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XV World Forestry Congress

©FAO/Pilar Valbuena

Plenary sessions


UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration – 8 more years to heal the planet

May 2, 2022 | 2:00 PM KST - 4:00 PM KST

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The UN General Assembly proclaimed 2021—2030 the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, asking FAO and UNEP to lead the implementation of the Decade. Since its launch, the UN Decade has been welcomed by governments, companies, civil society, activists and youth movements. The promise of not only halting global trends of ecosystem loss and degradation but reversing these trends has captured the imagination of many.

Against this backdrop, the XV World Forestry Congress provides the ideal opportunity to inform and shape the UN Decade from a forestry perspective:

  1. What are the most pressing challenges forests are facing right now?
  2. What is the role of restoration in green economic recovery after the COVID-19 pandemic?
  3. What opportunities does ecosystem restoration offer for healthy and productive forests and what examples can be shared?

The UN Decade's strategy has identified key barriers to restoration and key actions needed to restore at least two billion hectares during the next eight years – inspiring a global movement, increasing political will and boosting technical and financial capacity.

Objectives

This plenary will share the work done so far in generating new approaches, practices, technologies, entrepreneurships and partnerships. The session will also bring together world experts to discuss the ways forward to achieve the vision of the UN Decade. 

Speakers


Forests for a healthy, prosperous and peaceful world

May 3, 2022 | 2:00 PM KST - 4:00 PM KST

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Forests contribute a great deal to achieving and sustaining human health, well-being and harmony in many parts of the world. Approximately 1.6 billion people live in, or in close proximity to forests; but much of the rest of the global population benefit from these habitats. Forests not only provide wood products but nutritious food, fodder for livestock, innumerable medicines and biofuels for households from villages to major cities.

This plenary will provide a high-level platform for discussion of the connections between forests, peace and human well-being, focused around the following questions:

  1. What are the key challenges for both government and non-government actors to support the positive benefits of forests for human health, well-being and peace?
  2. What policies and practices are needed to bring the relevant sectors together as a means of unlocking the full potential of forests to support human health and well-being? (e.g., cross-sectoral policy frameworks, enabling policies, tenure and rights, policies for rural-urban linkages)
  3. How can forests contribute to building back better from the COVID-19 pandemic in ways which support a healthier and more prosperous world?

Objectives

The outcome of the plenary will be a deeper appreciation of how forests are linked to and benefit human health, well-being and harmony from rural areas to big cities, the challenges these connections face, and insights on the way forward. 

Speakers
Plenary 2 speakers


Wood the most ancient raw material taking us to the future

May 4, 2022 | 9:00 AM KST - 11:00 AM KST

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This plenary session will raise awareness of sustainable wood as a key renewable material to accelerate progress towards carbon neutral and climate-resilient economies. The event will focus on the contributions of sustainable wood value chains to climate neutrality and achievement of the SDGs, in particular, through the construction value chain. It will discuss policies and incentives to create the enabling environment needed to expand the production and use of sustainable wood, with benefits for ecosystem restoration and rural and urban livelihoods.

Building on the Sustainable Wood for a Sustainable World (SW4SW) initiative, the expert panel will provide compelling examples and outline what needs to change to achieve the full potential of sustainable wood use:

  1. Wood-based construction
    The contribution of wood-based construction to climate neutrality, disaster risk reduction, affordable housing, and many other benefits; emerging technology; changing consumer habits and creating new markets; ensuring participation of forest communities, smallholders and SMEs in the supply chains; opportunities for developing and developed countries.
  2. Increasing the supply of sustainable wood
    The role of plantation and natural forests; the need to increase sustainable forest management and agroforestry to enhance wood production feasibility and attractiveness; instruments and tools needed to safeguard legality and sustainability of wood; alignment of wood production with forest restoration and conservation objectives.
  3. Innovation
    New technologies and innovative products; opportunities for different segments of the forest industry; available tools for more efficient and sustainable supply chains; making innovation accessible to developing countries and forest communities, smallholders and SMEs.
  4. Wood as the essential material of a sustainable society. Beyond the climate benefit. Presentation of the sustainable wood campaign.

Objectives

  1. Awareness of new technological possibilities of wood production and new products to support climate-resilient societies.
  2. Strong messages to influence policymaking and change consumer perception, and position the use of sustainable wood in construction as critical for achieving carbon-neutral economies and the SDGs.
  3. Recommendations for the expansion of the supply of wood in alignment with forest restoration, conservation and biodiversity.
  4. Identification of concrete requirements and policy action to establish sustainable and efficient supply chains for wood in construction.
  5. Awareness of opportunities for meaningful engagement of developing countries, forest communities, smallholders and SMEs in the construction value chain.
  6. Presentation of the joint outreach sustainable wood media campaign.
Speakers


Sustainable pathways for building a green, healthy and resilient future

May 6, 2022 | 9:00 AM KST - 11:00 AM KST

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The session will bring together the summary reports of the six sub-themes, identify key messages from the sessions and discuss the way forward.

Speakers