Dehradun: The Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change is organizing a Country-Led Initiative (CLI) event as part of the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF) from October 26-28, 2023, at the Forest Research Institute (FRI) in Dehradun, Uttarakhand.
The United Nations Forum on Forests is dedicated to promoting the management, conservation, and sustainable development of all types of forests, and India holds the distinction of being a founding member of UNFF. The UN General Assembly adopted the initial UN Strategic Plan for Forests, spanning from 2017 to 2030. This plan acts as a global framework for actions at all levels, aiming to achieve the sustainable management of all types of forests, including trees outside forests, and to combat deforestation and forest degradation.
The CLI’s primary objective is to contribute to UNFF discussions concerning the implementation of Sustainable Forest Management and the UN Strategic Plan for Forests. It also seeks to facilitate the exchange of best practices among UNFF member states for implementing SFM and the UNSPF. The CLI will focus on thematic areas related to forest fires and forest certification. During this event, experts from UNFF member countries, UN organizations, regional and sub-regional partners, as well as major groups, will deliberate on these thematic issues.
The formal meeting will commence on October 26, 2023, and will include two days of discussions and exchanges on the key themes of forest fires and forest certification, along with a one-day field trip. The deliberations on these thematic areas will promote the sharing of best practices to support global efforts in advancing the Global Forest Goals of the UN Strategic Plan for Forests (UNSPF).
In recent years, there has been a concerning increase in the scale and duration of wildfires worldwide, resulting in profound impacts on biodiversity, ecosystem services, human well-being, livelihoods, and national economies. Forested areas have been particularly affected, with around 100 million hectares, equivalent to 3% of the world’s forest area, impacted by fires annually. The severity of these fires has been highlighted by numerous high-profile incidents, leading to poor air quality and significant loss of human lives, wildlife, ecosystem services, and property. India is no exception, as changing climate patterns have made forest fires a recurring phenomenon.
The issue of forest certification has gained increasing global attention in recent years. The total forest area under certification has grown by 35% (or 120 million hectares) since 2010. Between 2020 and 2021, the certified forest area expanded by 27 million hectares. Developing countries continue to face several challenges with the certification process, including high certification costs, audit and compliance issues, limited access for forest owners in remote regions, and capacity constraints due to the complexity of various certification standards. Deliberations on forest certification will enrich the policy landscape in developing countries regarding this issue.
The UN Forest Instrument has adopted various policy measures to promote sustainable forest management through the use of voluntary instruments like voluntary certification systems or other appropriate mechanisms in a transparent manner. However, some countries view the certification measures and requirements as potential trade challenges or market barriers for their forest products. On the other hand, some countries see forest certification as an effective means to ensure SFM and prevent forest degradation or deforestation. Another concern is that most consumer markets recognize certification from a limited number of certifying bodies, potentially neglecting other certification schemes.
This meeting will facilitate discussions among participating states on these issues. It will be attended by more than 80 delegates from over 40 countries and 20 international organizations, both in person and online. The meeting aims to produce actionable frameworks and recommendations for the management of forest fires and forest certification, which will be considered for discussions at the 19th session of UNFF scheduled at the UN Headquarters in New York in May 2024.