Do we know how many people live in mountains? Do we know how many go to bed hungry or face nutritional deficits? So far, the stats and figures used worldwide have been drawn from a 2002 FAO working paper, “Towards a GIS-based analysis of mountain environments and populations,” compiled by Barbara Huddleston for the International Year of Mountains. As the world’s population swells to an estimated 9.6 billion by 2050 and the UN grapples with determining targets and indicators to battle food insecurity, the Mountain Partnership Secretariat is updating this study to provide crucial, reliable data on mountain communities and their vulnerability. The overall aim of this side event is to present the preliminary findings of the study, including the methodology and the new set of indicators developed to define vulnerability in mountains. The study, carried out in collaboration with the Geoinformatics team of the Centre for Development and Environment of the University of Bern and FAO’s Statistics Division, will provide baseline information about changes in mountain areas to identify the main trends over the past decade as well as help outline some future ones. The side event will be an occasion to share important information that is lacking both inside and outside FAO and that would allow the mountain community –including FAO mountain member states - to present current stats, key figures, definitions and advocate for sustainable mountain development. This data could also be used as indicators for the monitoring framework of the Post-2015 mountain-related sustainable development targets.

Payments for the environmental services provided by forests can reduce forest degradation and deforestation and reward owners for good stewardship. This was the main message of the recently concluded International Forum on PES of Tropical Forests jointly convened by FAO, ITTO, and the government of Costa Rica in San José, in April. However, for PES to have a meaningful impact on forests and forest management, they need to be scaled up. The Policy Brief derived from the outcomes of the International Forum that will be launched at this side event provides recommendations on how such scaling up can be achieved. This side event, scheduled just before COFO agenda item 4.5 on PES, will provide background information and help to stimulate discussions on this topic in the main COFO session. In addition to presenting a summary of the outcomes of the International Forum on PES, experiences in implementing PES from selected regions of the world will be shared. Presentations will be followed by an open discussion. Simultaneous interpretation will be provided in English, French and Spanish.

A round table discussion of potentials and needs in capacity development in forest policy and institutions in French speaking African countries. The objective of the round table is to present and discuss the results of a stock-taking analysis and develop a sort of a road map for specific CD approach/actions for the countries concerned.

By invitation.