21 March 2014
21.03.2014 - On the occasion of the International Day of Forests, 21 March 2014 "We Celebrate Forests for Sustainable Development".
Forests are key to sustainable development. Globally, forests cover one-third of the planet's land surface. They especially carry high levels of biodiversity which in turn provide a range of essential ecosystem services for prosperity. Forests provide vital ecosystems, goods, and services for people including food, fodder, water, shelter, nutrient cycling, and recreation. They also function as carbon reservoirs.
Forests are a priority in the work of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). While recognizing the links between biodiversity, ecosystem services, and human well-being, the convention has emphasized that the values of forest ecosystems and biodiversity remain inadequately reflected in broader development policies designed to address the drivers of deforestation. In 2010, the Parties to the Convention adopted the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020 to address the underlying drivers of biodiversity loss and to provide incentives for the protection of benefits provided by healthy and resilient ecosystems. The Strategic Plan includes 20 headline targets known as the Aichi Biodiversity Targets, organized under five strategic goals.
The strategic plan defines the internationally agreed commitments on biodiversity and the means to achieve them. Five of the objectives are particularly important for forests - by 2020 world governments have agreed to:
- At least halve the rate of deforestation and forest degradation (Objective 5)
- Manage areas with sustainable forest cover (Objective 7)
- Protect at least 17% of land as part of enhanced networks of protected areas related to the entire landscape (Objective 11)
- Protect ecosystems that provide essential services (Objective 14)
- Restore at least 15% of degraded ecosystems, contributing to the mitigation of climate change and adaptation as well as combating desertification (Objective 15)
These objectives support the CBD program of work on forest biodiversity adopted in 2002 and fulfill other internationally recognized policy commitments in Agenda 21, including the Non-Legally Binding Instrument for All Types of Forests and its global objectives. Parties to the convention are developing national objectives within the framework of the strategic plan as part of their updated national biodiversity strategies and action plans (NBSAPs). 93% of the Parties have developed NBSAPs in accordance with Article 6 of the Convention.
The CBD Secretariat has had the privilege of working with members of the Collaborative Partnership on Forests to develop a range of studies on forest financing, climate change and forests, landscape approaches, as well as links with the development agenda.
Bilateral activities have also been carried out with several partners, including the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the Center for International Forestry Research, the International Tropical Timber Organization, the United Nations Environment Programme, IUCN, the International Union for Conservation of Nature, and United Nations secretariats, the Framework Convention on Climate Change, and the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification. Such a cooperative effort has been made to advance joint agendas through two series of capacity-building workshops—in 2009 on biodiversity, forests, and climate change (REDD++), and currently on ecosystem conservation and restoration in a landscape context.
All this work has helped countries translate their commitments into practical actions that lead not only to the conservation and sustainability of biodiversity but also contribute to the eradication of poverty, food security, employment and better livelihoods, as well as broader socio-economic objectives. The importance of forests and biodiversity for sustainable development is well recognized by the global community. After the eighth season of Open Working Group on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), held in February 2014, forests were included in the Biodiversity and Ecosystems focus area, one of the 19 focus areas of the SDGs. The inclusion reflects the significant multiple contributions that forest ecosystems make to sustainable development.
Meanwhile, as we celebrate this year's theme of the International Day of Forests, "Forests and Sustainable Development," I encourage countries to assess the state of their natural forest capital and the socio-economic contribution that forests provide to society in general. More than 1.6 billion people worldwide depend on forests to supply food, medicines, and fuel as well as for their work and way of life. By measuring this wealth we have, we can find innovative ways to conserve, restore, and better manage our forests and the resources they carry to benefit both current and future generations. This is truly the future we want.