Collaborative Partnership on Forests

Afrormosia growing scheme at the Compagnie Forestiere et de Transformation (CFT) in Kisangani, DRC.

Turning the tide on deforestation

Target countries: Global
Lead members: FAO, UNEP, UNDP and UNFCCC
Timeframe: 2021–2028
Contributions to forest-related goals: GFGs1, 2, 3, 5 and 6, all KMGBF Targets, SDGs 3, 6, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15

Objective

The joint initiative, under the auspices of the UN Secretary-General, contributes to several global forest goals, particularly Global Forest Goal 1, through advocacy and targeted activities to promote scaled up global ambitions to halt deforestation. 

There is a global trend of declining deforestation rates, attributable mainly to domestic policies and enforcement efforts. However, deforestation trends remain high where there are challenges such as poverty, governance, and limited political will. This initiative focuses on providing data, analysis and policy options to support countries in their land-use choices and in managing competing land-use demands and supporting solutions for accelerating action. This includes advocacy and targeted activities to enhance cross-sectoral integration, especially between agriculture and forestry, to jointly advance climate, biodiversity, and sustainable development objectives.  The initiative also aims to keep forests high on the global climate agenda and enhance the integration of forests into countries’ Nationally Determined Contributions. Through the Joint Call to Action for Forests towards 2030, at the high-level event on the value of forests during the 2023 UN General Assembly, the CPF communicated the urgency of closing the financing gap to tackle the full scale of deforestation and advocated for stronger integration of land-use change and forestry in enhanced nationally determined contributions. Continuing and intensifying these efforts are a key component of the CPF’s work.

Main activities

  • Building up on the outcomes of the CPF International Conference “From Aspiration to Action – working together to halt deforestation and increase forest area” held in 2018, the CPF publication: “Challenges and Opportunities in Turning the Tide on Deforestation” (2021), the Joint Call to Action, and the CPF Joint Statement delivered during the  UNFCCC COP30 in Brazil, the CPF is planning to release updated joint statements on challenges and opportunities in turning the tide on deforestation, showcasing the path from pledges to action in advancing solutions at the 3 Conferences of the Parties (COPs) of the Rio Conventions taking place in 2026.
  • Providing support, including through communications and advocacy, to the COP 30 Presidency Roadmap for Halting and Reversing Deforestation and Forest Degradation by 2030.
  • Communication and advocacy, including through social media campaigns related to the importance of turning the tide on deforestation, and organization and participation in side events at key global forest-related fora (including the 3 Rio Convention COPs).
  • Support UN Country Teams, so that action on halting deforestation is also prioritized and coordinated within the relevant UN agencies country plans.
  • Resource mobilization.

Expected impacts by the end of the 2025-2028 period

  • Expanded implementation of innovative, scalable and context-specific solutions to halt deforestation and forest degradation.
  • Improved integration of forest-based approaches into national land-use policies and planning frameworks.
  • Measured reductions in deforestation rates.
  • Stronger prioritization of forests as solution in climate, biodiversity conservation, land degradation, food security, and development agendas and stronger policy coherences to address these multiple challenges. 
  • Facilitated access to finance for actions that halt deforestation, restore degraded forests, and promote sustainable forest management in projects and programmes led by leading agencies. 

Background

Forests act as essential climate regulators, serving as carbon sinks and helping mitigate extreme weather events. They cover 31% of Earth’s land area, totaling just over 4 billion hectares, and support nearly 6 billion people worldwide by providing non-timber forest products essential for daily needs. Additionally, around 3.3 billion people live within one kilometer of a forest, relying on them for crucial resources and livelihoods.

Halting deforestation is not only vital for addressing climate change but also essential for achieving global sustainability targets, as called for in the SDGs, the UN Strategic Plan for Forests 2030, and the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration.