The Midterm Review of the International Arrangement on Forests: How can young generations take part in this instrumental forest policy?

The meeting on the midterm review of the International Arrangement on Forests (IAF) was held at the United Nations Office in Vienna, Austria, from October 10th to October 13th, 2023, to discuss assessment-related actions of multiple topics. Binsar Sihotang and Thanh Tam from LC Tharandt represented IFSA from the Major Group Children and Youth. This event marked the conclusion of a series of meetings that had taken place in Bangkok, Rome, and Nairobi, focusing on the ten actions outlined below:

  1. Actions related to the UNFF and its members
  2. Actions related to the United Nations Forum on Forests Secretariat
  3. Actions related to the Collaborative Partnership on Forests
  4. Actions related to the Global Forest Financing Facilitation Network
  5. Actions related to the trust fund for the United Nations Forum on Forests
  6. Actions related to the implementation of the United Nations Strategic Plan for Forests 2017–2030
  7. Actions related to the contributions of the Forum to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development
  8. Actions related to the communication and outreach strategy of the United Nations Strategic Plan for Forests 2017-2030Top of Form
  9. Actions related to the involvement of regional and subregional partners
  10. Actions related to the involvement of major groups and other relevant stakeholders

The meeting was organized into three primary sessions, which included presentations by the evaluators, questions and discussions, and deliberations on the draft of the co-chair summary. Generally, while the objective of this summary was not to be subject to negotiation, during the meeting, it became evident that forestry and the UNFF (United Nations Forum on Forests) held significant and strategic importance in several countries. This was evident through the interventions, suggesting whether to retain or remove specific text within each section. Those interventions made by the member states highlighted the diverse interests and challenges that each nation faced in managing their forests within their respective jurisdictions.

This is of great relevance for forestry students as it allows us to explore the dynamics of sustainable forest management across different countries. Notably, countries like Brazil, India, and Argentina have been highly active in providing contributions to the co-chair’s summary. Similarly, Germany, Spain, and Switzerland have also been observed sharing valuable insights for the co-chair’s summary.

IFSA as the focal point for Children and Youth and other major groups (Farmers, NGOs, and Women) have made several strategic interventions. These interventions focused on various sections such as the Collaborative Partnership on Forest, UNSPF, Communication & Outreach, and the participation of Major Groups and Other Stakeholders. We also expect that the forum continues to take into account the perspectives of Major Groups, along with the valuable resources we possess, to enhance the practical implementation of sustainable forest management and the effective implementation of UNSPF.

In summary, we observed that the UNFF still has numerous of homework, especially in terms of securing political commitment from each member state. To accomplish this, several avenues were discussed during the meeting, including enhancing the outreach and communication strategy of UNFF, rebranding the Collaborative Partnership on Forests as UN Forests, and exploring other joint initiatives involving sub-regional organizations, Major Groups, member states, and the CPF.

Author: Binsar Sihotang