· The short-term objectives of the International Year of the Forest are (i) to focus world attention on the need for forest conservation and protection; (ii) to raise the political and public awareness of forest resources: (iii) to identify and draw attention to the factors threatening these forest resources; and (iv) to mobilize people, and especially youth, to participate in forest-oriented activities during 1985.
· The long-term objectives are (i) to strengthen national and international commitments to safeguarding the productive and protective: capacity of each nation's forest resources in support of national, social, economic and environmental goals; (ii) to address with greater determination resources and skill the threats to forest resources and (iii) to promote better planning and implementation of forestry programmes, and to give them due importance in national economic planning, on a sustained basis.
· Overall theme: Forestry and food security.
· Supporting themes: Conserving the forest. Forestry and people: Appropriate industries; The fuelwood crisis
Rome 19-30 November 1984
THE COUNCIL
Convinced that forest conservation has become one of the greatest environmental problems and that society cannot afford further damage and degradation to the world's forest resources;
Being aware of the alarming rate at which tropical forest resources are being depleted, currently estimated at some 11 million ha per year;
Recognizing the important role of arid-zone forestry in preventing desertification through closer integration of forestry with agriculture in rural development programmes;
Being aware of the fact that forest fires are the major cause of the destruction of Mediterranean forests and that atmospheric pollution alone or in combination with insects and diseases, seriously threatens the survival of many forests in temperate regions;
Believing that the damage to forest resources by all these factors combined may signal potential damage to other sectors of human activity such as agriculture, quality of food and water, conservation of wildlife and fish populations and the quality of human life per se;
Expressing deep concern at the lack of political awareness at all levels of the social economic and environmental consequences of continued excessive deforestation and of neglect of the world's forest resources;
Believing that every possible measure should be taken urgently in every country to accelerate the process of heightening political awareness at al levels of the critical importance for the future of mankind of adequate attention being given to the word's forests;
Being aware of the fact that the United Nations General Assembly has designated 1985 as International Youth Year and that "Tree Planting'' will be one of the main programmes involving youth in development;
Considering that the Ninth World Forestry Congress will be held in Mexico in 1985 and the obvious advantages of associating internal efforts for he conservation of the forest with the Congress;
1. Recommends that the Ninth World Forestry Congress in Mexico in July 1985 pay special attention to the conservation and proper use of vest resources.
2. Requests all Member Nations to give special recognition to "The Forest" during 1985 and to consider the conservation of their respective forest resources as a matter of national and global concern and to heighten public awareness of the importance of forests for the quality of life, the safeguarding of environmental stability and of their contribution to socioeconomic progress, and to sponsor programmes providing opportunities for youth to participate in tree planting and forest conservation.
3. Declares 1985 the International Year of the Forest.
4 Requests the Director-General to seek, within he limits of available funds in 1985, to respond to requests from FAO Member Nations for assistance in their separate and collective efforts to have "The Forest" duly recognized as a global concern during the year 1985 and in pursuance of he International Year.
