The Youth Forest Policy Days are an outstanding initiative organized by IFSA and Forest Europe. They will enable the youth community to exchange knowledge and gain more insights about international forest policies.

IFSA has been emphasizing the need to put Youth voices in the center of the policy fields as well as advocating for better forest education and taking learning beyond the classroom. This event brings the policy field to life with inspiring experts, motivated youth and concrete learning opportunities.

We wish to highlight the importance of the youth as well as provide young people with sufficient knowledge, raise awareness and inspire them to take actions.

The event is divided into three days: a Workshop Day on the 1st of December, a Conference Day on the 2nd of December, plus a climate negotiation simulation on the 3rd of December 2022.

• The Workshop Day will consist of two sessions, focusing on capacity building and soft skills. Participants can select the topic of interest; having the possibility to ask questions and to engage in further discussions. The topics covered are public speaking, digitalization in the forest sector, event organization and climate negotiation simulation. Additionally, a “Living Library” is organized to come into direct contact with different biographies, and networking will play an important role in the afternoon.
• The Conference Day is content-oriented and divided into several sessions. These include plenary sessions on capacity building of the main organizations and processes related to international forest policies, the implementation of forest policies including best practices around the globe and the role of the youth. During the parallel sessions participants can choose if they want to learn more about Sustainable Forest Management (SFM), halting deforestation or forest restoration. The question how forest finances contributes to SFM and what the role of the private sector is will be addressed in a panel discussion in the afternoon. This event is also building on the core recommendations of the Youth Call for Action (YCA), presented at the last XV World Forestry Congress.