United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF)

United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF):

About UNFF

• High-level intergovernmental policy forum established in October 2000 by the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) through Resolution 

• Established as a functional commission of ECOSOC to promote management, conservation and sustainable development of all types of forests​

• Successor to the Intergovernmental Panel on Forests (IPF, 1995-1997) and Intergovernmental Forum on Forests (IFF, 1997-2000)​

Headquarters and Location

• Headquarters: UN Headquarters in New York, United States​

• UNFF Secretariat based in New York to service and coordinate Forum activities​

Membership

• Universal membership – comprises all Member States of the United Nations and specialized agencies​

• Includes permanent observers and major groups​

• Open to all UN member states for equal participation​

• India is a founding member of the UNFF

Principal Objectives

• Promote management, conservation and sustainable development of all types of forests​

• Strengthen long-term political commitment to sustainable forest management​

• Facilitate implementation of forest-related agreements and foster common understanding on sustainable forest management (SFM)​

• Support implementation of Agenda 21 (Chapter 11), Rio Forest Principles, and global forest goals​

• Promote halting deforestation and forest degradation globally​

Principal Functions

• Facilitate implementation of forest-related agreements and foster understanding on sustainable forest management​

• Provide continued policy development and dialogue among governments, international organizations and major groups​

• Address forest issues and emerging concerns in a holistic, comprehensive and integrated manner​

• Enhance cooperation and coordinate forest-related policies and programs​

• Monitor, assess and report on progress of forest management objectives​

• Oversee implementation of the UN Strategic Plan for Forests 2017-2030​

• Coordinate forest policy across UN member states and foster global cooperation​

Meeting Schedule and Sessions

• Annual sessions held at UN Headquarters in New York (except 3rd and 4th sessions)​

• Meeting Format:

• Odd years: Technical sessions for policy dialogue and implementation reviews​

• Even years: Policy development and decision-making sessions​

• Latest session: UNFF20 (May 5-9, 2025) – focused on Global Forest Goals 1, 3, and 5​​

Key Legal Instruments and Framework

• Non-Legally Binding Instrument on All Types of Forests (2007) – updated to UN Forest Instrument (2015)​

• UN Strategic Plan for Forests 2017-2030 (UNSPF) – adopted by UN General Assembly on April 27, 2017​

• Provides global framework for sustainable forest management and halting deforestation and forest degradation​

• Framework based on Rio Declaration, Forest Principles (1992), Agenda 21 (Chapter 11), and IPF/IFF outputs​

Six Global Forest Goals (2030 Targets)

Goal 1: Reverse the loss of forest cover worldwide through sustainable forest management, including protection, restoration, afforestation and reforestation​

• Target 1.1: Increase forest area by 3% worldwide (120 million hectares)​

• Target 1.2: Maintain or enhance world’s forest carbon stocks​

• Target 1.3: Promote sustainable management, halt deforestation, restore degraded forests​

• Target 1.4: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate change and natural disasters​

Goal 2: Enhance forest-based economic, social and environmental benefits, including improving livelihoods of forest-dependent people​

• Target 2.1: Eradicate extreme poverty for forest-dependent people​

• Target 2.2: Improve access to financial services for small-scale forest enterprises​

• Target 2.3: Increase contribution of forests to food security​

• Target 2.4: Enhance forest industry and ecosystem services contribution​

Goal 3: Increase significantly the area of protected forests and sustainably managed forests​

Goal 4: Mobilize significantly increased financial resources from all sources for sustainable forest management and strengthen scientific and technical cooperation​

Goal 5: Promote governance frameworks to implement sustainable forest management through the UN Forest Instrument​

Goal 6: Enhance cooperation, coordination, coherence and synergies on forest-related issues at all levels​

Collaborative Partnership on Forests (CPF)

• Established: April 2001 in response to ECOSOC Resolution 2000/35​

• Structure: Informal, voluntary partnership of 16 international organizations with substantial forest programs​

• Chair: Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)​

CPF Member Organizations (16 members):​

1. Centre for International Forestry Research (CIFOR)

2. Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) Secretariat

3. Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) Secretariat

4. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)

5. Global Environmental Facility (GEF) Secretariat

6. Green Climate Fund (GCF) – joined as 16th member in 2023​

7. International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO)

8. International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)

9. International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO)

10. United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) Secretariat

11. United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)

12. United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)

13. United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Secretariat

14. United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF) Secretariat

15. World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF/World Bank partnership)

16. World Bank

CPF Mission: Enhance contribution of forests and trees to 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and promote sustainable forest management​

CPF Functions:​

• Support UNFF and its member countries

• Provide scientific and technical advice to the Forum

• Enhance coherence, cooperation and policy coordination at all levels

• Promote implementation of UN Forest Instrument and UNSPF

Key Initiatives and Programmes

• International Arrangement on Forests (IAF) – established in 2000 with five main components including UNFF, Secretariat, Global Forest Financing Facilitation Network (GFFFN), UNFF Trust Fund, and CPF​

• Global Forest Financing Facilitation Network (GFFFN) – established in 2015 to mobilize financial resources and provide information on forest financing​

• UN Strategic Plan for Forests 2017-2030 (UNSPF) – provides framework with 6 Global Forest Goals and 26 associated targets​

• Country-Led Initiatives (CLIs) – foster focused discussions on thematic priorities including forest financing, fire management, certification, and ecosystem services​

• Global Forest Goals Report – tracks progress on implementation and achievement of Global Forest Goals​

• Voluntary National Contributions (VNCs) – countries announce their commitment to achieving Global Forest Goals and targets​

• Forest Finance Facilitation – CPF initiative supporting countries in developing national financing strategies and mobilizing resources for sustainable forest management​

• Sustainable Wood for a Sustainable World (SW4SW) – CPF flagship initiative exploring interlinkages between forest management, value chains, and financing mechanisms​

• Clearing House for Forest Financing – established to share data, information and knowledge on forest financing among CPF members and UNFF stakeholders​

Additional Components of International Arrangement on Forests (IAF)

• UNFF Secretariat – provides logistic and administrative support; led by Director Ms. Juliette Biao Koudenoukpo (appointed January 2022)​

• UNFF Trust Fund – established to support implementation of forest-related initiatives​

• Quadrennial Programme of Work – guiding framework for thematic priorities and intersessional activities (current cycle: 2025-2028)​

Reporting and Governance

• Reports to: UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and UN General Assembly (UNGA)​

• Documentation symbol: E/CN.18/[year]/[document number]​

• Annual reports submitted to ECOSOC in documentary series “Supplements to the Official Records”​

• Each session produces a Resolution on forest priorities and guides work of IAF components​

Recent Progress and Challenges

• UNFF19 (May 2024): Conducted Midterm Review (MTR) of IAF effectiveness; adopted omnibus resolution on UNSPF implementation​

• UNFF20 (May 2025): Reviewed progress on Global Forest Goals, Voluntary National Contributions, and financing mechanisms​

• Global Assessment (2024): World off track to achieve Global Forest Goals by 2030 despite significant progress​

• Key Focus Areas: Triple planetary crises (Climate Change, Biodiversity, Pollution); forest-based solutions; enhanced financing mechanisms; indigenous peoples’ participation​

Regional and Thematic Areas of Work

• Reduction in/halting deforestation and forest degradation​

• Forest health maintenance and improvement​

• Reforestation, afforestation and forest landscape restoration​

• Climate change mitigation and adaptation through forests​

• Biodiversity conservation and invasive species management​

• Fire control and disaster risk reduction​

• Community and collaborative forest management​

• Forest certification and sustainable wood production​

• Small-scale forest enterprises and value-added products

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