Committee on Mediterranean Forestry Questions - Silva Mediterranea

Joint Organizing Committee of the 8MFW gathers in Rome

26/07/2024
Rome, Italy - July 26, 2024

As the 8th Mediterranean Forest Week (8MFW) approaches, the Joint Organizing Committee (JOC) met at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Headquarters, and online, to discuss the progress made regarding the important regional event.  

The JOC meeting gathered representatives from the member organizations, among them the International Association for Mediterranean Forests (AIFM), the European Forest Institute Mediterranean Facility (EFIMED), the Mediterranean Model Forest Network (MMFN), the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), as well as representatives from Silva Mediterranea’s board. 

The 8MFW will take place from 4 to 8 November at the Sant Pau Art Nouveau Centre in Barcelona, Spain. Participants can attend the six plenary sessions, side events and a series of preparatory webinars that will take place during the weeks before the main event. Posters were selected from an open call and will be featured during the plenary sessions and in a dedicated poster room.  

The Youth Dialogue will take place on Monday 4 November, from 17.00 to 18.30, and is being organized by the Mediterranean Youth Task Force, in close collaboration with international Forestry Students Association (IFSA), the World Food Forum, the COFO Youth Task Force and the Young Professionals for Agricultural Development (YPARD). This dialogue will be the final of the three main youth-led events organized in 2024. It represents the third and final youth assembly co-organized by the partners throughout the year, focusing on the role of youth in forestry. As a main outcome, a Youth Roadmap on Forestry will be drafted by the youth-led organizations and networks.  

Day three of the week will be dedicated to a field trip. Participants will be able to choose one of three sites to visit. The first will focus on post-fire restoration, the second on urban forest biodiversity and services, and the third on innovative approaches for fire resilient landscapes and fire prevention. 

The Committee on Mediterranean Forestry Questions, Silva Mediterranea will hold its 25th Session from 7 to 8 November 2024. These closed sessions are reserved for its member countries and key partner organizations.  

The high-level segment, scheduled for the afternoon of 7 November, will include the participation of representatives from various ministries to discuss how to build on and elevate existing work on environment, forestry and disaster risk reduction in the Mediterranean basin based on the proposed actionable recommendations arising from the 8MFW sessions, and delineate a strategic roadmap and a visionary statement for the future of Mediterranean forests, agreeing on a Mediterranean Forest Initiative. 

Giovanbattista de Dato, Satia Ras, Lucia Rivera and Michele Bozzano