Meeting will bring together the world’s leading scientists and thinkers on forests and climate change to inform the global agenda, alongside December’s United Nations Climate Change Conference in Cancún, Mexico.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Registration for Forest Day 2010 now open
Bogor, Indonesia (16 September 2010). Amid growing optimism that a global deal to include forests in climate change mitigation strategies may be just around the corner, the Collaborative Partnership on Forests and the Government of Mexico, through the National Forestry Commission, have announced their plans for the fourth annual Forest Day to be held on 5 December 2010. As with previous Forest Days, the event will take place alongside the United Nations Climate Change Conference, to be held this year in Cancún, Mexico.
‘Last year’s Forest Day was an extraordinary success,’ said Eduardo Rojas-Briales, Assistant Director-General of the FAO Forestry Department and chair of the Collaborative Partnership on Forests (CPF).
‘Two former heads of state, three Nobel laureates and several serving government ministers addressed the event. Nearly 1,500 policy makers, activists, foresters and journalists took part. With forests high on the global climate change agenda we are expecting similar levels of interest this year. This is a "must attend" event for everyone who cares about the world’s forests.’
An estimated 250 UN climate change negotiators attended the third Forest Day in Denmark last December. This unprecedented interest in forests resulted in three mentions of REDD+ (reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation and enhancing carbon stocks) in the final Copenhagen Accord issued at the end of the summit. Some US$3.5 billion was pledged by wealthier nations to support the development of REDD+ schemes in developing countries.
‘This is a critical time for forests and climate change,’ said Frances Seymour, Director-General of the Center for International Forestry Research, which is organising the event on behalf of the CPF. ‘Money and political will for REDD+ are now apparent, but just how it can be made effective, efficient and equitable remains to be resolved. Forest Day will be an outstanding opportunity to share early lessons on REDD+ implementation and move the agenda forward.’
This year’s Forest Day is expected to again attract the best speakers, thinkers and innovators on forest policy and climate change. More than 900 people have already registered. Given the venue, the event will have a strong Latin American flavour. Community ownership of forests, land rights and tenure, which are key issues for Amazonian and Central American foresters and forest-dependent peoples, will feature prominently in the day’s discussions.
Forest Day 4 will serve as a bridge between the 2010 International Year of Biodiversity and the 2011 International Year of Forests.
‘We are looking forward to welcoming the world to Cancún in December,’ said Juan Manuel Torres Rojo, Director-General of Mexico’s National Forestry Commission (CONAFOR), which is co-hosting the event.
‘Mexico has had a longstanding tradition of sustainable forest management that respects the rights of communities and protects the natural environment whilst still providing commercial returns. We are keen to share our experiences and to learn from others. Now more than ever we all need to collaborate to ensure that decisions taken about REDD are informed by the best possible science and policy research.’
The deadline for general and booth registration is October 30. Registration after this deadline will only be accepted on a case-by case basis. Registration forms and further information are available at: www.forestday.org
The Collaborative Partnership on Forests is a voluntary arrangement among 14 international organisations and secretariats with substantial programmes on forests (CIFOR, FAO, ITTO, IUFRO, CBD, GEF, UNCCD, UNFF, UNFCCC, UNDP, UNEP, ICRAF, WB and IUCN). The CPF?s mission is to promote the management, conservation and sustainable development of all types of forest and strengthen long-term political commitment to this end.
www.fao.org/forestry/cpf/44935/en/
CONAFOR (Comisión Nacional Forestal) is the National Forestry Commission of Mexico. It is a public agency whose objective is to develop, support and promote conservation and restoration in Mexico?s forests, as well as to participate in developing plans and programmes and enacting policies for sustainable forestry development.
www.conafor.gob.mx
The Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) advances human wellbeing, environmental conservation and equity by conducting research to inform policies and practices that affect forests in developing counties. CIFOR helps ensure that decision-making that affects forests is based on solid science and principles of good governance, and reflects the perspectives of developing countries and forest-dependent people. CIFOR is one of 15 centres within the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research.
www2.cifor.org
www.ForestsClimateChange.org
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