fires and policy interventions, both globally or regionally.

Importance of livelihood improvement programmes and incorporating incentive schemes while formulating policies related for forest fire management.

The critical role of regional and international cooperation and coordination among governments to address subnational and transboundary forest fire issues.

Promoting the use of Global Fire Management Hub with the aim of driving regional, national and global dialogue and sharing of best practices to facilitate integrated fire management.

Need for capacity building and training in forest certification, planning and implementation, transparency.

Recommended setting up global benchmark standards for forest certification.

Need for providing guidance in capacity building for Sustainable Forest Management and long-term management of forests for countries and national certification programmes of various exporting countries.

Need for guiding producing and importing countries to enhance the implementation of more cost-effective forest certification practices.

Enhancing collaboration and partnerships to amplify forest certification and compliance.