India is Hosting Meeting of the United Nations Forum on Forests

India is organising a Country-Led Initiative (CLI) event as part of the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF) from 26-28 October, 2023 at the Forest Research Institute (FRI), Dehradun, Uttarakhand.

• The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change is the nodal agency for the Country-Led Initiative (CLI).

About Country-Led Initiative (CLI)

• The Country-Led Initiative (CLI)’s  primary goal is to contribute to the discussions of the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF) regarding the implementation of Sustainable Forest Management and the UN Strategic Plan for Forests. 
• At a meeting expected to take place soon, participants will develop practical frameworks and recommendations for forest fire management and forest certification, which will lead the way towards sustainable forest management. 
• These proposals will then be discussed at the 19th session of the UN Forum on Forests (UNFF) scheduled to take place at the UN Headquarters in New York in May 2024.
• The aim of Country-Led Initiative (CLI) is to facilitate the sharing of best practices among UNFF member States for the implementation of Sustainable Forest Management (SFM) and the UN Strategic Plan for Forests (UNSPF). 
• Discussion on areas involving forest fires and forest certification will be on top priority. 
• The formal meeting commenced on  26th October 2023. The program includes two days of discussion and knowledge sharing on the topics of forest fires and forest certification, followed by a one-day field trip.one-day field trip. 
• Event will promote sharing of good practices to support global actions in advancing the Global Forest Goals of the UN Strategic Plan for Forests (UNSPF).

About UN Strategic Plan for Forests

• The United Nations General Assembly has adopted the first-ever UN Strategic Plan for Forests for the period of 2017-2030. 
• This plan provides a global framework for actions at all levels to ensure sustainable forest management, including trees outside forests, and to combat deforestation and forest degradation.

About United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF) 

• In October 2000, the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) established the UNFF through Resolution 2000/35.
• It is a subsidiary body with the main objective to promote the conservation, management and sustainable development of all types of forests and to strengthen long-term political commitment.
• The Forum, composed of all UN Member States and specialized agencies, has universal membership and is based on the Rio Declaration, the Forest Principles, and Chapter 11 of Agenda 21.

Agenda 21, the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development, and Forest Principles were adopted by more than 178 Governments at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in June 1992.

• The Forest Principles, also known as the Rio Forest Principles, is a non-legally binding document that provides recommendations for the management, conservation, and sustainable development of all types of forests. The document emphasizes the importance of preserving forests while promoting sustainable use to benefit both the environment and human beings.
• Agenda 21 is a comprehensive plan to be taken by organizations of the United Nations System, Governments, and Major Groups. Human impact on the environment is intended to be reduced.

About Forest Research Institute, Dehradun

• The Forest Research Institute, Dehradun, has its origins in the Imperial Forest Research Institute established in 1906. Its mission was to lead and organize forestry research in India. 
• The institute has played a significant role in the development of scientific forestry in India and the subcontinent. 
• It has also trained forest officers and rangers and was renamed the Forest Research Institute and Colleges after independence. 
• In 1988, the institute and its research centers were brought under the administrative umbrella of the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE) under the Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change, Government of India.